Travel

Before requesting travel, your Concur profile must be set-up. Instructions on how to set-up your profile can be found here.

All travel except in state travel without a car rental or hotel must have an approved Travel Authorization Request (TAR). You must submit a TAR that includes:

1. Detailed documentation explaining the UMB business purpose for the Business Travel. For example, the invitation, agenda, and/or itinerary for the trip must be submitted.
2. The correct naming convention for the TAR.
3. Complete estimates for anticipated travel expenses. Include meal per diem rates, conference fees, lodging, parking, airfare, rideshare/taxi, etc.
4. Funding source (SOAPF). If you don’t know your department SOAPF, contact provost.finance@umaryland.edu.

Once the TAR has been approved, the traveler may move forward with securing reservations via Concur.

To request payment of a conference registration fee, please submit a Financial Transaction Request form detailing the website link and/or invoice for the registration and any other details required to make the purchase. A copy of your approved TAR confirmation must also be attached to this request. Instructions on how to print your approved TAR can be found here. 

Airfare and domestic rail must be booked through the Concur platform or the contracted travel agency. Tickets purchased outside of Concur or the travel agency will create an exception and will be routed to the Universities Chief Business and Finance Officer for review. If it is not approved, you will not be reimbursed.

To use a UMB travel agent, travelers must reach out to the agency directly to book flights and must provide the agents a copy of their approved TAR confirmation.

It is encouraged to book lodging directly through Concur using a personal card and then requesting reimbursement.

To request lodging to be paid with a UMB PCard, the employee must first make the reservation using a personal card (credit or debit card will not be charged for the reservation); then submit a Financial Transaction Request form including the details of the reservation, the credit card authorization form from the hotel, and a copy of your approved TAR.

Please note, hotels require a credit card authorization to be completed to pay for lodging without the physical credit card present. The traveler will need to provide this form to the finance team for the travelers' card to not be charged. It is the traveler's responsibility to confirm with the hotel that the reservation is complete and will be charged to the UMB PCard on file with the hotel at least 5 business days prior to check-in.

Meals are reimbursed based on GSA Per Diem rates including incidentals for the city of travel. Actual receipts are not required and will automatically be calculated in Concur.

Per diem for the first and last Day of Travel are reimbursed at 75% of the daily rate.

Paid using personal funds. Receipts are required for reimbursement and must include the amount of the tip. Tips cannot exceed 20%.

The use of a personal vehicle will be reimbursed at the Mileage rate in effect at the time of travel.

Mileage should be rounded to the nearest whole mile and substantiated with maps detailing mileage for both ways of the trip.

An employee's daily commute miles from home to the employee’s regular work location are not reimbursable. Commute miles must be subtracted from the total miles claimed, except when the employee has a fully remote position, or the travel takes place on a non-business day. If an employee has a hybrid work schedule splitting their time between home (off-site workplace) and on-campus, then it is required for commute miles to be subtracted.

Employees may rent cars only when other means of transportation are unavailable, more costly, or impractical. Any travel that includes a car rental must be pre-approved and have a clear business reason. Travelers must review the car rental insurance and liability policy. 

If car rentals are approved, they will be reimbursed for the least-expensive car available. Travelers should take advantage of USM, state, and UMB vendor discount rates. 

Mileage reimbursement is not available for rental cars, but gas expenses can be reimbursed as evidenced by receipts.  

Operational units have the authority to deny vehicle rental for Business Travel. 

Paid using personal funds and itemized receipts are required. Employees will not be reimbursed for charges incurred for using University parking facilities located at their primary worksite.

Reimbursements for all trip related expenses will not be made until after the trip return date. All allowable travel expense reimbursements must be submitted via Concur within 60 days of the last day of the business travel.  Reimbursements submitted after 60 days from the last day of business travel are taxable per federal law.

Adequate documentation for travel expense payments must include:

1. A completed Travel Expense Report (TER) in Concur
2. Itemized receipts to support actual costs incurred including receipts for services booked via Concur.

International travel with UMB requires prior authorization and use of a UMB-approved travel agency to procure tickets and accommodations. Please visit the International Travel Global Hub for all requirements.

The international travel requirements apply to:

• All UMB personnel, regardless of funding source
• Authorized affiliate employees and other nonemployees whose travel is paid for, in part or in whole, with UMB Funds
• UMB personnel regularly performing their UMB duties in Maryland
• UMB personnel regularly performing their UMB duties out of state
• The purchase of transportation, lodging, meals, and other expenditures charged to UMB Funds and paid directly to a travel services provider or reimbursed to the traveler
• All UMB Business Travel that takes place internationally, even if the traveler does not enter or leave the United States

The only types of travel this does not apply to are:

• Moving and relocation of UMB personnel
• Travel undertaken by registered UMB students that does not qualify as UMB Business Travel (see more on UMB Business Travel below under What counts as "UMB Business Travel"?)

If the traveler is not a UMB employee and/or does not have a UMID, see Nonemployee International Travel Information. If the traveler is a UMB student, see Student International Travel Information.

Non-employee Setup in Concur

Non-employees traveling on behalf of UMB business must create a profile in Concur. To have the non-employee traveler added to Concur, please collect the following from the traveler:

• Name as appears on Driver’s License
• Email address
• Home address
• Phone (mobile phone)
• Emergency Contact – name, relationship, and contact’s phone and address
• Date of Birth and Gender (only male or female in Concur)
• Visa/Passport if international travel is expected (optional)
• TSA Pre-check number if booking (optional)

Please note, personal information from non-employees must be gathered securely, either via phone or via secure email. To request sensitive information and ensure that it remains encrypted when the non-employee responds you should include [secure] in the subject line of the email. The non-employee will receive an email that will requires a one-time password to unencrypt the original request. Any replies including the sensitive data will be encrypted back to the UMB employee.

Concur User Authorization Form

Complete the Concur User Authorization Form

• Include name of non-employee as appears on driver’s license and email address
• Identify travel admin and the traveler delegate (cannot be the same person)
• Travel Assistant- Enter this in the Comments only if it’s different than the travel delegate. (By default it will be the travel delegate.)
• Identify the default SOAPF for the travel cost

**Wait for the departmental approval of the form and the non-employee set up in Concur.

Profile Setup for the Non-Employee

Now the non-employee traveler has been created in Concur, the travel administrator or travel assistant will switch to act on behalf of the traveler and complete the profile set-up for the traveler. 

Verify Name (edit if needed, or notify Concur Security if a suffix, such as Jr., needs editing)

• Enter Home address
• Enter mobile phone as both home phone and mobile phone
• Verification of Email address is not required
• Emergency Contact information
• Enter Birthdate, Gender
• TSA Precheck or Known Traveler Number (Optional)
• Visa or Passport (if international trip is expected)

The department decides if the traveler’s travel assistant or administrator  will book for the non-employee or if non-employee will use the travel agency, but booking type on the request must match the decision: either Book in Concur or Agent Assist as the Booking Type. Caution: if it doesn’t match, TLC cannot assist the non-employee.

• If the department requires the non-employee to use their own credit card, the Booking Type must be Agent Assist.

Complete the Non-employee Travel Request and Print it to pdf when it’s approved.

• Forward the Request ID to the non-employee along with the Travel Leaders Corporation phone number to book, between the hours of 8 am -6 pm EST only. (After hours booking incurs a fee.)

Once travel is complete, please collect the required supporting documentation from the non-employee and submit to provost.finance@umaryland.edu. Refer to the Procedure on UMB Business Travel for Nonemployees for details on required documentation. The following list highlights common errors. 

1. Non-Employee Business Certificate Form (NBTC Form) 
   a. Be sure that all information and amounts are correct and match the 
   total amount being requested. 
   b. Traveler’s SSN is required 
   c. Wet/Electronic signature with time stamp and date required                                                                                                    
2. W9 Form/W8 Form, if applicable                                                                                                                                                       
3. Travel Agenda/Email/Purpose of Travel                                                                                                                                                 
4. Mileage Reimbursement 
   a. Map/Directions of driven distance — that clearly shows the mileage and 
   departure and arrival destinations. 
   b. Ensure correct mileage rate is being used. Click here for the current rate. 
5. Lodging Expenses 
   a. Itemized Receipt is required — Name of traveler, amount, payment method should be visible. 
   b. Standard/economy room with affiliated fees and taxes only allowed — all other expenses must be removed from the total amount of the invoice 
6. Meals 
   a. Use GSA Per Diem Rates (print out from website) 
7. Transportation 
   a. Receipts are required. 
   b. Tips cannot exceed 20%. 
8. International Travel 
   a. Essential International Travel Request and Witness Acknowledgment 
   Form 
   b. Airline Itinerary — Transportation — booked by one of UMB’s Travel Agencies. 
   c. All necessary conversions/bank statements that support the traveler’s expenses. 
9. Late Submission — Reimbursement requests are required to be submitted within 
   60 days of the travel return date. Late submissions are taxable to the recipient. 
   a. Late Submission Acknowledgement Form — Use this form to acknowledge acceptance of taxable status. Taxable code is required. 
   b. Late Submission Exception Form — Use this form to request an exception to taxable status. If approved, regular travel code can be used.