Pre-Trip Travel Authorization Required
Completion or submission of a Pre-Trip Authorization form is required for all MSU business travel. After a pre-trip authorization form has been submitted and processed, the traveler will receive an approval or denial notification via e-mail. The pre-trip authorization approval e-mail will include an attached copy of the signed authorization
Reimbursement Requests
- Receipts must be original (not copies) and contain the amount, the form of payment, and the name of the person requesting reimbursement.
- Save all receipts that may be pertinent to your travel (airfare, hotel, conference registration, parking, taxi/shuttle, etc.).
- Submit your Travel Approval Pre-trip authorization, receipts, conferenceagenda, Airfare Equivalency Worksheet (if applicable), and Travel Reimbursement Worksheet to the MMG Office within 2 weeks following your return.
Driving VS Flying ~ If you prefer to drive to a conference rather than fly, please complete the Airfare Equivalency Worksheetprior to your travel. The University will now only accept quotes from Concur Travel. Submit this equivalency sheet with your receipts when requesting reimbursement. Keep in mind that if flying is cheaper than driving, MSU will only authorize reimbursement to a maximum of the amount estimated for flying (even if driving was more expensive). If you drive anywhere outside of Michigan, you must also submit a letter explaining your business reason for driving.
Shared Expenses ~ If you plan to share travel expenses with colleagues, please get separate receipts. For example, many hotels will print each person a receipt for their share of the hotel bill. You may need to request this before checkout time so that the hotel has time to prepare the receipts. If you cannot get separate receipts for a shared expense, all people seeking reimbursement from a shared receipt must submit their reimbursement requests with documentation showing the expenses that were shared, with whom they were shared, and how the shared expenses were paid. This will include copies of receipts, copies of cancelled checks, and documentation letters of any cash that changed hands to pay the shared expenses. Processing of shared expenses reimbursements will be much quicker, if all of the travelers involved in the shared expenses, submits their receipts at the same time. Please contact the program secretary prior to expense sharing for a full explanation of how to properly document payment of shared expenses.
Use Your Own Credit Card ~ The University will only reimburse receipts that you paid. Example: If you submit an airfare receipt that your friend arranged and paid for with his/her credit card and this credit card appears on the airfare receipt with the friend’s name as the purchaser, you cannot be reimbursed for the purchase.
Example of Perfect Receipt ~ Please contact the MMG Office if you have any questions about what an appropriate receipt should contain or when it is needed.
- A perfect airfare receipt includes the travelers name, the amount, the itinerary of travel (cities, dates and times), and the form of payment along with the last 4 digits of a credit card charge.
- A perfect hotel receipt shows the amount due, the amount paid, and the new balance displaying zero.
- A perfect conference registration fee receipt includes the registrant name, the amount for registration, and confirmation that the fee was paid. Often included with this confirmation is a conference agenda and any fee that were charged for a special dinner. You will need to submit this agenda with receipts to prove that meals were (or were not) included with your conference registration fee.
- Meal receipts are usually not needed because the University reimburses a daily per diem amount for meals.