Stanford faculty, staff, students, affiliates and visitors travel on a wide range of activities in support of the university. It’s essential that travel activities and expenses conform to university policies and procedures, which can be ensured by following these steps.
Plan Travel
- Review Administrative Guide 5.4.2: Business and Travel Expenses.
- Review Business and Travel Expense Fundamentals for the overarching policy pertaining to travel.
- Review the travel category pages that apply to the trip: Travel Meals, Airfare, Lodging and Ground Transportation.
- Know the account number (PTA) to which expenses will be charged (Find a PTA).
- Get travel approved by a person with authority over the PTA.
- Refer to Foreign Travel policy page, if planning foreign travel.
Book Travel
In June 2020, the university implemented a new travel policy that states that university funds may only be used to purchase or reimburse new university-sponsored travel expenses when booked through one of the Stanford Travel booking channels: Casto, Egencia, United Corporate Direct, and Anthony Travel (used exclusively by Athletics). This policy applies to Stanford faculty, staff and students booking airfare, hotel, and/or car rentals. Read the complete policy in the Business and Travel Expense policy overview.
Stanford Travel is the university's travel management service for travelers and arrangers. Per Administrative Guide Policy 5.4.2: Business and Travel Expenses, use of Stanford Travel booking channels is expected, as it supports the guiding principle to spend appropriately, eliminates the administrative requirement to provide documentation demonstrating the expense is reasonable and also connects travel reservations to International SOS.
- Review special negotiated rates with airlines, lodging and ground transportation providers, using travel resources in the Stanford Travel Program.
- Review and choose a payment method. The Stanford Travel Card (TCard) is the preferred payment method for travel expenses.
- Make reservations and purchase tickets via Stanford Travel.
Prepare to Travel
- Download the at-a-glance view of the Business and Travel Expense Desk Guide.
- Choose a reimbursement option (actual expenses vs. per diem) by reviewing Travel Meals and Lodging policy pages.
- Obtain a Stanford Travel Packet (envelopes for collecting receipts).
During Travel
- Collect required receipts using the travel packet (alternatively, use a smartphone to take an image of each receipt and email image(s) to the transaction preparer).
- Track mileage for any personal vehicle use for Stanford business.
- Note whether a conference provided any meals (save conference agenda).
- Record all details for missing receipts over $75.
- Enter cash and personal credit card expenses in a spreadsheet (optional) (download Excel template).
- Obtain itemized meal receipts to indicate if any alcohol was included in the expense.
Travelers may use one or any combination of the following payment methods when incurring travel expenses.
- Traveler charges all or some portion of travel costs to a TCard (Stanford's preferred payment method; refer to Topic Overview: Stanford's Travel Card Program).
- Traveler personally pays for expenses, then requests reimbursement from Stanford using the Expense Requests system after travel.
- Traveler requests travel expense advance in the Expense Requests system. Refer to Administrative Guide Policy 5.4.1: Expense Advances, and Guidelines for Use of Advance Categories.
After Travel
- Download Excel template (spreadsheet in which to record expenses - optional).
- Meet with the administrator to provide travel receipts and details. This should be done within 10 days after completion of travel for timely expense reporting. Expenses reported 60 days or more after completion of travel may be reported as taxable income to the traveler.
- Initiate an expense report through the Expense Requests system for the travel expenses.
- Clear any advances and/or return unused advance funds through the Expense Requests system.
Regardless of how the traveler pays for travel expenses, an expense report must be initiated to: properly account for travel expenses; be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenditures; and clear any advance.