Your Travel & Meal (T&M) Card must only be used for authorized purchases. Violations of these guidelines can lead to serious consequences. Also see Breaches of Policy.
You can use your T&M card for:
- Business travel-related expenses for employees such as air travel, ground transportation, hotels and lodging, conference registration fees, incidental travel-related supplies, and other reimbursable expenses.
- Business travel expenses for other university travelers other than employees, including students, authorized incoming guests. See Non-Employee Travel.
- Group, business, and hosted meals (whether locally or while traveling), excluding events that require a purchase order such as catered events and event services. For hiring caterers and renting event spaces, see Limited Engagement Services.
Note on individual travel meals: Cornell uses federal per diem rates to reimburse meals. Your meal purchases might exceed the per diem rate in some cases, so it’s best to pay for meals out-of-pocket to avoid having to reimburse Cornell. This expectation applies to restaurants, meal delivery, and other food purchases. See
Meals.
You must not use your card for:
- Non-travel related business expenses. Never use the T&M card for non-travel expenses, catering, event space rentals, or any services that require a contract or purchase order. For hiring caterers and renting event spaces, see Limited Engagement Services.
- Personal purchases. It’s understandable that personal purchases might happen occasionally. You might accidentally charge something or find it impractical to separate a bill when a spouse attends a business meal. If this happens, mark the charge as personal/non-reimbursable in Concur. Do not make a payment to U.S. Bank. You must submit all personal purchases, whether accidental or intentional, on an expense report within 60 days of your return from travel. See Expense Reporting for details.
- Cash advances. You cannot withdraw cash from an ATM using your card. Advances must be requested using the Concur Request module and specific criteria must be met for approval. See Advances.
Spending Limits
Payments to travel-related merchants such as those for transportation, lodging, and restaurant meals, are generally accommodated within standard card limits. Most cardholders should not be concerned about spending limits. In rare cases where higher expenses are anticipated (such as group bookings), temporary adjustments can be made to support approved purchases. Contact the Shared Services Center in those cases.
The spending limit for non-travel purchases is $6,000 per cycle. Be mindful of this limit when making payments for things like conference registration fees.
To protect our cardholders, U.S. Bank blocks certain high-risk merchants such as jewelers, antique stores, and casinos, from accepting the card.
Foreign Currency/Traveling Overseas
There is a 1% conversion fee:
- Best practice: Notify the bank if you are traveling overseas.
- Contact Credit Card Programs when traveling with a group and anticipate large expenses.
- You may need a PIN when making overseas purchases. Contact the bank if you do not currently have a PIN.
Declined Transactions
Contact the bank if your card is declined. In most cases, the quickest route to resolve the issue is through the bank’s customer service. If you have difficulties with this process, contact Credit Card Programs.
Travel Accident/Life Insurance
Cardholders are insured for up to $500,000 while traveling on a common carrier. This coverage applies only when the ticket is charged to the T&M Card. Contact the bank for further details on coverage.
Baggage Insurance
Cardholders have a maximum coverage of $1,250 on checked or carry-on baggage, for domestic and international flights. This coverage applies only when the ticket is charged to the T&M Card. Claims are paid after settlement with the common carrier. Contact the bank for further details on this coverage.
