Business and Travel Expense Policy

The university’s Business and Travel Expense (BTE) Policy applies to individuals who incur expenses in the course of traveling and/or conducting business for the university and those that prepare or approve business and/or travel purchases. Read and understand this policy prior to booking university travel to ensure it is within university policies.

Visit the Controller's Office BTE Page for additional BTE Policy information and resources.

Exceptions

If an exception to the BTE Policy is necessary, submit the request to your Designated Department Finance Representative (DDFR) [.pdf] prior to booking the travel.

When booking air travel through Concur, the system will automatically request rationale if the lowest fair is not chosen and the travel arranger must provide reasons for an exception.

International travel is any travel outside of a U.S. state or territory. You can find additional information about booking, traveling and expensing international travel on this site. 

As a first step in planning any trip abroad, please review the university’s International Travel Checklist, register your trip with CMU's Travel Risk Management Program, and check the current Travel Advisories for your intended destination.

CMU Qatar Campus

If you are traveling to or from CMU’s Qatar campus, please contact International Finance at qartravel@andrew.cmu.edu for assistance with planning and booking travel.

Whether you are planning to fly or drive, the university and CTP have special rates you can take advantage of for airlines, rental cars, group ground transportation, hotels and parking. CMU and CTP discounted rates for airlines, rental cars and hotels are automatically applied when booking through the Concur online booking tool. Visit the Booking Travel page to learn more about booking through Concur.

While not encouraged, travel booked outside of CTP/Concur can still leverage the CMU rental car, hotel and parking rates.

University Purchasing Cards

Visit the University Card Program page to learn about the University Purchasing Card, training requirements, and how to request and use a Card.

Personal Cards

Personal credit cards can be used for business and travel expenses as needed. Reimbursement for allowable travel expenses can be requested via an expense report.

To book travel using the Concur online booking tool, the traveler profile must have a valid University Purchasing Card (individual or departmental) or personal credit card associated with it. Within Concur, travel arrangers are able to enter the card information, including department purchasing cards, into the profiles of those they arrange travel for. If a departmental purchasing card is provided in the Concur profile, the arranger or traveler can book travel with that card. Full card information is encrypted and is not visible on the profile once added. Arrangers can manage who has access to their departmental purchasing card, including removing department purchasing cards from traveler profiles who may no longer need them.

Visit the Expensing Your Trip page for more information about expensing charges on an individual University Purchasing Card, departmental University Purchasing Card, or personal card.