msu travel policy

Travel at State – Office of the Controller

Table of Contents

Getting started, concur mobile.

• My Travel Network, TripIt Pro

Travel Bookings

Connections, expense reports, how do i log onto concur.

Who has a Concur profile?

All MSU active employees have Concur profiles.

Will Concur work on any browser?

To view a list of Concur supported browsers and desktop operating systems, please visit Section 8&colon Browser Support in Concur’s Travel & Expense the Supported Configurations guide.

How will I know if there is a service outage in Concur or the system is just running slowly?

If the system appears to be running slower than normal or you are receiving a timeout error, you can check messages to see if there is a service outage by going to the Concur home page, scroll to bottom of page and click on “Service Status (North America). There you will see the current service status. In the top right corner of the screen, you can click “Subscribe to Updates” if you wish to receive updates when the system is experiencing issues.

Why do I need a profile?

Your profile controls multiple critical functions within Concur. If you book airfare, the name in your profile must match your state/government issued ID. If you would like to have another employee arrange travel and prepare requests and expense reports on your behalf, you must assign him/her as a delegate (see instructions below). To take advantage of the mobile technology and electronic receipts, you must activate e-receipts, verify your email, and setup your mobile PIN. For additional details on profile settings, please refer to the User Profile Settings Quick Start Guide (coming soon).

How do I become an arranger or assign an arranger to make travel reservations?

Travelers are responsible for assigning travel arrangers in their Concur Profiles.

• To do so, go to Profile Settings, Travel Settings, Assistants/Arrangers;

• Type in your Assistant’s name or email address and select the appropriate boxes;

• You can add as many Assistants as you wish.
• Once complete click “Save” on the Setting page.

How do I become a delegate or assign a delegate to create and submit Requests, and prepare Expense Reports?

• Go to Profile Settings;
• Select Expense Delegates under Expense Settings to assign delegates.

• Select the following boxes and save:
• You can add as many Delegates as you wish.

Who can make changes to a Concur profile?

Which mobile apps should i download, how does a user install sap concur's mobile app.

• On the Mobile Registration page Profile > Profile Settings > Mobile Registration in the web version of SAP Concur, the user can: Request that an email is sent to their device, where the user opens the email and follows the instructions. - or - Obtain the link using the appropriate "store" icon.
• On the mobile device, the user can go to appropriate store "store" and search for Concur.

How does a user sign in to the app?

How does a user re-set their mobile-only password, which functions can a user perform with regards to managing their expenses and reports, how much information can be edited by the user, can a user itemize an expense using the mobile app, can a user remove itemizations from an expense, can a user add attendees using the mobile app.

• Search the user's contact list on the mobile device
• Search for attendees in the user's favorites attendee list
• Search for attendees in all company attendee lists
• Search an external source (if this feature is available on the web version or Expense)
• Add the attendee manually
• Add attendees from the device calendar (iPhone only)

Can users enter personal car mileage?

How does a user delete a mobile expense, can a delegate manage a user's expenses and reports via the mobile app, can a user capture an image of the receipt and attach the image to the expense, does a user need to allow access to the device camera, does a digital photo of a receipt meet irs guidelines for expense documentation, does it take a long time to upload the receipt images, with sap concur's mobile app, can a user manage their trip itinerary, which request features are available for a user using sap concur's mobile app, which request features are available for an approver using sap concur's mobile app, my travel network. tripit pro, my travel network, what is my travel network, how does my travel network work, how do i enroll in my travel network.

• Option 1: Enroll via a pop-up window that appears on the home page.
• Option 2: Select Profile > Profile Settings > Frequent-Traveler Programs . Next, scroll down to the Frequent-Traveler Programs section and click
• Option 3: Select App Center on the top of the home page then search for My Travel Network to enroll.

What are the benefits of enrolling in My Travel Network?

What travel partners are currently part of my travel network, what is i book a room-block for a conference with a hotel supplier that is not listed above, why do i need to verify my email address(es), what is tripit pro, how does tripit pro work, what are the benefits of tripit pro.

• Create a master itinerary from the confirmation emails of thousands of different places including restaurant reservations, airport shuttles, and even rooms you’ve booked through conference hotel blocks.
• Send real-time flight alerts and helpful reminders throughout your trip.
• Help you get your expense reports started. Once a flight, hotel, or car has been added to your TripIt account, a note will be created in Concur reminding you about the expense.
• Tell you when to leave for the airport based on your current location, flight status, and local traffic with the Go Now feature.

How do I activate my complimentary TripIt Pro subscription?

Why do i have to verify my email address(es) in my tripit account, how do i verify my email address(es) in tripit.

• Go to www.tripit.com and sign in with your TripIt account information.
• Click your name in the upper right to access your settings.
• Go to the Email Settings section.
• Confirm the email address(es) currently there and add any additional email address(es) you may forward travel confirmation emails from.
• Click Save .

How do I download the TripIt app?

I already have a free tripit account. how do i get access to tripit pro, why do i have to forward my travel confirmation emails to [email protected], what should i do if my personal travel plans end up in concur.

• Option 1: Log into your TripIt account on the web or mobile app and edit your trip. Toggle off the Business Trip option.
• Option 2: Log into Concur Solutions, select the Upcoming Trips tab and choose Hide Personal Trip to remove a personal trip from Concur.

Do I have to use the Preferred Travel Agencies and Concur for online booking?

Are there discounts for booking flights substantially ahead of travel dates, can i contact a frosch or anthony travel agent to arrange travel, how do i book a hotel that is designated as a preferred location for a conference, how can i get frequent flier miles or points on my business travel, can i select my seat in concur, will the system notify me if there is a change in flight schedule, how do i ensure that my name matches my state/government issued photo id, do i need to provide my date of birth and gender to book travel, what are unused tickets, how do i pay for my reservations, how can i view the itinerary for flights that i have already booked, is optional car rental insurance reimbursable, what should i do if i’m involved in an automobile accident while using a university-owned or rented vehicle, may i buy first class airfare when traveling on university business, will this new system “talk” to the global travel registry, how do you connect purchasing card charges, does concur eliminate entering dvs in kfs, will concur include the management/coordination of certain elements of international travel (ex: visa/passport applications, olin health vaccinations, and msu global travel registry).

• No, Concur will not.
• MSU Office of International Health and Safety will continue to provide resources passport/visa requirements, inoculation requirements, SMART Traveler enrollment, etc. to MSU international travelers as they do today.

Will the activity statement include the traveler’s name and destination or should that be part of the trip name?

• When Org Level Approvers and Fiscal Officers are reviewing Approvals, the list will include Request Name, ID, and Traveler Name.
• The Trip (Request) Name should be something meaningful to you and those who will be approving.

Is Concur connected to EBS? Will there be a “tile” in EBS for Concur?

Can i use concur to make a motor pool reservation, how will department policies be implemented.

• Departmental policies are not built into Concur.
• Auditing of travel Request and Expense Reports to departmental policies will remain the department’s responsibility.
• Many MSU policies are built into Concur.
• Central Accounting will continue to audit Expense Reports to MSU policy.

What is Request?

Is request required, will we still be able to do blanket authorizations for in-state travel, are estimated costs required, if dates change by a day or two after submitted, does a new request have to be started, what are some features of request, what is an event request and how is it used, what are delegates how many delegates can i have, i am an approver. how can i delegate approvals to another employee, how do i become a delegate in order to prepare requests and expense reports, how do i act on behalf of another user to assist with travel reservations.

• Go to Travel
• From Profile, and select “Act on Behalf of Another User”.
• In the Search by Name or ID field, find the traveler's name;

• In the upper right portion of the screen, you will see the traveler's name highlighted in green as Acting As. You are now acting as that person, and you will be able to complete the delegate functions.
• For details, please see the User Profile Settings Quick Start Guide for information on how delegates are assigned.

How do I add assistants and travel arrangers to my profile (to assist with travel reservations)?

How are approvals handled?

If the traveler must approve his/her own expense report, can another person also be added (ex: grant pi when the traveler is a student).

• Profiled faculty/staff travelers are required to submit their Expense Reports.
• Delegates can assist and/or complete Expense Reports, but cannot submit.
• Yes, ad hoc routing is available for additional approvals. Use the “+” to add routing before and after the Fiscal Officer Approval.

After submission, can travelers follow routing of their requests and Expense Reports to see where they are in the review/approval process?

• Profiled travelers can receive notice of Expense Report status changes. Request initiators can be notified of status changes via email.
• Travelers can view their Request and Expense Report status by logging into Concur and selecting Request or Expense. In the line description, travelers can see status.
• To see further routing detail and view audit trail, travelers can select a specific document and view within that particular report.

Can approvers edit Requests and Expense Reports?

What happens when the chairperson approves a request, but the fiscal officer rejects for errors.

• When the fiscal officer finds errors in a Request, they can send back for corrections and once corrected, routing begins again.
• Request initiators can choose to cancel the Request and start anew using the copy feature.

Will approvals show up in some action list as other KFS transactions?

• No, Request and Expense Reports pending approval will not be in KFS.
• Pending Request and Expense Report approvals will appear at the top of your home page in Concur. If you are an approver, you can see the number of approvals required. When you select Required Approvals, Request and Expense Reports are listed under each tab.

Does the approval process go from the submitter directly to Fiscal Officer?

• Submitted Requests will go to the Org. Level Approver before routing to Fiscal Officers.
• Submitted Expense Reports will route directly to Fiscal Officers.

Can delegates approve in the workflow?

Will there be email notifications for approvals, are approvers able to see future and previous workflow approvers or only what you have to approve, what happens if an approver disapproves a request in expense, will auto-routing occur when request needs two different approvals from two different areas.

• If different Org. level approvals are needed, ad hoc routing will be needed to send to the non-primary Org.
• Fiscal Officers will be automatically routed when their accounts are utilized.

As a department Fiscal Officer, can I change account numbers at my approval step?

Will approvers have delegates (ex: if the fo is on vacation), how long does it take for approvals to go through.

• Request and Expense Reports route through
• Once a Request is submitted, both the Org level and Fiscal Officer have to approve.
• Once an Expense Report is submitted, the Fiscal Officer(s) for accounts charged are routed for approval. If travel is international and an “RC” account is charged, Expense Reports will route to CGA for review and approval. Expense Reports are then routed to Accounting for audit and final approval.
• In either case, additional routing can be added.

Can I assign another employee to review expenses before I approve them?

Will the approver know whether they are approving the travel or accounting string accuracy, will travel arrangers receive notification of requests in route and when they are approved do travel arrangers have access to a traveler’s request route log, how do i reassign an expense report for a higher level of approval, when should i complete an expense report, how can i track an expense report in the system, is there a report available for expense report details, how are exchange rates calculated, how do i itemize a hosted business meal to separate the expense for alcohol when alcohol is not reimbursed or permitted on the account.

• Select a Group Business Meal expense type, and enter the required information, including the total charge of the meal.
• Click Itemize and select the appropriate expense types such as Group Business Meal for the charges that are not for alcohol, and either Personal/Non Reimbursable for the alcohol charges.
• The total of the meal and alcohol should equal the total charge.

I have incurred currency conversion charges for international transactions while traveling for the University. What expense type should I use?

What is a foreign transaction fee, and is it considered an allowable expense, if a hotel issues a credit after checkout, will i receive an e-receipt for the credit, what is m&ie per diem, and is it the same as a travel allowance.

• The General Services Administration (GSA): GSA establishes per diem rates for destinations within the Continental United States (CONUS).
• The State Department : The State Department establishes foreign rates (for example, Russia, Aruba, Bahamas, Europe, etc.).
• The Department of Defense (DOD): The DOD establishes non-foreign rates such as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

What M&IE per diem rate do I use if the city to which I am traveling is not listed?

Should i use per diem for my meals and incidentals, what should i do if i charged meals to my travel card, is there a spending limit if i am hosting a group business meal or reception, can i be reimbursed for telephone calls while traveling, when using my personal vehicle for business, is mileage computed from my place of business or from my home, when should i see my university travel card charges in the concur system, how do i allocate my expenses to a different general ledger (gl) account number or multiple gl account numbers, are the costs of vaccinations and immunizations reimbursable if they are required to enter a country that i am visiting for university business, may i be reimbursed for the cost to acquire or renew my passport and to obtain a visa for my msu business trip to another country, how do i limit the amount of an expense report, how do i reimburse a guest or non-employee (individuals only).

• Start by creating a Request for your traveler by using the Non-Profiled Traveler Policy. Complete the Request Header, applicable segments and expenses. Then submit.
• Once approved, you can make travel reservations for them and when their trip is completed, an Expense Report.
• If you will be reimbursing a guest traveler, be sure they are established as a Vendor in KFS first. Complete the Expense Report and submit.

How do I review/submit an Expense Report a delegate has entered for me?

Are receipts required, can i attach additional documents to expense reports (ex: conference brochure), should i include meal receipts for auditing purposes, what if i am missing a receipt, how do i attach receipts in concur.

• Prepaid airfare and rail – no touch. Simply verify and complete accounting information and allocate as needed.
• E-Receipts: Enable the automatic collection of electronic receipts and folio data from participating suppliers. Once activated, receipt images are sent electronically to Concur directly from the vendor.
• My Travel Network: My Travel Network connects all your frequent traveler accounts to Concur so you can follow MSU’s travel policy without having to think about it. Your travel plans will be organized in TripIt Pro and receipts from participating vendors will be waiting in Concur Expense.
• Concur Apps – Log into Concur and go to the App Center. Select your favorite apps and services. They will then be linked to Concur. Anytime you use apps such as Uber or Lyft, receipts are sent to your Concur receipt library.
• Concur mobile app:
• Within the app, use the ExpenseIt (camera) icon to take a picture of your receipt. The ExpenseIt smart capture will begin
• An expense item will be created from the receipt, and the expense and receipt image will display under Available Expenses.
• More information about the Concur mobile app can be found here.
• Email receipts to [email protected]
• Scanned images:
• The available file formats are: PNG, JPG, JPEG, PDF, TIF, OR TIFF.
• Scan your receipts and save the file(s) to your computer.
• When scanning, the images should be scanned at 300 dpi or lower to reduce file size.
• There is a size limit for each image file; the "upload" window displays that limit.
• No more than 10 files can be uploaded in a single session. To upload more than 10, simply upload the first 10 and then upload another 10, until done.
• Click the line item that requires a receipt, then click Attach Receipt on the right side of the screen.
• Click Browse to locate the file on your computer, then click Attach and Close.
• Email: (your email address must be verified in your Concur profile).
• Email your receipt images as attachments to [email protected].

What is an e-receipt ?

Will an e-receipt supplier provide an e-receipt for a user in the event of a split folio, how quickly will an e-receipt be available for submission on an expense report, how long should i keep my original receipts, how do i access my receipt library, how do i remove a receipt from my receipt library.

• At the bottom of the Expense home page (in the Available Receipts section), click the desired image.
• Click Delete (at the bottom of the image).
• To delete a receipt image associated with a mobile expense, you must delete the mobile expense.
• To delete an e-receipt, you must delete it from the Available Expenses area (if available).

How do I upload a receipt image to an Expense Report? To an expense?

• With the Report open, click Manage Receipts > Manage Attachments. The Attach to Report window appears.
• Click Upload Report Level Attachment.
• Navigate to the image file, then click Open. The image appears.
• Click Append.
• With the expense open, click Attach Receipt Image. The Attach Receipt window appears.
• Click Upload Receipt Image.
• Click Attach.
• With the Report open, click the + in the Receipt column for the desired expense. The Attach Receipt window appears.

Travel at State – Office of the Controller

Travel at State Open Labs

Travel@State Open Labs

We are pleased to announce that Travel@State Open Labs are now available! To provide enhanced customer service and better assist MSU travelers, the Office of the Controller will be conducting open lab sessions to assist with travel related questions using a one-on-one Teams based format.

• Who: Available to all MSU Faculty and Staff.
• What: Virtual Open Labs available to provide one on one assistance with travel related questions. There will be appointment times available each business day for MSU travelers to schedule an open lab session.
• When: The Travel Open Lab sessions are available to book now with appointments starting on 3/21/22.
• Where: The Open Lab sessions will occur virtually via Teams.
• How: MSU travelers will use the MSU Travel@State Open Lab booking tool to schedule available sessions. Instructions on using this tool are attached and will be located on the Travel@State website.

Initially, 20-40 Open Lab sessions will be available each week to serve the campus community. These sessions can be used to get assistance on the following topics:

• Request processing in Concur
• Cash advances for travel
• Group/Guest Request and Expense Report processing
• Creating Expense Reports
• Managing itinerary/per diems within an Expense Report
• Reserving/Booking travel
• Operation of MSU travel policy within Concur
• Other general travel questions

The Open Labs are a resource provided as a complementary addition to the [email protected] e-mail. For Concur technical issues and questions that would not require a one-on-one session, please continue to e-mail [email protected] . Examples include:

• Request routing issues
• Access to/in Concur
• Travel policy questions
• Adding locations for per diem purposes

In addition, please visit the Travel@State Reference Library for resource and training guides/videos to assist with general MSU travel questions. We are hopeful that the addition of Open Labs will provide an additional avenue to assist our travelers with their Concur related travel tasks. Please feel free to contact [email protected] with any questions.

Have questions about the system? Learn more at Concur.com

Ed Phillips, GTP

University Travel Manager

517-355-0343

[email protected]

Ethel Mason

Accounting Manager

517-884-4178

[email protected]

Office of the Provost

Updates in Guidance for Domestic and International Travel

Dear MSU Community Members:

Historically, many MSU faculty, staff, and students have engaged in research, education, and service beyond campus borders, throughout the United States, and around the world. MSU is well known for its global and U.S. footprint, and many of us have embraced this as a central part of the university’s mission. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted and curtailed a good deal of this learning and work, mostly because of restrictions related to travel.

The recent availability of effective vaccines has made it possible to begin resuming this important work of our faculty, staff, and students. Because so many in our community and state have been vaccinated, the subcommittee charged with travel policies and procedures in International Studies and Programs (ISP) is now revising guidance for domestic and international travel. These changes are welcome steps forward in returning to what we used to take for granted as “ordinary.” The notable changes in travel policy and procedures are enumerated below, by type of travel. Please review these updates in relation to any MSU travel plans you may be making or anticipate making in the near future.

Domestic Travel

MSU-sponsored domestic travel authorization will return to the processes used prior to the pandemic, with leadership of the unit approving such travel. Depending on the prevalence of COVID-19 by mid-summer, we will again consider policy and procedures for fall semester undergraduate group domestic travel. In the interim, students planning to travel on MSU-sponsored group domestic travel are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. The reason for this advice is that if one student in a group traveling together contracts COVID-19, the entire group could be put in quarantine if they are not vaccinated, depending on local public health policy. This would affect the goals and experience of all members of the group on the trip.

Inbound Travel                      

Everyone coming to MSU from in-state, out-of-state, or international locations must follow MSU policies (i.e., the   MSU Community Compact  and other general guidance posted on MSU’s  Together We Will  website).

International Travel

• For faculty and staff who are fully vaccinated, there will be a more streamlined review process for international travel. Faculty, staff, and sponsored guests are asked to attest to their vaccination status in the  MAU Approval Form  which, along with the  Waiver Application Form  to travel internationally, is still required at least three weeks prior to departure. Unvaccinated faculty, staff, and sponsored guests traveling internationally must follow the  Faculty and Staff Travel Review Committee review process .
• For graduate students who are fully vaccinated, there will be fewer restrictions on travel to an increased number of international sites, with an expedited process of approval for MSU-sponsored travel. Application for MAU approval and waiver to travel internationally is still required at least three weeks prior to departure. For unvaccinated graduate travelers there is an  approval process through RSAC  that takes into consideration COVID-19 rates at destination.
• For MSU-sponsored undergraduate  group  travel, such as faculty-directed education abroad, vaccination will be required as a condition of acceptance for these group trips. Individuals wishing to participate in these programs will be asked to  attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status . This will allow for increasing the numbers of students participating in international Education Abroad trips, the range, and locations of these group international trips, with the opportunity for students to engage in learning activities more fully.
• For undergraduate students who choose not to be vaccinated and who are traveling individually, they may still study or conduct internships internationally in MSU-sponsored direct enroll or exchange programs, managed together with our international partners through the Office of Education Abroad.
• There is a new  private Cancel for Any Reason / Interruption for Any Reason insurance  available which may cover non-reimbursable costs, such as enforced quarantine or isolation delays if MSU travelers are exposed to or contract COVID-19. Unvaccinated travelers who incur these expenses related to COVID-19 will likely be responsible for these costs.

More travel guidance can be found on the Global Health, Safety and Security website at  https://globalsafety.isp.msu.edu/travel-during-covid-19-pandemic . We encourage all travelers to stay informed about health and safety conditions at their destinations, policies on border closings, quarantine on arrival, and airline policies.

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D.  (she/her/hers) Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs MSU Foundation Professor