Travel and Hospitality Frequently Asked Questions



Who can get a travel and hospitality card? 

The T&H card is available to all Iowa State University faculty, staff and graduate assistants with the approval of the cardholder’s manager and the department’s cost center manager. To apply for a card, please reference the Knowledge Base Article.

  

What is the billing address for my card?

If the supplier asks for the statement or billing address, it is generally the cardholder’s office address including room, building, and street. Contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu for specific information.  

 

How do I know if I have transactions to process? 

Cardholders will receive weekly notifications in Workday, every Monday, if they have expense transactions not yet processed. Cardholders can also go to the expenses application, then under “view” go to “expense transactions”. Below are two knowledge base article on how to fill out expense reports and how to view your card transactions within Workday. If you have any other questions please contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu

  

What do I do if a supplier does not supply a receipt? 

It is the responsibility of each cardholder and their procurement and expense specialists to attach legible, itemized receipts to T&H card transactions for hospitality transactions, hotel charges and travel expense transactions exceeding $75, when processing the expense report in Workday. Cardholders can fill out the certificate of missing receipt form found at the link below. You will need to prove how you tried to receive a receipt and get your department chair’s signature. You will then upload it with your expense report in the attachments section. 

http://www.controller.iastate.edu/travelinformation/cert_missing_receipt.pdf  

 

What do I do if I am unable to complete my transactions within 30 days? 

It is the cardholder’s responsibility, within thirty days of the transaction posting to Workday, to attach legible, itemized receipts (when required) and enter the business purpose, Worktag(s) and transaction description information to the expense report for their transactions, OR to provide that information to their procurement and expense specialists (PES) at finance_delivery@iastate.edu.  Failure to enter or provide this information within thirty days of the post date will be grounds for suspension of card privileges 

Weekly reminder messages will be sent by e-mail to cardholders, identifying T&H card transactions that have not been processed on an expense report.  Cardholders may review their transactions via the report ISU My Card Transactions within Workday.   

Cardholders who have extenuating circumstances or supplier issues that preclude them from completing the transaction verification will not be subject to these late transaction penalties if Procurement Services (cardservices@iastate.edu) is contacted for assistance.  

 

How do I contact my Procurement and Expense Specialist (PES)?

You can contact your PES at finance_delivery@iastate.edu to help complete your expense reports.  

 

Why was my card declined when I tried to make a non-restricted purchase?

Make sure that the amount of your purchase is not above your transaction limit or that you have not exceeded the monthly cycle limit for your card (remember that the cycle begins on the 12th of the month). If the transaction falls within your limits, the transaction may be declined because the supplier's Merchant Commodity Code is blocked on your card configuration. Contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu for assistance.  

 

Is the University tax exempt for travel and hospitality card purchases?

Cardholder’s can request sales tax exemption for hospitality purchases at local restaurants and general merchants.  The university is not exempt from hotels/motels or airline tax. 

 

Where can I purchase airfare tickets?

We recommend cardholders purchase airfare through the contracted travel agencies, Concur Travel Partners and Key Travel, or directly through the airlines.  

 

Am I allowed to book travel accommodations for others?

Yes, you are able to book travel for others, whether it be guests to the university or other employees of the university.

If securing lodging within the State of Iowa, the provider must be verified through the Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking Website.

If you are booking hotels for others be sure to state the card is only to be charged for the room and additional charges will need to be on a separate card. 

Please be aware that hotels and car rentals usually want the card used for booking to be present at the time of check in.

 

 

How can I create a profile with the University’s contracted travel agencies?

You can create a profile to save your information when booking with Corporate Travel Partners and Key Travel. If you have any further travel questions or need assistance with creating an account please contact Elisabeth Lunaburg, our travel procurement agent, at 515-294-1857 or at lunaburg@iastate.edu 

 

How can I tell the difference between my travel and hospitality card and my purchasing card?

The Travel and Hospitality Card has corporate written on it, whereas the Purchasing Card has purchasing written on it. 

 

How do I get a PIN number to use at the point of sale when traveling internationally?

When you are planning to use your T&H Card while on international travel a PIN number may be needed at the point of sale.  If you did not request a PIN at the time of card activation, you will need to contact US Bank directly by calling 1-800-344-5696 to request one.  Please note that it will take a minimum of 10 days to receive your PIN via USPS from US Bank (the only mechanism by which they can provide a PIN).

 

Do I need to notify the bank when travelling out of the country?

The bank’s fraud software if automatic so they do not have someone looking at the alerts that could be placed on your account. So you are able to, but it will not prevent your card from getting blocked if a transaction looks suspicious. If you are experiencing a decline please contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu 

 

Do the Visa credit cards work outside the country?

Yes, we have found that Visa credit cards are accepted at most places throughout the world. Please contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu if you are having problems with a foreign supplier.  

 

How do I process credit transactions?

If you have a transaction against which you will receive full or partial credit, the cardholder or the procurement and expense specialist will need to process the credit the same way the original transaction was processed.  The same Worktag and spend category should be used on both the original transaction and the credit transaction.  

What do I do if I don't recognize the supplier name on a transaction? 

If you cannot identify the supplier or the transaction, contact the Card Services Team at 515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu for assistance. 

Unauthorized transactions to unknown suppliers should be reported to the Card Services Team (515-294-7024 or cardservices@iastate.edu) immediately.  If transactions are determined to be fraudulent, the Card Services Team will notify U.S. Bank fraud prevention.   

For unrecognized or incorrect transactions, the cardholder should first seek resolution with the supplier. If resolution cannot be achieved with the supplier, the cardholder shall contact the Card Services Team, within 30 days of the post date, with supporting information.  The Card Services Team will investigate the transaction, and, if appropriate, initiate a dispute through U.S. Bank.  Once the charge is disputed, U.S. Bank will request documentation from the supplier.  If the supplier fails to provide suitable documentation supporting the charge, the disputed amount will be credited back to the cardholder’s account. 

Transactions sixty (60) days past the cycle date cannot be reported as fraudulent or be disputed with U.S. Bank, and will be the responsibility of the cardholder’s department. 

 

What is the difference between fraud and dispute? 

Fraud usually involves a deliberate action on the part of an often-unknown third-party.  Disputes normally arise out of billing problems with a supplier with which the cardholder has done legitimate business: double billing, over-billing, billing for goods not received, and problems with issuing credits.  Keep in mind that when a transaction posts to Workday, the supplier has already been paid.  Delaying the processing of expense reports in Workday does not withhold payment to the supplier.