Travel Policy

Payment Methods and Travel Advances

Ithaca College Travel Card

It is recommended that travelers use the College’s travel card to pay for business expenses incurred while traveling on College business.  The Ithaca College Travel Card program is designed to provide employees with a convenient method to pay for College approved expenses. The College’s travel card may be used for College business travel and hospitality only, and may not be used to pay for personal expenses or the expenses of the traveler’s spouse or other individuals not employed by Ithaca College. 

The Ithaca College Travel Card application is available on the Travel Services web site. All travel expenses can be charged on the Ithaca College Travel Card.  Please see the Travel Services web site for a detailed listing of the College’s guidelines surrounding the application and continued use of the Ithaca College Travel Card.

CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES

Purchase(s) on the Ithaca College credit card(s) require receipts and supporting documentation be retained as proof of purchase(s). Cardholder will indicate on the receipt the account(s) the purchase will be posted to along with the amount(s) and cardholder’s name and departmental phone number.

A cardholder who uses the Ithaca College credit card(s) for unauthorized transactions or is careless with the card will lose their privileges to carry Ithaca College credit card(s) and may be personally liable for the total dollar amount of such expenditures plus any administrative fees charged by the financial institution in connection with the misuse and may be subject to disciplinary action.

All credit card transactions are subject to periodic audits for compliance with the policies and procedures.

The following responsibilities while not all inclusive, are required and must be followed by all cardholders:

  • Review and approval of all transactions
  • Advance purchases documentation and/or receipt for all purchases made in advance of travel dates (i.e. registration, air fare etc), must be submitted to the Department Coordinator within five (5) business days from purchase.
  • Purchases made while traveling require documentation and/or receipt be submitted to the Department Coordinator within ten (10) business days after returning from travel.

On‐going Privileges to Use the Ithaca College Travel Card

In addition to the initial review and approval by the College Travel Card Program Administrator in determining whether an application meets the suggested guideline specifications, a regular review of all cardholders’ travel activity will be performed on an annual basis. This review will not only assist in ensuring compliance with the College’s travel guidelines, but will allow the Program Administrator to determine the continued need for a cardholder to carry a College Travel Card. (For example, if during the program administrator’s review of cardholders Travel activity, it is determined that a cardholder has not shown reasonable use of their Travel card during the fiscal year their card privileges may be revoked.)

Consequences for Misuse of the Ithaca College Travel Card

Individuals given Ithaca College Travel Card access by the College and their department are held accountable for all transactions related to their card. Consequences for misuse of the Travel Card are serious, and may include card suspension, card revocation, disciplinary action, employment termination and/or legal action.

The following responsibilities while not all inclusive, are critical and must be followed by all cardholders:

  • Review and approval of all transactions
  • Required supporting documentation and/or receipt for each purchase, along required information, must be submitted to the Department Coordinator within ten (10) business days after returning from travel.
  • Use of the Travel Card for personal use is strictly prohibited.
  • Insuring sales tax is not applied to Travel Card transactions. (Note: In the event sales tax is charged on a purchase the cardholder must supply a supporting statement  explaining the circumstances.)

Failure to follow the above listed responsibilities and any additional responsibilities that may be listed in this policy will result in a minimum of the following consequences:

First Offense: Verbal warning to cardholder and supervisor
Second Offense: Written warning to cardholder, supervisor, and respective Vice President.
Third Offense: Card Cancellation – privileges revoked

Card Security

Cardholders are responsible for safeguarding Ithaca College Travel Card and account numbers. They must not allow anyone else to use their account number. A violation of this trust could result in the Cardholder having the card withdrawn and disciplinary action taken.

If the card is lost or stolen the Cardholder should immediately notify JPMorgan Chase at 1-800-316-6056 within the U.S., or 1-847-488-3748 outside the U.S. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Program Administrator and Department Coordinator are also to be notified immediately. A new card will be promptly issued to the Cardholder after the reported loss or theft. A card that is subsequently found by the cardholder after being reported lost shall be destroyed.

All credit card transactions are subject to periodic audits for compliance with the policies and procedures outlined in this document. A cardholder who uses the Ithaca College Travel Card for unauthorized transactions or is careless with the card may be personally liable for the total dollar amount of such expenditures plus any administrative fees charged by the financial institution in connection with the misuse and may be subject to disciplinary action.


Disputing Transactions

Cardholders are responsible for initiating the dispute resolution process if there are fraudulent charges on their account.

To begin the dispute resolution process, contact JPMorgan Chase at 1-800-316-6056 within the U.S., or 1-847-488-3748 outside the U.S. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   Also contact the Travel Services Office as soon as possible at 607-274-1480.


Termination of Employee Participation

Your participation in the Ithaca College Travel Card program will be terminated when you are no longer employed by Ithaca College.

Prior to separation from the College, the cardholder shall surrender his/her Travel Card and all outstanding receipts or supporting documentation to their Department Coordinator. The Department Coordinator will forward the card to the Program Administrator for cancellation with the bank.


Travel Advances

Given the general acceptability of credit cards and the administrative costs involved with monitoring cash advances the College does not feel it unreasonable for individuals traveling less than seven (7) consecutive days to pay for business related expenses with their own funds and to be reimbursed upon their return.  The College offers the ability to receive reimbursement via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which will expedite the amount of time it takes to receive any approved reimbursements.

Ithaca College limits cash advances to those cardholders that will be traveling internationally, traveling with student group programs, or traveling for an extended period of time of 7 or more consecutive days. If a cash advance is required for an extended period of travel it should be done using the Ithaca College Travel Card. International travel that requires specific cash needs should contact the Travel Services Office.  Student group program travel that requires specific cash needs should contact the Cashiering Services Office. Unused portions of these advances are to be deposited back into the department's accounts within five (5) business days after returning from travel. Failure to submit supporting documentation may result in the loss of cash advance privileges or even travel card privileges. E-Z Pay may not be used for cash advance purposes.

It is important to note that all travel cards will be issued with the cash advance feature turned off, therefore if a cash advance is needed and meets the approved criteria, the Travel Services Office will need to be contacted in order to activate the cash advance feature for a specific card on a temporary basis.

Cash advances obtained by using the Ithaca College Travel Card will be charged an additional 2% fee or $3 minimum per advance in addition to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fees which will be charged to the departmental budget.