Lodging is a frequent travel expense, and it is the most complex expense on an expense report. Creating the expense can be challenging due to unique lodging scenarios, travel allowances, receipt itemizations, and built-in compliance based on university travel policy. The information below is intended to help you avoid common errors when entering lodging information and resolve hard-stop alerts that prevent expense report submission.
NOTE: Reconciling centrally held travel card lodging transactions is addressed in the FAQ article Travel: Reconciling Centrally Held Travel Cards.
Avoiding and Resolving Lodging Alerts
Preparation is key to avoiding errors and alerts. Before adding the lodging expense, make sure the report header and travel allowance are completed appropriately, and collect the required supporting materials, including an itemized receipt. If applicable, collect additional documentation such as a conference hotel room rate, and validate CONUS or OCONUS per diems.
Adding a Lodging Expense.
From the open expense report, click the Add Expense button and add the lodging travel card transaction or out-of-pocket expense. Complete the required fields on the Details tab and upload the receipt. If additional supporting material is required, such as conference material, append the material to the receipt. Enter information in the Comments field to clarify scenarios or travel details that are not easily understood from the uploaded documentation.
Click the Itemizations tab to create the itemization for lodging. Enter the lodging rate and taxes in the separate fields provided. Click Save Itemization then Save Expense on the following screen.
If there are any data errors or compliance issues, alerts will be triggered when the expense is saved or the report submitted. Alerts will appear in the summary areas of the report and the expense item.
Expanding the summary area or opening the expense item will reveal the alert with recommendations to resolve the issue. Below are steps to resolve frequently encountered lodging alerts.
NOTE: Alerts related to CONUS, travel allowance and/or travel dates may not resolve until the Submit button is clicked. Delegates may click the Submit button to trigger or resolve alerts but cannot complete the submission on behalf of an active employee.
Itemizations are required for this entry.
Cause: Missing itemization for a lodging expense type.
Resolution: Open the lodging expense, select the Itemizations tab, click the Create Itemization button to add the base lodging itemization form. The basic itemization must include individual line items for the lodging rate and lodging tax. Do not combine these amounts into a single entry; however, if multiple taxes are listed on the receipt, these can be combined into a single tax amount per day. Additional itemizations can be added, if necessary, for personal expenses, penalties, fees, meals, parking, internet/phone fees and shipping.
The Itemization amounts do not add up to the expense amount.
Cause: The amount itemized exceeds or does not utilize the entire lodging amount specified on the details tab.
Resolution: Open the lodging expense, select the Itemizations tab and adjust the line item amounts as necessary to utilize the entire amount. This may include adding additional itemization types.
Your travel allowance dates do not align with your “Lodging” transaction dates. Either create or update an assigned travel allowance or update your transaction dates.
Cause: Indicates either a missing travel allowance, an incomplete travel allowance or a date misalignment between an existing travel allowance and the lodging dates. This could also indicate a date misalignment between the travel allowance and the report dates.
Resolution: Verify the lodging expense falls within the report header travel dates. Verify there is a complete travel allowance that includes the date and location of the lodging expense item.
Resource: FAQ Travel: Creating a Travel Allowance.
“Compliance with UT Lodging Rates” must be checked to verify compliance with Government rates.
Cause: When creating the expense item, the Compliance with UT Lodging Rates check box was manually deselected or was automatically deselected by Concur based on data entry issues on the itemization. An example of this would be entering a daily total (lodging rate and lodging tax) into a single Lodging itemization line item.
Resolution: Verify the itemization includes individual lodging and lodging tax line items. Click the Lodging itemization line to verify the Compliance with UT Lodging Rates check box is selected. If the itemization has not been created, the check box will be available on the Details tab.
The lodging room rate exceeds CONUS/OCONUS. Update the Travel Allowance Expenses & Adjustments tab by checking the 'Use Percent Rule’ box and resubmit. If ‘Use Percent Rule’ box is checked select the appropriate exception.
Cause: The itemized lodging amount exceeds the CONUS/OCONUS rate for the location. This may also be due to an incorrect itemization or a reminder to claim as an exception to policy.
Resolution: Verify that the ‘Use Percent Rule’ box on the Travel Allowance Expenses & Adjustments tab is checked. Verify the lodging amount is entered correctly and that the itemization contains two separate line items for lodging and lodging taxes for the entire amount. Verify the room rate is over the maximum reimbursement amount for the location specified in the travel allowance (itinerary) by checking CONUS or OCONUS rates.
The nightly lodging amount exceeds the Government room rate by more than 150%. "Exception?" must be 'Yes, above government room rate', 'No, booked through World Travel', or 'No, conference or group room rate'.
Cause: The itemized lodging amount exceeds 150% of the CONUS/OCONUS rate for the location. This may also be due to an incorrect itemization or a reminder to claim as an exception to policy.
Resolution: Verify the lodging amount is entered correctly and that the itemization contains two separate line items for lodging and lodging taxes for the entire amount. If the itemization is correct and the lodging amount is over 150% of the verified CONUS/OCONUS rate, edit the Details of the lodging expense to select the appropriate exception and enter comments detailing the situation. Any ‘Yes’ exception will route the expense report for additional review by the CBO.
If you have questions or need additional assistance utilizing the University’s travel system, please contact travel@tennessee.edu.