Travel Advances

Travel advances are used to help pay traveling expenses that occur prior to an actual trip. Proof of purchase is needed for airfare, lodging, registration, and travel expenses. Any other arrangement for pre-trip costs needs pre-approval. Travel advances should be requested from PASC at least three weeks prior to departure to ensure that the checks will be ready on time.

Travel Advances: Submitting a Request (Pre-Authorization for travel or entertainment). To submit a travel advance we need the following:

● Event/Trip Name (Travel Dates and destination)
● Trip purpose
● Business purpose
● Request/Trip start and Request/Trip end dates
● Destination City/Country
● Expected Expenses with estimated costs and any receipts available

All travelers that receive a travel advance must submit an expense report within 21 days after the completion of travel.

Allowable expenses and guidelines for booking:

Conference Registration

● Travelers must provide a copy of the event agenda. Receipts must be itemized.
● Justification is always needed for attending an event. Please submit event information with your expense report such as an agenda, invitation, or itinerary.

Transportation

● Airfare: Economy only, US Flag carrier if international travel. Please contact your financial coordinator in order to book your flight to utilize direct billing to UCSB. This is strongly suggested and preferred. Receipts must be itemized if not booked through Concur or Connexxus
● Train/Bus/Taxi (no limo service): UC Policy reimburses the most economical means
● Parking fees
● Rental Car insurance is not reimbursable. Book rental cars through Concur or UCSB Transportation & Parking Services. Only intermediate or smaller vehicles are reimbursable. Luxury cars, including Teslas, are not reimbursable. Receipts must be final and itemized, and a quote or reservation confirmation are not receipts.
● Mileage Reimbursement Rate for personal cars
● UCSB Vehicle Rentals: Transportation Services provides clean, safe and reliable vehicles to meet the transportation needs of University departments. Maintained by a team of professional technicians, TPS provides cost-effective short-term and long-term (assigned) rentals. Vehicles include sedans, multi-passenger vans, box trucks and Suburbans. Rental rates depend on the type of vehicle and length of rental. Vehicles are for official University business use only. Plan in advance, with a minimum of 2 weeks notice per request.

Lodging and Meal & Incidental Expenses

Please book your hotel through Concur whenever possible. This is strongly suggested and preferred. Please ensure that receipts are final and itemized, and keep in mind that reservation confirmations are not considered receipts. All rates, including room nights and meals, must adhere to the standard UC's Travel Regulations G-28.

Travel Reimbursements

Travel expense reimbursements go through the reimbursement platform Concur. Concur is the reimbursement platform for entertainment and travel reimbursements. Concur is available in the website version and an app for your smartphone. With Concur, travel and entertainment activity reimbursements have been electronically standardized for convenience and ease of use.

It is recommended you email digital copies (scans, PDF, photos, screenshots) of the receipts to your PASC Finance Coordinator, so they can prepare a Concur reimbursement expense report for you. Please add your PASC Finance Team representative as a Delegate in your Concur profile. Employees must add their PASC Finance Team representative as a delegate to process reimbursements. How to Add a Delegate. Please email all requests to the functional email for the department: finance@gss.ucsb.edu

You may initiate the Expense Report on your own. See below step-by-step guidance: 

How to Create an Expense Report on Concur Mobile

Concur Business Expense Report: A Step-by Step Guide

Entertainment Reimbursesment

Entertainment reimbursements go through the reimbursement platform Concur. Entertainment Reimbursements refer to any expenses related to food, such as a business dinner, lunch meeting, or reception. Please note that UCSB has a strict Entertainment Policy that may restrict or deny your reimbursement claim. You can find this policy on the UCSB website: UCSB
Entertainment Policy. Please note that for all entertainment expenses, we need to turn in a complete guest count of
those who attended the event. Please use the PASC Attendance Sheet to print and then submit it for your event reimbursement.

Business Expenses

Reimbursements for Non-Entertainment and Non-Travel

Business expense reimbursements go through the reimbursement platform Concur. When it comes to reimbursements for non-entertainment and non-travel expenses such as supplies and books, it is important to note that, per BFS guidance, Business Expense (Miscellaneous) Reimbursements should always be a last resort. Memberships should also be purchase through the department Flexcard, membership Concur reimbursements should also be a last resort.

Amazon purchases should not be processed with Concur unless there are unique and unavoidable circumstances. Please refer to the purchasing section to know how to best place orders through Amazon.