Travel Information

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

"Consolidator" tickets for foreign destinations may be paid by supplier invoice, even if not purchased from ISU's contracted travel agency. These cannot be claimed in the expense report as a reimbursement.

The T&H Card can ONLY be used with the contracted ISU vendors--Corporate Travel Planners or Key Travel; or directly with the airlines. Please review the Travelers' Responsibilities, Summary of Unallowable Expenses, and Internet Travel Sites sections before purchasing tickets from a source other than ISU's contracted travel agency.

Please see FAQ - Air Travel and the Package Deals for Airfare and Lodging heading below for additional information.

• Airfare - In State
• Airfare - Out of State
• Airfare - Foreign
• Travel Agent Fee - In State
• Travel Agent Fee - Out of State
• Travel Agent Fee - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Baggage Fee - In State
• Baggage Fee - Out of State
• Baggage Fee - Foreign

• Taxi and Ground Transportation - In State
• Taxi and Ground Transportation - Out of State
• Taxi and Ground Transportation - Foreign

Use Procurement Services' links for Enterprise and National to get information on utilizing contracts that include coverages for Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and liability for no additional cost.

Please see Risk Management's website for information on renting cars from agencies other than Enterprise or National, including these guidelines:

1. If no liability coverage is provided, the University recommends the University employee buy the minimum amount of liability coverage available. Examples of allowable liability coverages include:
   
   
   • Additional Liability Insurance (ALI)
   • Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS)
   • Liability Supplemental Insurance (LSI)
   • Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI)
   • Supplemental Liability Protection (SLP)
   
   
2. Purchase the optional CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) on rental vehicles, per Risk Management. However, when using the university's contracts through Enterprise and National, the CDW and LDW coverages are included at no additional cost. (Collision Damage Waiver insurance sometimes is referred to as Damage Waiver insurance.)
3. Rent the vehicle "to Iowa State University, by ....(your name)."

When using rental agencies other than Enterprise or National, CDW and LDW will be reimbursed.

Other types of insurance that are not reimbursable include (but are not limited to):

Auto Tow Protection (ATP)
Emergency Sickness Protection (ESP)
Extended Liability Insurance (ELI)
Extended Liability Protection (ELP)
Peace of Mind Insurance (POM)
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)
Personal Damage Waiver (PDW)
Personal Effects Coverage (PEC)
Personal Effects Insurance (PEI)
Personal Effects Protection (PEP)
Rental Liability Insurance (RLI)
Super Personal Accident Insurance (SPAI)
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection (UMP)

Roadside Assistance Protection is reimbursable.

For additional information see the Policy Library or Risk Management's website.

• Car Rental - In State
• Car Rental - Out of State
• Car Rental - Foreign

• COVID-19 Test, Vaccinations, Malaria Pills, etc.

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

When this is not possible, the paying traveler's own expenses should be claimed in the specific fields (e.g., Lodging) on the Enter Expenses screens, and the non-paying traveler's expenses should be claimed in the Other field, with an explanation in the Other Comments text box. If the text box does not provide sufficient room, attach a document explaining the expenditures as part of the PDF file of receipts. The explanation should include the traveler's name, relationship to ISU, and a breakdown of expenses (lodging, meals, etc.) per day.

Paying for another traveler's meal is considered a Group Meal (see below).

Paying for a taxi or cab shared with other passengers does not require additional documentation or explanation, as the fare does not vary significantly for the addition of other passengers. Please see Taxis, Cabs, Buses, Shuttles, Subways below. However, when there is a separate fare for each person, as with buses, airport shuttles, or subways, individuals should each claim their own expenses.

• Spend Category contingent on item purchased. Please refer to the appropriate expense type to view the correct Expense item.

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Fuel - In State
• Fuel - Out of State
• Fuel - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Travel Visas and Passports

When claiming per diems for domestic and international travel, tips are one of the listed incidental expenses, and therefore cannot be claimed separately.

Tips of $100.00 or more require a signature, printed name, address, and Social Security Number for tax reporting. This is consistent with our treatment of other taxable cash disbursements of $100.00 or above. (Exceptions to the Social Security Number requirement can be granted for international travel, as the recipients are unlikely to be subject to U.S. taxation.)

Excessive generosity when tipping is a personal expense and therefore is not reimbursable.

• Miscellaneous Travel Expenses - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

An itemized receipt and the customer copy is required. A customer copy of the credit card slip showing only the meal total and tip is not sufficient. The itemized receipt is required to provide the detail of what was purchased, and the customer copy is required to document the amount paid for the tip. If an itemized receipt is no longer available, the payee must complete a Certificate of Missing Receipt form. The names of the other attendees and the business purpose of the meal must be stated.

Alcohol must be deducted, unless charged to unrestricted funds. When alcohol must be deducted, you also should deduct a pro-rated amount for the sales tax and tip associated with the alcohol. You may use this attachment as a model for the deduction. If alcohol is charged on a T&H Card, the amount must be itemized to a personal charge expense item for chargeback.

Meal expenses for an employee's spouse (or significant other) usually are not allowable. Some possible exceptions include:

1. When the interviewee's spouse (or significant other) also is attending the interview meal.
2. When the employee is being recognized at a staff recognition function, attendance of a spouse (or significant other) is generally permitted.
3. When meeting with a donor couple, the ISU employee may bring a spouse (or significant other).
4. When attending a fundraising event, sometimes it is expected that employees' spouses (or significant others) attend.

These exceptions are not allowed for sponsored programs funding and do not extend to other family members. It is generally not allowable to either reimburse or pay for meals of parents, children, or other relatives.

In any situation involving spouses (or significant others) an explanation is required to justify the business purpose.

• Group Meal - In State
• Group Meal - Out of State
• Group Meal - Foreign

• Internet (Business Use Only)

A traveler may claim lodging reimbursement if lodging was required. Reimbursement must be for a single rate for all domestic lodging unless significant savings can be gained by booking non-single rooms. Actual expenses can be claimed only, including mandatory taxes and fees. A final, itemized hotel folio is required as documentation.

Board of Regents has established a maximum nightly rate based on destination counties for domestic travel. The maximum nightly rate includes only the base room rate, and does not include mandatory taxes, fees, or additional charges. The amount of reimbursement equals the lesser of the stated lodging per diem for the appropriate location or the actual cost of lodging. The lodging limits are:

Occasionally, travelers may not be able to find lodging underspecified rates. Please see FAQ - Lodging for allowable exceptions. Also, see the FAQ for information on package deals for airfare, lodging, and car rental.

Charges for staying with friends or relatives are not reimbursable. In-room movies and other personal amenities are not reimbursable. Charges for parking and business-related long-distance calls and charges for Internet service must be entered as Parking, Internet (Business Use Only), or Mobile Phone/Phone Cards, not Lodging.

Airbnb, VRBO, and other similar online lodging marketplaces can be used for ISU business lodging. Because of liabilities, however, these cannot be charged to the T&H Card, unless using Airbnb for Work. To sign up for an Airbnb for Work, please visit Procurement Services Contracts by Commodity website. Standard Airbnb, VRBO, or other 3rd party housing rental marketplaces must be reimbursement only and be reimbursed after travel has concluded.

• Domestic Lodging (Contiguous US)
• Domestic Lodging (Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories)

Reimbursement must be for a single rate.

A final, itemized hotel folio is required.

• International Lodging

Gratuities may be included if they do not result in exceeding the allowable per diem. Alcohol must be excluded, unless charged to an unrestricted account.

Must be in travel status from 7:30 a.m. through 8:00 a.m. to claim breakfast, noon through 1:00 p.m. to claim lunch, and 5:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. to claim dinner.

Meals not requiring overnight travel must be reported as taxable, unless the primary purpose of the meal was to discuss business. The Expenses Module requires an indication for taxable meals. It is a duty of the Procurement and Expense Specialist to verify taxability of meals with no overnight stay.

• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories)
• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Contiguous US)
• Non-Overnight Meals Per Diem

Gratuities may be included if they do not result in exceeding the maximum per diem. Alcohol must be excluded, unless charged to an unrestricted fund. If alcohol is charged on a T&H Card, the amount must be itemized to a personal charge.

Must be in travel status from 7:30 a.m. through 8:00 a.m. to claim breakfast, noon through 1:00 p.m. to claim lunch, and 5:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. to claim dinner. Charges to the T&H Card in excess of the daily limit will need to be itemized and charged back to the Ubill if the total reimbursement is negative.

• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories)
• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Contiguous US)
• Non-Overnight Meals Per Diem

Gratuities may be included, but not in addition to the per diem amount if the per diem method is being used. Alcohol must be excluded, unless charged to an unrestricted account. An unrestricted account can only be used for alcohol if non-ISU employees also are in attendance.

The incidental expenses portion of the meal and incidental expenses per diem rate includes "fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, hotel staff and staff on ships," as well as "laundry and dry cleaning." Therefore, these expenses may not be claimed separately.

Charges to the T&H Card in excess of the daily limit will need to be itemized and charged back to the Ubill using a personal expense checkbox.

Please see FAQ - Meals for additional information.

• International Meals Per Diem

The maximum mileage rate is linked to the maximum allowed by the Internal Revenue Service when a government-owned vehicle is not available.

For travel taking place on or after January 1, 2023: the default mileage rate was increased from $0.3125 to $0.3275. The higher mileage rate increased from $0.625 to $0.655 per mile. The traveler can qualify for the higher rate of $0.655 if:

1. The round-trip is less than 100 miles,
2. The traveler is permanently based off-campus,
3. The traveler was unable to reserve a vehicle from Transportation Services,
4. If the traveler is not an ISU employee or student, or
5. The trip is to or from a designated airport (Omaha, Kansas City, or Minneapolis) 100 or more miles away from Ames for the purpose of obtaining a lower-cost flight.

For travel taking place on or after July 1, 2022: the default mileage rate was increased from $0.2925 to $0.3125. The higher mileage rate increased from $0.585 to $0.625 per mile. The traveler can qualify for the higher rate of $0.625 if:

1. The round-trip is less than 100 miles,
2. The traveler is permanently based off-campus,
3. The traveler was unable to reserve a vehicle from Transportation Services,
4. If the traveler is not an ISU employee or student, or
5. The trip is to or from a designated airport (Omaha, Kansas City, or Minneapolis) 100 or more miles away from Ames for the purpose of obtaining a lower-cost flight.

• "Round-trip" includes the entire trip departing from and returning to Ames (or the official station of the employee, if based outside of Ames). For example, if an employee working in Ames drives to Cedar Rapids for a meeting, then continues on a separate trip to Mt. Vernon for a different meeting, the Cedar Rapids to Mt. Vernon portion of the trip does not qualify for the higher rate, even though this portion of the trip was less than 100 miles.


• "Off-campus" means outside the city of Ames, and therefore unable to conveniently use vehicles from Transportation Services. For example, the ISU Research Park is off the main campus, but within the City of Ames, and able to conveniently use Transportation Services. Therefore, employees located at the ISU Research Park, or other locations within the city of Ames, would not automatically qualify for the higher rate.
  
  If you did not record an odometer reading, you can refer to the Mileage Guide - Iowa or the Mileage Guide - Out-of-State. An online source, such as Google Maps, may be consulted for the reasonableness of mileage claims to out-of-state destinations. The official station (starting point) will be the location of the traveler's permanent office or home, whichever is less. Whenever an employee travels other than by the shortest route, an explanation must be indicated in the Expense Report.


• Tolls must be claimed separately. Gasoline usually is reimbursed only for rental cars, as it is less than the allowable mileage rate. Also see the Summary of Unallowable Travel Expenses for other non-reimbursable charges.

Please see FAQ - Mileage for additional information.

• Mileage - Athletics Courtesy Car
• Mileage - Default Mileage Rate
• Mileage - IRS Standard Rate

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

When the package deal splits the amounts between airfare and hotel, list the airfare amount in the Airfare Paid by Traveler field and pro-rate the hotel charge in the Lodging field for each of the nights covered.

Using a package deal usually means the hotel will not provide an itemized receipt.

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign
• (Please note in 'memo' field if airfare is included in package)

• Parking - In State
• Parking - Out of State
• Parking - Foreign

• Travel Visas/Passports

When not in travel status, on-campus sources must be utilized, and intramural billing should be used instead of a personal reimbursement.

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Preferred Seating
• Preferred Seating Foreign

• Premium Economy Seating
• Premium Economy Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Seminar Registration - In State
• Seminar Registration - Out of State
• Seminar Registration - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories)
• Domestic Meals Per Diem (Contiguous US)
• Non-Overnight Meals Per Diem

• Taxi and Ground Transportation - In State
• Taxi and Ground Transportation - Out of State
• Taxi and Ground Transportation - Foreign
• Rail/Subway Service - Domestic
• Rail/Subway Service - Foreign

• Mobile Phones/Phone Cards

• Tolls - In State
• Tolls - Out of State
• Tolls - Foreign

• Entertainment - In State
• Entertainment - Out of State
• Entertainment - Foreign

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign

• Travel Visas/Passports

• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - In State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Out of State
• Miscellaneous Travel Expense - Foreign