(1) Overview - The corporate travel charge card program is intended to provide faculty and staff with a convenient means for charging business travel expenses and reduce the university's costs of administering travel. It provides expenditure data for volume purchasing by the state, improved budget oversight by managers, reduces travel advances and otherwise improves cash flow and is critical to efficient travel management.

(2) Requirements - There are two types of corporate travel charge cards:.

(A)Department travel cards are issued to departments or programs where the volume of travel and number of travelers make it more efficient to consolidate expenses. Issuance of department travel cards will be approved on a case by case basis by the Director of Contracts & Procurement or Travel Card Program Administrator. Department travel cards are university liability cards. The university pays the financial institution directly.

(B) Individual travel cards are issued to individual employees to pay for official university travel expenses only. University employees on active payroll status who intend to travel on university business at least one time per year are eligible to apply for an individual corporate travel charge card. Applying for and using individual corporate travel card is not required.  Individual Travel cards are employee liability cards.  The employee is responsible for obtaining travel reimbursement and remitting payment to the financial institution as detailed in the individual travel card agreement.

(3) Use of corporate travel charge cards for department or individual use

(A) Individual corporate travel charge cards may be used for:

1. University business-related travel expenses such as lodging, meals (except alcohol), registration, car rental, ground transportation and parking.
2. University business-related expenses, e.g., photocopying, faxing, etc., while the cardholder is in travel status.
3. University business meals or employee recruitment meals in accordance university policy CWUP 2-40-200, Use of state funds for entertainment, public relations, university promotion or recruitment.
4. University business-related airfare.

5. Other miscellaneous individual travel expenses when pre-approved by the program administrator. 

(B) Department corporate travel charge cards may be used for university business-related:

1. Airfare for groups, interview candidates, group international flights and student travel.
2. Lodging for groups, interview candidates and student travel.
3. Transportation including rental car, shuttle and bus service for groups.
4. Registrations for groups.
4. Other miscellaneous group travel expenses when pre-approved by the program administrator.

(C) Corporate travel charge cards may not be used for:

1. Cash access
2. Personal charges. Placing personal or inappropriate charges on the card is a violation of the corporate travel card policy and the State of Washington Ethics in Public Service laws. See CWUP 2-10-135 and RCW 42.52. Such actions may result in the travel card account being closed and/or disciplinary action up to and including dismissal being taken against the cardholder.

Employees who have had a corporate travel card cancelled for misuse may not be eligible to receive travel advance payments for future university travel-related expenses.

(4) Requesting a card – Departments, programs, or individuals may request a department corporate travel card from the Travel Specialist at x1986 or  traveldesk@cwu.edu. Applications must be approved by the principal budget administrator. If the issuing financial institution approves the application, the financial institution sends a travel card for the applicant to the program administrator who will be responsible for notifying the applicant when the card arrives.

(5) Credit Limit
(A) Individual corporate travel Charge Cards - The issuing financial institution assigns each cardholder a credit limit/line on his or her card. The credit line varies based on an individual's credit assessment.
(B) Department corporate travel charge cards – program administrator sets the credit limit based on the departments need and risk assessment.

(6) Responsibilities

(A) Program administrator:

The Travel Specialist is the corporate travel card program administrator. The program administrator is responsible for:

1. Coordinating the corporate travel card program.
2. Processing applications.
3. Providing information and training to employees upon request.
4. Monitoring cardholders' charges and payment status.
5, Canceling the individual's account upon separation.

NOTE: The university reviews accounts on a quarterly basis and takes appropriate action if university and state policies are not followed.

(B) The traveler/cardholder is responsible for:

1. Completing the corporate travel card application accurately.
2. Ensuring that charges on the card comply with university and state policies.
3. Submitting completed and accurate travel expense vouchers in accordance with CWUR 3-50-215.
4. Paying the individual corporate travel card statement balance in full by the due date indicated on the statement or, in the case of department cards for providing appropriate documentation so that the central payment may be processed.
5. Securing and protecting the card. NOTE: Only the person named on the card is entitled to use the card and that person is liable for the charges on the card.
6. Immediately notifying the issuing financial institution of any lost, stolen, or damaged card; suspected fraud; disputed transactions; and address change; telephone the number on the back of the card.
7. Returning the card to the department or the program administrator immediately upon request or upon termination of employment.

(C) The principal budget administrator is responsible for:

1. Approving the corporate travel individual card application.
2. Encouraging employee awareness of the travel card program.
3. Reviewing, approving, and submitting completed travel expense vouchers in accordance with CWUR 3-50-215.
4. Assisting the program administrator to ensure compliance with corporate travel card policies.
5. Responsible for notifying human resources of any cardholder compliance issues.
6. Responsible for coordinating all disciplinary action taken against cardholder with human resources.

(7) Payments - The department card program administrator is responsible for paying all charges on department travel cards. The individual cardholder is personally responsible for paying all charges on the individual travel cards. The account is not a revolving credit account. Partial monthly payments are not permitted. If payment is not received by the due date, the issuing financial institution automatically generates a reminder letter which is sent to the cardholder and the program administrator is notified.

(8) Disputed Transactions - Cardholders are to try to resolve disputed transactions with the merchant first. Issuer regulations require that the cardholder notify the issuing financial institution in accordance with the terms listed on the issuer’s cardholder agreement.

(9) Delinquency and Collection Actions - In those rare cases when an employee does not fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in section 3-50-295, the issuing financial institution and the program administrator will take the following actions:

(A) Issuing Financial Institution - The collection process begins when the account is 30 days past the due date noted on the statement. The issuing financial institution sends a reminder letter to all cardholders whose accounts have a balance due. If full payment has not been received by the next statement close date (i.e., the first business day of the next month), the issuing financial institution sends the statement out with another reminder printed on the statement itself. At this time, the issuing financial institution will contact the cardholder and the program administrator by telephone.

1. At 60 days past due, the issuing financial institution will suspend the account from accepting new charges.
2. Between 90 and 120 days past due, the issuing financial institution will close the account permanently. Once an account has been closed, it may not be reinstated.
3. The issuing financial institution will send a demand letter to the cardholder requesting payment in full within 30 days.
4. Over 120 days past due, the issuing financial institution will refer seriously delinquent accounts to collection agencies for further collections, which may include credit bureau reporting.
5. At 210 days past due, the account is considered “charged off” and the issuing financial institution will deduct the amount from the university’s rebate which will be recovered from the cardholder in accordance with applicable payroll rules and in consultation with human resources.

(B) Program Administrator - The program administrator’s involvement in the collection proceedings continues throughout the process unless or until the cardholder has made arrangements that are satisfactory to the issuing financial institution.

1. At 30 days past due, the program administrator sends an e-mail to the cardholder regarding the past due balance with a copy to the cardholder’s principal budget authority.
2. At 60 days past due, the program administrator sends a memorandum to the cardholder with a copy to the cardholder’s principal budget authority and the vice president of business and financial affairs.
If the account is 210 days past due and the amount due is deducted from the university’s rebate, the program administrator will initiate paperwork necessary for the university to recover the amount from the employee in accordance with applicable payroll rules and in consultation with human resources.

(10) Card/Account Termination - Because corporate travel cards are issued for university business travel expenses, the university may cancel the card account for misuse and/or payment delinquency. The university maintains a zero tolerance policy for any personal usage of corporate travel charge cards.

(A) The following conditions will result in card/account cancellation:

1. Cardholder is no longer on the university payroll (e.g. resignation, leave of absence without pay, emeritus faculty, or other non-salaried appointment status).
2. History of delinquent payment.
3. History of dishonored checks and/or reversal of electronic payments.
4. Use for personal expenses.
5. Purchase of unauthorized expenses.
6. At request of cardholder.
7. 12 months with no account activity.
8. 12 months without account activation.

(B) If the department obtains the card, the department either returns the card to the program administrator or cuts the card in half.  If the department destroys the card, the department is to route an explanatory memorandum or e-mail to the program administrator.

(C) If an individual's card is cancelled by the university or the issuing financial institution for misuse or delinquency, the department may arrange his or her business airfare charges through an approved travel agency. The traveler must pay for other travel expenses personally. The traveler claims reimbursable expenses on a travel expense voucher when travel has been completed.

(11) Monitoring - The program administrator randomly monitors charges and payments for policy compliance. Internal and external auditors conduct audits will occur periodically. Failure to comply with policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

(12) Public Records - In accordance with the Public Disclosure Laws all expenses charged to corporate travel cards are a matter of public record.

[Responsibility: BFA; Authority: VP BFA; Reviewed/Endorsed by: Cabinet/PAC; Review/ Effective Date: 10/21/2016; reviewed 03/08/2019; Approved by: James L. Gaudino, President]