Travel Card Best Practices

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Below are common scenarios related to the use of the UC Davis Travel card and recommended best practices.

  • Using the Travel card
  • The UC Davis Travel Visa Card should be used for all business travel and entertainment expenditures.
  • Cash Advances or Pre-Trip Payments
  • Use your Travel Card to pay for travel or entertainment expenses in advance of the trip or event.
    - Payment transactions load into AggieExpense as an imported expense.
    - Reconcile the expense(s) on an AggieExpense report, as soon as possible, to ensure payments are made by deadlines.
    - No need to wait for the trip/event to conclude to reconcile Travel Card expenses!

    Cash Advances are available using your Travel card just like an ATM card at a bank.
    - Your PIN arrives just before your Travel card by U.S. mail. Save the PIN!
    - If you lose your PIN, contact U.S. Bank at the number printed on the back of the card to request a new PIN.
    - Cash Advances load into AggieExpense like other card transactions, and must be reconciled on an AggieExpense expense report.
    - If a portion of your advance is unused at the end of the trip or event, reconcile the remaining amount as a Personal or Non-Reimbursable expense and remit payment to U.S. Bank directly for that amount. Enter the payment confirmation from U.S. Bank in the Personal or Non-Reimbursable expense entry.

    Most banks provide larger cash advances if you go inside the bank, rather than use the ATM.
    - If you need your cash advance limit increased, contact the Travel Help desk at travelhelp@ucdavis.edu before going to the bank.
  • Traveling Overseas
  • At least 10 business days before traveling out of the country, notify the Card Program team of your trip.
    - The Card Program team will notify U.S. Bank to reduce the chance of a fraud flag, and you should contact U.S. Bank directly using the number printed on the back of your card.  Card program can be reached at cardprogramhelp@ucdavis.edu .

    Most other countries utilize the full Chip and PIN technology to reduce fraud.
    - Make sure to have your PIN memorized or written in a safe place before traveling abroad.

    ALL foreign travel must be registered with UC Travel Risk Management.
    - Register your trip with UC Travel Risk Management.
  • Paying Expenses on Behalf of non-cardholders
  • Under certain circumstances, you are permitted to use your Travel card to make payments on behalf of other travelers, like non-employees or employees without access to their own Travel card.
    - All UC Davis employees, if expecting to travel or entertain, should apply for their own Travel card to be used for their own business expenses.

    The most common scenarios include paying for a non-employee’s transportation or lodging costs, such as taxi, shuttle, or hotel services.
    - If booking a hotel near the UC Davis campus or hospital, use the campus Preferred Booking Program payment method.
    - If booking airfare, use AggieExpense.

    If paying for another traveler’s meals while on a trip, be sure to include clear and complete comments so the processors know whose meals were paid for, including full name and affiliation.

    Always include all related report or document keys in your expense report.
    - Lack of a related report key is one of the most common reasons reports are returned for correction.
    - Travel Accounting must be able to see all trip expenses in order to properly audit the report even if part of the expenses were on another report.
  • Reporting a Replacement Card
  • If your card is lost, stolen or compromised by fraudulent activity, U.S. Bank will issue you a new card.
    - Contact U.S. Bank by phone (800) 344-8696 (24-Hour Customer Service) to report a lost or stolen card, or to report any suspected fraudulent activity.
    - Save or memorize your new PIN.
    - Always destroy your old card upon activating your new card.
  • If one of your Employees Separates from UC Davis
  • Submit a Cancel/Close Request using AggieExpense. Anyone with access to AggieExpense can request a cancel/close on behalf of any cardholder. Unapproved and/or unreconciled charges on an employee card are the responsibility of the employee’s department, so it is important that separated employee status be reported to the Card Program team as a normal part of employee off-boarding.
  • UC Davis Travel Visa Card Reconciliation Tools

  • There are several resources that can be utilized when identifying information related to the UC Davis Travel card. Please use the tools referenced below in order to provide additional information that you may need in order to reconcile payments.

    U.S. Bank Access Online: Provides up to date information about your Travel card including:
    - Current and past due balance
    - Monthly account statements
    - Transaction details
    - Visit U.S. Bank to register/log in (enter “UOFCA” in the Organization Short Name field to register).