Travel Policy

Yes. It is up to the traveler to decide whether or not to use the per diem meal allowance as long as their department allows it.

The per diem rate is intended to cover the costs of three meals per day. For partial travel days (date departing/returning) the per-diem rate is $29. The full per diem rate is allowed, however, if the traveler departs before 7:00 am on the date of departure, or returns after 7:00 pm when they return. For this reason, it is important to indicate your departure and return times on the travel expense report if claiming a full day’s per diem for the first and last days of a trip.

Using the per diem rate eliminates the need to keep and account for meal receipts. This can result is significant time savings for the traveler, departmental support staff, and accounting staff.

You can mix the methods but you have to choose one method per day. You can do per diem one day and account for receipts on another day. You cannot, however, mix the per diem and receipt methods within the same day.

No. Per diem can only be used when the trip requires an overnight stay.

No. Since all charges to the card require receipts as documentation, it is not compatible with the per diem allowance. Travelers using the per diem allowance need to use their own funds or personal credit card. They can also request a cash advance if they need funds to cover their travel expenses.

For instance, suppose Professor Jones attends a four day/four night conference that provides lunch each day. Can Professor Jones claim the $29 per diem for the other meals, for a total of $100?No. If a conferences is providing a meal, the traveler must submit itemized receipts for any other meals that day – they cannot use the partial day per-diem.

While it is preferable to have receipts to support all expenses, receipts are not required for expenses under $50 (parking, tolls, etc.) Receipts are, however, required for all meals unless you are using the per diem allowance.

A credit card receipt that does not include an itemized list of items purchased is not acceptable. It must either include an itemized list or be accompanied by a detailed itemized receipt. Employees should request a full receipt when paying by credit card.

On-campus meals may be provided for meetings that include only employees if there is no alternative except to hold the meeting during a meal time, if there is a clearly defined business purpose, and if prior approval is obtained from the President, Provost, or the Executive Vice President for Planning and Finance. Please see the Entertainment and Gift Policy for more details.

No. Meal reimbursement only applies to meals purchased as part Clark-related travel that requires an over-night stay.