UW System Administration Employees

Things to Know Before You Travel

1. Airline reservations for University-sponsored travel are required to be made either within Concur, the online self-booking tool, or with a Travel Agent.  Use of online brokers or search sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc. are prohibited and will not be reimbursed by the University. 
   • All employees should have a Concur profile.  If you do not have a profile, please register for Concur prior to booking travel.
   • Please visit the UW TravelWIse Concur page for more information about the online booking tool. 
2. All non-conference site lodging reservations can be made through Concur or through a Travel Agent.
   • Effective with a policy change on July 1, 2020 – UW System employees may be reimbursed for bookings done on Airbnb. 
     *Prior to booking, please review all cancellation policies, and check with your department to ensure compliance with departmental policies. Ultimate approval of reimbursement of Airbnb costs, including any forfeited deposits, is dependent on the University or Departmental policies. Please click here for more information on booking with Airbnb.
   • Use of any other online brokers or third-party sites such as hotels.com, VRBO, etc. are prohibited and will not be reimbursed by the University. 
   • Prior to reserving conference site lodging, search Concur for the conference site hotel to determine if there is a lower rate available. If so, make your reservation within Concur. 
   • Concur displays available room types and rates directly from hotel suppliers.  Room types and rates available are not specific to UW System and may be above what UW policy allows. Travelers must adhere to the location rate maximums and only reserve single/standard rooms.
   • To find the location rate maximums use the Lodging/Meal and Incidental Calculator. 
   • Please consult the UW System Hotel Directory for a complete list of contracted properties by location.     
3. Please keep in mind the following tips regarding Meals and Incidentals:
   • Receipts are not required for Meals and Incidentals Expenses.
   • If the trip does not include an overnight stay, the traveler is limited to a $15 tax reportable day trip meal allowance.  This meal allowance can be claimed even if a meal was provided.
4. Hosted Meals must stay within meal maximums, and require itemized receipts. Tax exemption is required when the meals are hosted in WI. 
5. Rental vehicles are required to be reserved through Enterprise, National or Hertz using the UWSA contracts. Reservations can be made through Concur or through a Travel Agent.  
   • Eligible renters are classified as all University authorized drivers age 18 and over. Authorized drivers 18-20 are restricted to domestic rentals only. Rentals are limited to compact/standard/intermediate vehicle classes unless there are business needs that require larger classes of vehicles. Claims for reimbursement beyond standard/intermediate vehicle classes (i.e. trucks, vans, etc.) for reasons such as transporting extra passengers, carrying cargo or bulky equipment, etc., must be explained on the expense report.
   • Any person who will be driving a vehicle (personally owned or rented) on University business must be authorized to drive. To become an authorized driver, review the Driver Authorization Policy and complete a Vehicle Use Agreement (VUA). Employees and students must complete an electronic VUA by logging into the Wisconsin Department of Administration VUA Sign-up Portal. 
   • Drivers are responsible for refueling vehicles prior to return with same level of fuel that they received at time of rental.  The University will not reimburse vendor refueling or prepay fuel packages. Receipts are required for reimbursement of fuel purchased.
   • Enterprise, National, and Hertz for domestic rentals include Collision (CWD) and Liability (LDW) in their contract rates. Extra types of insurance are not reimbursable.
6. When driving your personal vehicle for University-sponsored business, you will be reimbursed for mileage at the IRS standard mileage. Calculate the Rental Vehicle vs. Personal Vehicle Cost
7. University purchases are generally exempt from Wisconsin Sales and Use Tax.  Travelers are expected to request and receive Wisconsin sales tax exemption for travel related purchases.  The University also has sales tax exemption in other states.  Travelers should make a reasonable attempt to obtain sales tax exemption according to the tax authority's requirements.
8. All travel related expenses for a trip must be submitted on one e-Reimbursement within 90 days after the trip completion date or will not be reimbursed by the University.