Welcome to the latest Travel & Expense Management Newsletter!
Travel & Expense Management Lunch and Learn
Join the Purchase, Pay & Travel team via Zoom for a Travel and Expense Management Lunch and Learn on Tuesday March 19, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. We will review important information and training topics related to the travel and expense management program. This session will cover frequently asked questions about payment processing, the Concur system, and travel topics, concluding with a question-and-answer period. Learn more and register here.
Travel Program Price Audit
The latest audit results are now ready: Results for October 2023 – December 2023
As a reminder, an independent third-party will be conducting an ongoing formal audit of prices available through Pitt’s Travel Program on a quarterly basis. This audit compares the price for airfare and car rental searches to the top destinations for Pitt travel, through the following booking platforms:
- Concur online booking tool that works in conjunction with Anthony Travel, Pitt’s contracted Travel Management Company
- Direct booking through the travel provider (i.e. airline or rental agency)
- Consolidator sites (i.e. Expedia, Orbitz, etc.)
See all previous results and read more about the travel program price audit, including the full methodology behind the audit and results.
What to Expect When Traveling
A regular email series, What to Expect When Travelling, is intended to equip University travelers with the latest travel industry information and tips. Most recently, we have shared information about the latest updates to Brazil’s visas requirements, the Wall Street Journal’s best and worst airlines of 2023, and a warning about a current airline scam. You can read more about the two latest travel tips and all previous tips on the Purchase, Pay and Travel website.
Airline Partnerships
American Airlines (AA) made the decision to focus their business platform on leisure travel, with that decision AA terminated their agreements with small to midsized clients. Unfortunately, that included the University’s agreement and the termination was effective January 31, 2024. With the termination of the agreement includes the benefits that the University received including status matches, boarding preferences, and name changes. Travelers and departments need to keep that in mind when booking, especially for guests where arrangements often change, because name changes are no longer available. Travelers can obtain all published AA pricing by contacting an Anthony Travel agent.
The University maintains agreements with United Airlines, Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines and the benefits their agreements provide. Travelers are encouraged to support the airlines that are contracted with the University by booking through the Anthony Travel Agents or the Concur online booking tool. You can review the negotiated benefits for our preferred airlines (United, Delta, and Southwest) below:
Any travelers with AA status that wish to receive a status match with United or Delta please contact the University’s Travel Program Manager, Emily Duchene, and indicate with which airline you wish to have a status match.
Payment Method Reminders
The type of payment methods should be used in accordance with the type of purchase. Types of payment methods include: PantherExpress System, OneCard, Honoraria, Vincent Payment Solutions, Cash Withdrawals, Wire Payments, and the Disbursement Form (for Regional Campuses only). Please review the specific reminders below:
- Amazon Mechanical Turk (M-Turk) should be paid on the Vincent Card
- Political contributions/donations are not allowed through any payment method
- The purchase of gift cards is not allowed on the OneCard or through any payment method
- Services should be obtained through contracts and processed through the PantherExpress System, not Concur
You can learn more on the Payment Methods page, including how and when to use each type. You can also review Policy FN28 which governs the reconciliation of OneCard charges and Payment Method Comparison Chart for additional information.
Foreign National Payments
When paying a foreign national through Concur, a W-8BEN must be attached to the expense report when submitted. Depending on the expense type, the report is forwarded to the University’s Foreign Nationals Tax office for review. If a W-8BEN is not attached at the time of submission, this will lead to a delay in the payment process. If there is no US address, a wire form will need to be completed and attached.
When paying a non-employee who is a US citizen through the Pitt Guest Policy for the first time, or if there is an address change, the submitter of the expense report should:
- Attach a W-9 and new Supplier Verification Form (SVF) to the expense report.
- Leave the Vendor ID field blank
When attaching the W-8BEN, W-9, or SVF, please attach the documents under New Vendor Supporting Documents Expense Type. As a reminder, Concur is only for individual payments. Business or service payments are not processed through Concur.
State Sales Tax
As a reminder, the University of Pittsburgh, as an educational institution, is exempt from sales tax in many states including Pennsylvania. In accordance with the University’s policy FN28 purchasers should make their best effort to have state sales tax removed from any charges when applicable. However, in circumstances that the state sales tax cannot be removed, the amount will be covered by the University. Please note, a department’s requirements can supersede the University’s, so purchasers are encouraged to confirm their individual department’s requirements regarding sales tax. Review information on state tax exemption, including how to present your sales tax exemption certificate, in order to ensure that your department enjoys savings on state sales tax where possible
Expense Report Reminders
When creating and submitting expense reports, it’s important to ensure all information is correct and all necessary documentation has been attached. Incorrect information, inaccurate expense types, or missing attachments can result in the report being returned by a department or Payment Processing and Compliance (PPC) approver and delay the reconciliation or reimbursement process. Please review the following reminders when creating and submitting your expense reports in Concur:
- Attach attendee lists and/or detail itemized receipts. For auditing purposes, and ensuring compliance with the IRS Accountable Plan rules, you must include detailed itemized receipts and attach attendee lists (when appropriate)
- Prior approval memos for items that require RC level approval, such as meals with alcohol or flowers, should be obtained prior to purchase. The memo should be attached to your expense report in Concur when submitting your report for approval.
- Ensure you select the correct expense type
- Submit your expense report in a timely manner. Expense reports should be completed and submitted within 30 days of purchase or return from a trip. Failure to complete the expense report within 30 days can result in issues such as not obtaining a sales tax refund
- Failure to complete and submit your expense report in a timely manner may also result in imputed income.
If your expense report is returned from Payment Processing & Compliance, check the comments for information on why the expense report was returned and adjust any incorrect or missing information prior to resubmitting. Be sure to correct and resubmit the expense report in a timely manner.
Concur Basic Access/Approver Updates
Concur Basic Access and/or Approver updates can now be completed by Departments’ HR Admins in the Pittworx system. Previously, this was an update Pitt IT needed to make. To complete these updates, follow these instructions. Note: please follow Steps 1 and 2 paying close attention to the Pitt Internet Expense Approver. Once that system is updated, the information should flow down to Prism and then Concur. This process will take up to four days for the systems to communicate with each other and then move data through their overnight processes to the multiple systems. More information can also be found in the resources below for onboarding new employees:
As a reminder, all employees, including student employees, have access to Concur. Learn more about Concur including access and training materials.
Concur Print Button Issue
Concur is aware of the print button issue within the system that sometimes causes the print button to disappear from a user’s profile when trying to print a report. Concur is actively working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, a temporary work-around is for users to log out and log back into the system, this often helps to reestablish the print button.