Resources: Per Diem Rates
On this page:
General Information
If the traveler elects to be reimbursed based on per diem rates, he/she can choose:
- Full per diem reimbursement which covers lodging, meals and incidentals
- Actual lodging expenses, plus meals-only per diem
- Actual meals expenses, plus lodging per diem
The reimbursement option selected must be used for the entire trip.
Stanford uses per diem rates recommended by the U.S. government to take advantage of governmental cost studies and to ensure general equity with grant and contract requirements. When creating an expense report in the Expense Requests system, per diem rates are automatically calculated and applied based on the city visited.
Reviewing Per Diem Rates
If you want to explore the rates applied in the Expense Requests system, find the city (or county if city not listed) and corresponding rates at these government sites:
- For travel within the contiguous United States (including Alaska, Hawaii), see Domestic Per Diem Rates on the U.S. General Services Administration web site.
- For travel in foreign countries, see Foreign Per Diem Rates by Location on the U.S. Department of State web site.
Note: If the county in which you stayed is not listed, the Expense Requests system will apply the Basic Rate, noted at the top of the government page above the city and county listings.
Automatic Adjustments to Per Diem Rates
Stays Longer Than 30 Days
The daily rate listed on the government sites will be multiplied by .55.
Note: When an individual's original estimated travel is for more than 30 days in one location, these reduced rates (.55 x listed rate) apply from the first day. When an individual in travel status at a location is granted extension to a trip originally estimated at less than 30 days, the 30-days-or-less rate applies for the first 30 days and the more-than-30-days rate applies from the 31st day through the end of the trip.
Automatic Per Diem Calculations for First and Last Day of Travel:
The Expense Requests system automatically calculates the correct amount for the first and last day of travel, at 75% of the meals rate for the first day based on government listed rate for the city traveled to, and 75% of meals rate for the last day, based on the government listed rate for the last city visited.
Deductions for Meals Included in Registration Fees and Hotel Charges:
Check boxes are provided in the Expense Requests system to indicate meals included in conference registration fees or hotel rates. The system will automatically deduct the applicable per diem rate.
Multiple Stops
When a trip includes more than one University business stop and the cities involved have different per diem rates, the per diem rate for each calendar day (beginning at 12:01 a.m.) is determined by the location where the lodgings are obtained for that night.