New Citibank Travel Card Program

1. New Citibank Travel Card Program University at Albany State University of New York

2. WHAT IS NEW? • The current CTA Accounts will be eliminated effective July 1, 2013. • Personalized NYS Travel Visa Cards (cards will be Grey)will be issued to all NYS employees who travel for the University to facilitate the payment of all University State business related travel expenses. • Non-Employee (Net) Cards (cards will be Green) will be issued to state account managers to facilitate the payment of non-state employee travel expenses while traveling on State University Business. (e.g. UA Foundation employees, student athletes, job candidates, and consultants)

3. Advantages of the New Cards • Both cards are billed directly to the State Accounting Office • Traveler’s out of pocket expense can be drastically reduced (no more waiting for reimbursements) if the card is utilized for all eligible travel expenses • Air, train, and ground transport • Meals, lodging, registration fees and incidentals • Use of the card for transportation provides business travel accident insurance • The need for travel cash advances will be reduced

4. Advantages of the New Cards • Travelers will no longer need large amounts of cash or a personal credit card to travel. • The State and the University will be able to capture a true picture of State travel expenses with full use of the travel card and Net card. • The cost of processing vendor vouchers will be reduced.

5. NYS Travel/Net Card Use • Air, train, and ground transportation • Meals and lodging • Conference registration fees • Baggage fees • Parking and toll fees • Fuel charges for both rental and personal vehicles • Incidental expenses (e.g. business center charges including photocopies and faxes)

6. NYS Travel Card Policy • NYS Travel guidelines must be adhered to when using the NYS Travel/Net Card. Important note: Campus departmental travel policy will supersede state policy if the departmental policy mandates more restrictive travel spending. • Each Travel card will be embossed with the State traveler’s name and only travel expenses for that employee can be charged to that card. • Each Net (non-employee) travel card will be embossed with the name of the State Account Manager responsible for reconciling the expenses for job candidates, students, and non state employees traveling on state business. • Below the cardholder’s name on all cards, “University at Albany” will be embossed on the card because the University is the creditor. Employee credit checks are NEVER done and these cards will never appear on your personal credit report. • Travelers must stay within the per diem rates for lodging and meals when using their card. Travelers must reimburse the University for charges incurred above the per diem rates. One noted exception is exceeding the lodging rate by staying at a Conference hosting hotel. This rate will be covered in full. • The University is exempt from Hotel Occupancy Tax. This Exempt Form is available at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/travel/taxexempt.pdf

7. NYS Travel Card Policy • The billing cycle for all cards is the 23rd of a month to the 22nd of the current month. (e.g. The April bill includes charges from March 23rd through April 22nd. • Net cards will be on a separate bulk bill to easily identify all non-employee travel expenses. • All card bills must be reconciled timely to ensure timely payment by the Office of State Accounting

8. Cardholder Responsibilities • Keep your card in a secure location • Continue to use the Hotel Occupancy Exempt Form & the NYS Sales Tax Exempt Form when making purchases. Travelers must obtain card credits or provide personal reimbursement to the University for any inappropriate taxes incurred in travel status. • Do NOT allow others to use your card. • If your card is lost, stolen, or used fraudulently, notify Citibank and the Credit Card team in the State Accounting office. • The Credit Card team will coordinate new card issuance and fraud affidavit completion with the cardholder to ensure timely card replacement and account credits.

9. Cardholder Responsibilities • Around the 25th of the month, the CC Team will email each cardholder and the account manager a pdf copy of their statement along with an excel reconciliation template to reconcile each trip included in the billing cycle. • Cardholders must complete one Travel Card Reconciliation Form for each trip. • Once cardholders complete the Grey areas on each form, it will calculate any amounts owed the University.

10. Travel Card Reconciliation Form • The Reconciliation Form is available on the web at Travel Card Reconciliation Form • If the completed form indicates a refund is due back the University, attach a check payable to University at Albany, to the Travel Card Reconciliation Form. • The check will be refunded to your account.

11. Cardholder Responsibilities • If the cardholder has out of pockets travel expenses associated with a trip on their monthly bill, they need to complete a travel voucher and attach their receipts to request reimbursement. • These reimbursement vouchers must be attached to their reconciliation forms for the month and sent to the Credit Card Team for processing. • Failure to submit the vouchers and reconciliations together will delay the audit process for the travel card and significantly delay reimbursements. • Reconciliation forms and travel vouchers must have original supporting documentation attached. (Travel itinerary, lodging folio, meal receipts, conference agendas) • Cardholders are strongly encouraged to keep copies of all completed forms and supporting documentation.

12. Cardholder Responsibilities • Cardholders will have 3 weeks from the date their statement is emailed to reconcile their charges, complete any travel vouchers, and submit them to the credit card team for processing. • Failure to submit reconciliations, vouchers and/or necessary reimbursements by the deadline will result in immediate suspension or revocation of your card privileges.

13. Credit Card Team Office of State Accounting • Eileen Scanlan Credit Card Program Manager Email: escanlan@albany.edu Phone 442-3195 • Tina LaMarche Assistant Program Manager Email: tlamarche@albany.edu Phone 442-3182 • Calculations Clerk II (TBD)

14. Challenges of the New Cards • Issuing as many as 500 new travel cards to state employees • Coordinating the travel card and travel voucher reconciliation processes • Coordinating and disseminating both NYS travel card policy and campus departmental travel policy • Coordinating employee reimbursement of unallowable or unauthorized expenses