Instant Card: Virtual Travel Card

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The Instant Card is a virtual Travel Card available through a smartphone app, designed to support one-time travel expenses for university guests and limited-travel use by university employees.

View the recording of the March 2026 Instant Card Presentation

See the slides from the 2026 presentation

 
Visual of Instant Card

What is the Instant Card?

The Instant Card is a temporary, virtual payment option available to UC Davis guest travelers who do not have access to a standard UC Davis Travel Card. It allows for secure, short-term use with a preset maximum dollar limit for the trip duration and defined activation (start and end) dates.

Travelers can access their card details, including the credit limit, expiration date, and security code, directly from their mobile device using U.S. Bank’s Instant Card App.

More Details

  • A simple, secure payment method for non-employee travelers (guests and students) conducting official UC Davis business
  • A same-day payment solution for an employee if their university Travel Card is lost, stolen, or otherwise unavailable before a trip.
  • A convenient way to facilitate travel payments for travelers in remote locations, including outside of the U.S.
  • Card cannot currently be used for international travel, but we hope to have this as an option in the future.
  • Card cannot be used for any entertainment-related expenses; it is designated only for travel-related expenses.  Entertainment expenses should continue to be processed on the university Travel Card.
  • Training is not required for guest travelers, but any employees who will be using the Instant Card are required to complete the one-time Travel Card training.

Benefits

  • Reduces out-of-pocket expenses for non-employees, including guests, students, and individuals relocating to UC Davis
  • Easy access – view, manage, and add the card to a mobile wallet on a smart phone
  • Automatic integration with AggieExpense for simplified reconciliation
  • Secure technology – encrypted transactions and compatibility with Apple Pay and Google Pay

Requirements

  • The requested travel must be for a valid UC business purpose (teaching, research, public service, patient care).
  • The traveler must have a smartphone or tablet and be able to download the U.S. Bank Instant Card App.
  • The cardholder must have access to email on their mobile device.
  • All transactions must align with UC policy and be reconciled within 45 calendar days of the trip end date.
  • Employees must agree to the terms of use via the Employee Instant Cardholder Agreement when submitting their request.

For Guest Travelers

  • A UC Davis employee acting on behalf of the guest traveler must create a Non-Employee Profile in AggieExpense at least one full business day before the card can be issued.
  • The guest traveler must sign the Instant Cardholder Agreement, and the sponsoring employee must attach the signed form to the AggieExpense Request.

How to Apply 

Follow the instructions in the Instant Card knowledge article.

Important Considerations

  • The Instant Card does not replace the standard Travel Card for employees. Employees who travel more than once per year should apply for a standard Travel Card.
  • The Instant Card is virtual; no plastic card is issued, and can be used for online purchases and in-person purchases at merchants that accept touchless payments.
  • U.S. Bank requires a 10-digit phone number (international numbers must follow the 10-digit format after the country code).
  • Hotel Use:
    • Contact the hotel in advance to confirm they accept mobile wallet payments.
    • Card number can typically be used to reserve the room, but the hotel may request a physical card upon check-in.
    • Be prepared with an alternate form of payment in case the virtual card is not accepted.

Employee Eligibility Scenarios

UC Davis employees may apply for an Instant Card only if:

  • Their standard Travel Card was lost or stolen while on travel status.
  • A new Travel Card cannot be issued in time for an upcoming trip.
  • They rarely travel on behalf of the university (less than once a year).

Reconciliation Process

Reconciling Instant Card transactions follows the same process as reconciling standard Travel Card transactions.

View Knowledge Base Article on AggieExpense Report Creation and Expense Reconciliation.

Reporting

  • The following Cognos reports can be used to track/manage Instant Card expenses:
    • AEE-418 AggieExpense Unreconciled Card Expenses Report
    • AEE-419 AggieExpense Report Lookup

Questions?

  • Questions on creating a request or reconciling travel expenses should be directed to the Expense Help team at [email protected].
  • Questions/issues using the Instant Card should be directed to the Card Program Help team at [email protected].