Concur - Travel Checklist

Step One:  Before Booking Travel

1. Create a Concur Travel Request (TR) for ALL university-related employee and student out of state and international travel at least 14-day prior to domestic and 30-days prior to international departure. 
   • Be sure to have your funding info and expense estimated ready to enter in your TR.
   • Ensure your TR is either approved or that you have available funding before booking travel in Concur Travel or directly with our travel agency CTP.  
   • Non-employee student travel requests are processed by the SSC via TDX Finance Service Portal, or by contacting their LSI/IPSR support staff. Their bookings are done by department support staff or SSC/LSI/IPSR travel support staff in Concur using Book for a guest.
2. Establish your form of payment.  Employee travelers must use a KU/KUCR P-Card issued to them  -OR-  a personal credit card in Concur. Do not use a department or another employee's P-Card.
   • If you do not have a P-Card, employees can obtain a KU/KUCR (Travel or Individual "standard") P-Card, or a Single Trip Declining Balance P-Card at their supervisor's discretion by completing the following:
     
     1. Review P-Card Procedure Manual, then click on the Request a New P-Card button to fill out and submit the P-Card Action Request form.
        • Hint: Employees who travel more than once a year should get an Individual standard or Travel P-Card rather than a Declining Balance P-Card.
        • Note: If applying for a Declining Balance P-Card a TR must be approved before applying.
     2. Complete and Pass the P-Card Quiz in Canvas. The requestor will be notified by email with the link to take the quiz.
     3. You can pick up your P-Card after successfully completing the quiz. 
        • Note: The process to get a Travel/Individual P-Card takes approximately 10 business days.  Declining Balance P-Cards are generally ready to pick up within 4 business days or less (extra lead time is appreciated due to limited office hours). 
3. Update your Concur Profile as needed.  After you have updated and reviewed your profile for accuracy, it should only needed edited if you have a change in your saved information.  Note: Non-employee students do not have Concur Profiles, so their travel is booked as a Guest by department or SSC/LSI/IPSR support staff.
   • Hint: Be sure to: 
     • Ensure your name matches your photo ID used to check into airport security. If it does not, send an email to fsku@ku.edu and let them know that your name needs updated in your Concur Profile and give them the correct name.
     • Add your mobile number for airline contact purposes. It is recommended that travelers also put their mobile number in the Work number field as it is a better contact number while traveling.
     • Complete the Verify process for your KU email address.
     • Add your SSC support staff or travel processor's email as an additional email in the Email Addresses section so they can always get a copy of your CTP travel itinerary/invoice for documentation purposes. Leave their email as Not Verified.
     • Add your emergency contact info.
     • Add travel preferences and frequent traveler programs if applicable.
     • Add your passport and/or visa, especially if traveling internationally.
     • Add travel arrangers that will help manage your travel as needed.
     • Enter KU/KUCR P-Card issued in your name -or- personal credit card -- multiple cards can be saved to your profile.
4. Activate E-Receipts in your Profile Options page or from the Alerts section on the Concur Home page.
   • This only needs to be done once to give airlines, participating hotels and car rental vendor permission to electronically submit their airfare/hotel/car rental receipts directly into your Concur.
5. Review the Travel Policy & Procedures page for travel policies and guidance as needed.
6. Visit the Training Library as needed for instructional assistance with booking in Concur Travel.
7. Visit the Office of Global Risk & Security site for guidance on Export Compliance and Security Management for international travel.

Step Two:  Booking Travel with Concur or Directly with a CTP Travel Agent is Required

Per the KU Travel Request and Booking policy, travel for university business must be booked using the Concur system or with our contracted travel agency Collegiate Travel Planner (CTP), regardless of funding or payment method unless purchased directly by a third-party entity that is not affiliated with KU.

1. Booking using the Concur system can be accomplished one of three ways:
   1. Book Directly in Concur Travel System -  Use the TRIP SEARCH on the Concur homepage to book.
   2. Book Directly on a Connected Concur TripLink Partner Website - On the Concur TripLink page you can add your frequent travel program/reward numbers and ENABLE the TripLink partner integration connections with the participating suppliers. Then once connected you can book directly on those connected supplier websites indicating them as Business travel. This will sync your booking to Concur and ensure an electronic Reservation is created for duty of care safety monitoring & communication purposes.
   3. Book Directly on a Non-Partner Website and Utilize TripIt to Submit the Reservation Confirmation to Concur - On the Concur TripLink page you can set up and/or connection your TripIt account to your Concur. Then if you need to book directly with a non-partner supplier, you can just forward your reservation confirmation email to plans@tripit.com. This will allow Concur to create an electronic Reservation for duty of care safety monitoring & communication purposes. 
2. Booking with a CTP agent:
   • KU has two dedicated CTP agents that only support KU travelers.  If you don't wish to use the Concur system to book for yourself, need to change your travel arrangements, or if you have a more complex multi-traveler, multi-city, or international trip you can contact our dedicated CTP travel agents to book for you. Julie Repke and Katherine Sampe are happy to assist our KU travelers Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM central time by phone at 1-877-630-1232 option 1, or by email at ku@ctptravelservices.com.

Helpful Hints:

When paying for university business travel expenses with a P-Card, you must submit receipts, documentation, and funding to your department or SSC travel reconciler as soon as the purchase is made when possible. Cardholders must submit receipts and funding source information to their reconciler within five business days of the purchase or within five business days of returning from business travel. If receipts and documentation are not turned in and processed in a timely manner you will receive automated email notices as a reminder of the need for their prompt submission. Failure to do so will result in p-card suspension.

When paying for university business travel expenses with a personal card, you cannot request reimbursement until AFTER the completion of your trip. 

Step Three:  While you are traveling

1. Obtain and keep all itemized receipts for your travel expenses.
   • You can utilize the Concur Mobile App to take pictures of receipts to submit automatically to Concur, but you will still need to notify your department or SSC travel processer of their submission and the funding. 
2. If paying with a personal card, only pay for your own expenses. Do not pay for other employee's travel expenses with your personal card.
3. Pay for meals personally. Traveler's request meal per diem reimbursement after the completion of the trip. Only group meals with a business purpose can be paid for with a P-Card.
4. If traveling in state which we have Sales Tax Exemption status, you will need to obtain and take our S/T Exemption certificate with you to present as needed.  Concur does NOT send our exemption certificate to hotels with your reservation.
   • To obtain a copy, email KU Payables at payables@ku.edu for the KU certificate -or- complete this Tax Exempt Request form for the KUCR certificate.
5. Feel free to utilize this Travel Expense Reimbursement Request Form (xlsx) to help you track, compile, and submit your travel expenses to your department or SSC travel processer with appropriate receipts and documentation. 

Step Four:  After Your Trip is Complete

1. Don't forget to submit your P-Card receipts to your SSC/LSI/IPSR support staff or travel reconciler as soon as the purchase is made.
   • Receipts and funding info for P-card purchases need to be submitted no later than 5 business days after purchase or return from business travel so the transaction can be processed and we can pay the bank.
2. Notify your SSC/LSI/IPSR support staff or travel processor of your return after the completion of your trip. 
   • Submit your trip details and expense breakdown, as well as all required receipts & documentation for your out-of-pocket expense reimbursement. This should be done through the TDX Finance Service Portal with the exception of LSI and ISPR travel.
   • Please DO NOT create your own Expense Report in Concur. Your SSC/LSI/IPSR support staff will process this on your behalf. 
   • Be sure to turn in reimbursement requests and receipts within 60 days of your return.  Due to I.R.S regulations, any receipts submitted after 60 days of your return from travel will be processed as a taxable reimbursement.

Helpful Hints:

• Download the Concur Mobile app and connect other travel apps with Concur.  Note: Please let your SSC/LSI/IPSR support staff know if you have electronically submitted a receipt to your Concur.  They do not get notices of receipts waiting to be processed.
  • The ExpenseIt tool within Concur Mobile can be used to take pictures and submit receipts automatically to your Available Expenses for reimbursement processing.
  • Travel apps such as Uber, Lyft, The Parking Spot and Spot Hero that you connect to your Concur Profile will automatically send electronic receipts to your Available Expenses for reimbursement processing.