Travel and Expense Corporate Card

Eligibility

The following are eligibility guidelines for University employees who would like to apply for the Travel and Expense Corporate Card (T&E Corporate Card):

• Must have access to the Concur Expense module in order to reconcile charges
• Intended for frequent travelers: employees who plan to travel out of town five / six or more times annually (approximately every other month)
• Are a departmental Columbia University Travel Arranger that books travel on behalf of other employees and guests

Schools and departments may decide not to authorize the issuance of a card at their own discretion.

Application Process

The application process begins with a request for a Travel & Expense Corporate Card holder role submitted by the employee via the Financial Systems Security Application (FSSA).

The card request must be approved by a DPAD (Departmental P-Card Administrator) and Accounts Payable. After receiving approval for the issuance of a T&E Corporate Card, the employee is required to complete a card application and request a monthly spending limit.

The default monthly card limit will be $5,000. 

A higher or lower monthly limit may be requested by the applicant in increments of $2,500 subject to DPAD approval e.g. a higher limit may be required for a Travel Arranger for booking Group Travel and Meetings.

Credit Card Issuance: 
In order to obtain the Travel and Expense Corporate Card, the Policy and Procedural Training must be successfully completed. Once the training is complete the Credit Card Administration team will provide a link to the Credit Card Application.

Cardholder

The Cardholder is responsible for complying with all University policies and procedures associated with Travel and Expense Corporate Card (T&E Corporate Card) transactions, including:

• Using the Corporate Card to make University-authorized purchases for valid business purposes, including Travel Arrangers who are making travel arrangements on behalf of others
• Reviewing and reconciling Corporate Card transactions in a timely manner and in compliance with Corporate Card deadlines

Approver

The Approver is responsible for:

• Approving travel and expense transactions made by Cardholders in a timely manner and in compliance with deadlines
• Reviewing all Corporate Card transactions for compliance with policies and procedures

Departmental P-Card Administrator

Responsibilities of the Departmental P-Card Administrator's (DPAD) include:

• Act as a primary liaison between the Procurement Card team and the Cardholders in their department
• Respond to departmental inquiries regarding Corporate Card policies and procedures
• Manage and approve Corporate Card applications for new participants
• Authorize and initiate changes to existing participant credit limits
• Conduct regular reviews of the departmental Corporate Card program to ensure compliance with policies and procedures

Authorized Travel and Expense Corporate Card users will be sent a link to the Travel and Expense Corporate Card Policy and Usage training following the completion and approval of their card application.

If personal expenses are charged on the T&E Corporate card or the Air/Rail Central Pay (BTA) either intentionally or inadvertently, the card holder has 20 days from the trip end date for travel expenses or 20 days from the transaction date for business expenses to reimburse the University via a personal check crediting natural account #66425.

Please click here for more information on how to return funds to the University.

Note: Personal purchases will result in the Credit Card Administration team having a discussion with the Departmental P-Card Administrator (DPAD) regarding a potential term of suspension or revocation of the card.