Accounting Office

Travel & Expense Processing in Concur

• Travel & Expense Reports in Concur

  Concur is used to streamline the processing of various travel and expense-related transactions, including: 

  • Card Requests (T&E and Procurement Card)
  • Travel Pre-Trip Requests, including cash advances
  • Travel Bookings
  • Non-Travel Reimbursements
  • Petty Cash Replenishments
  • Procurement Card Reconciliations

  Concur Expense Reports are digital forms used to submit, review, and approve expenses related to business travel, purchases, or reimbursements. They typically include trip details, receipts, expense categories, business purposes, funding sources, and approval routing. These reports are used for reimbursements, non-travel reimbursements (entertainment), reconciling charges made on procurement or travel cards, recording travel-related costs, and paying guest travelers when submitted by a delegate.

  Using Concur ensures compliance with UCR policies, improves processing efficiency, and helps track expenses accurately.

• How do reimbursements get processed?

  Employees

  Active UC Riverside employees can access Concur Travel and Expense with their department's approval.

  • Learn more about the application and user roles: bfs.ucr.edu/fin-apps-concur.
  • UC Riverside employees can facilitate travel and non-travel reimbursements by completing an Expense Report in Concur and submitting it through the automated approval workflow. Some departments have Concur Delegates, who process reimbursements on behalf of employees and non-employees. 
  • Anyone with a valid and active HR record automatically has a Concur profile.
  • Before submitting a reimbursement report in Concur, please update your address and Direct Deposit information in your UCPath profile to prevent processing delays.

   

  Non-Employees (Guest Travelers and Students)

  All non-employee reimbursements (travel and non-travel expenses) for guest travelers and students not employed by UC Riverside are facilitated by completing an Expense Report in Concur and submitting it through Concur's automated approval workflow. A Concur Delegate in the non-employees department (accountability structure) will need to complete this on their behalf as a delegate.

  Delegates must register non-employees as suppliers in Oracle and assign them in Guest Traveler Routing before submitting requests and expense reports on their behalf. See the step below:

  1. In Oracle Financials, a user with the "UCR Supplier Requestor JR" role must initiate a new supplier request with the reason "Concur Payment Request." Learn how to initiate a new payee request here.
  2. Confirm with your Department SAA that the department has established "ALL" routing for Concur Users (unless exceptions apply). This is crucial, especially for non-employee guest travelers, as they default to "ALL" routing once associated with your Accountability Structure in Guest Traveler Routing.
  3. Once their registration is complete, a Concur Delegate must associate the non-employee traveler with the appropriate accountability structure in Guest Traveler Routing following this guide.
  4. With approval routing now established, the Concur Delegate can act on behalf of the Guest Traveler for request and expense report submissions.
• What is a Pre-Trip Request for Travel?

  The Pre-Trip Request in Concur serves multiple purposes. It supports the university’s “duty of care” for all travelers—including faculty, staff, students, and guest travelers—by gathering essential trip information in advance. It also enables direct billing through the university’s preferred travel management company, Anthony Travel. It streamlines the expense reporting process by allowing trip costs to be associated directly with the related report. Travelers, or their designated Concur Delegate, must submit and have the department Financial Approver approve the Pre-Trip Request before creating an expense report. The information entered in the Pre-Trip Request will automatically populate in the expense report and can be edited if necessary.

  To ensure the best experience and access to system features, all travelers should complete their Concur Profile before submitting requests. Departments have flexibility in determining whether a Concur Delegate or individual traveler completes the Pre-Trip Request and when these requests are submitted. However, some Concur functionality—such as associating receipts with a specific trip using the mobile app—is unavailable until a trip exists in the system. Submitting a Pre-Trip Request is considered best practice from a Risk Management and Duty of Care perspective. It allows the university to proactively support travelers in global disruptions (such as the COVID-related travel restrictions in 2020) by maintaining visibility of planned and active travel.

  Concur Delegates may use a university direct charge card (pre-paid ghost card) to book airfare, provided they enter an approved Pre-Trip Request ID in the Concur travel module when making the reservation. For non-employee or guest travelers, Concur Delegates must submit both the Pre-Trip Request and the related Expense Report on the traveler's behalf, as guests cannot access Concur.

  If the travel is international and federally funded, follow the Fly America Act requirements. Anthony Travel can help ensure flights meet federal guidelines, avoiding compliance issues later.

  Please note that Pre-Trip Requests do not automatically close after the travel end date. If the trip does not occur, the request should be manually canceled.

• Why book travel directly in Concur?

  Concur provides exclusive benefits and features tailored to UC business travel—advantages you won’t find on other booking sites.

  • Car Rentals with Built-In Coverage – Book with Hertz, National, and Enterprise and enjoy reduced rates and full insurance coverage.
  • Exclusive Hotel Discounts – Access significant savings at Marriott, Starwood, Club Quarters, and select local hotels.
  • Airfare Savings – Take advantage of discounted rates on major airlines, including American, United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and more.
  • Travel Insurance – UC Riverside’s travel insurance automatically covers all trips booked through Concur.
• Why book travel through UCR's preferred Travel Agency - Anthony Travel?

  UC Riverside has contracted with Anthony Travel, the university's designated travel agency, to assist UCR travelers in making business travel arrangements, consistent with UC travel policies and negotiated rates. 

  Anthony Travel services include self-service through Concur Travel (the in-system Online Booking Tool) or assisted service over the phone with an Anthony Travel agent for reservations including air, rail, lodging, and car rental, producing itineraries, e-tickets, and receipts. When booking travel over the phone with an Anthony Travel agent, the Traveler or Delegate will need to provide an approved Pre-Trip Request ID. Anthony Travel understands the distinctly complex nature of travel at UC Riverside and supports the mission of our University’s travelers. Whether you book online with Concur or call a travel agent directly, Anthony Travel believes that every client deserves executive level attention.  

  Benefits of booking your travel with Anthony Travel include:                                                                              

  • UC-dedicated travel agents who know campus travel policies
  • Direct UC Riverside billing to reduce out-of-pocket expenses
  • Competitive service fees automatically paid by UC Riverside Travel as an advance
  • Clear and simple business travel booking process (synchronized with Concur)
  • Better organization of your business travel itinerary
  • 24/7 assistance to travelers

  • Tickets and e-credits can be reallocated to alternate travelers within the university

  
  Anthony Travel Fees

  Look before you book! Review the University Business Travel Transaction Fee Chart below for the business travel transaction fees for booking in Concur or with an Anthony Travel agent over the phone.  

  Type of Service Transaction	Service Fee
  Full Service Agent
  Each domestic airline ticket (including exchanges)	$25.00
  Each international airline ticket (including exchanges)	$35.00
  Each group domestic airline ticket (including exchanges)	$20.00
  Each group international airline ticket (including exchanges)	$35.00
  Each domestic or international rail ticket	$35.00
  Hotel reservation only	$5.00
  Car reservation only	$5.00
  Concur Travel (Online Booking Tool)*
  Each domestic and international airline ticket	$3.00
  Hotel reservation only	$3.00
  Car reservation only	$3.00

  
  *If a traveler books their reservation using the Concur Online Booking Tool and has a question requiring assistance from an agent, there is no upcharge for the call/consultation. If a traveler conducts a search in the OBT, but then needs assistance from an agent and the agent books and tickets the reservation, the $25/$35 agent fee is charged.

  
  Agent-Assisted Support

  For assistance with your reservations, cancellations and/or changes, please contact our dedicated Anthony Travel account manager:

  Kim Buslach
  (909) 321-3588
  ucr@anthonytravel.com
  Hours: 8am - 5pm PST, Monday - Friday

  After Hours Support
  If you are calling after 5pm PT and require assistance with your trip, please contact a CCRA after-hours representative at (800) 530-2560 and give your VIT code S3T2F.

Mobile App

• How do I use the Concur Mobile App?

  Turn receipts into expense reports in a snap with ExpenseIt.

  ExpenseIt is a service that allows employees to take pictures of receipts and send them directly to Concur Expense — all within the SAP Concur mobile app. As a Concur user, this feature is automatically available to you. Simply take a photo of each receipt in the app, and Concur Expense will automatically create, itemize, and categorize expense entries. ExpenseIt uses machine learning to categorize your expenses to the best of its ability.

  Here are some things to keep in mind: 

  • View credit card transactions and add them to expense reports
  • Capture receipts with your camera phone
    • Transactions automatically created by this feature should be reviewed and updated accordingly by the delegate/user. 
    • The more you use it, the more it learns! 
    • If your expense line contains incorrect information, don't delete it. Instead, simply update the necessary fields so ExpenseIt can learn to categorize your expenses adequately. 
  • Submit expense reports 

  Capture and Upload Receipts to Expense Reports

  Follow these instructions to get started with the Concur Mobile App - Manage Receipts with Concur Mobile App
  You can also check out the self-guided Concur Expense demo for a walkthrough of how the Concur Mobile App works.

  
  Helpful Tips

  If you know that a T&E Card was used for the expense, you must wait 2-3 business days for the card transaction to show up under your Available Expenses in Concur.

  • The receipt that is uploaded using ExpenseIt (through the Mobile App or by emailing the receipt) will immediately show up as an expense line under your Available Expenses.
    • Do not move the receipt expense line to an expense report until after the card transaction has been posted and the two line items (the receipt line and the card transaction line) have merged.
    • The receipt expense line will show ExpenseIt as the Expense Source (uploaded through the Mobile App).
  • You can differentiate between the actual card transaction and the receipt expense line because the Payment Type for the card transaction can't be edited. Once the receipt expense line is moved to the expense report, it will default to Incurred by User.
  • To avoid an erroneous reimbursement, double-check the Payment Type before submitting the expense report to ensure that it shows the T&E Card.

  If, for some reason, the receipt you uploaded with the Concur Mobile App needs to be removed because it is not the correct one or it contains Personal Identifiable Information (PII), these are the steps you need to take to remove it: 

  • If the expense line is already in an expense report, delete it. 
  • Once you delete it, it will go back to your Available Expenses. 
  • From Available Expenses, click on the expense, and you can separate the receipt from the expense line.

  
  

Travel Module

• What are the key features & benefits?

  SAP Concur's enhanced Travel Booking experience is now live as of February 26, 2025, featuring a new, intuitive user interface and expanded content.

  • New look and feel: A refreshed design for a more user-friendly experience.
  • Streamlined booking process: Simplified booking and checkout processes for efficiency.
  • Improved content and images: Enhanced visuals for better clarity.
  • Enhanced sustainability features: Filter by emissions and sustainability options.
  • New Distribution Capability (NDC): New way for airlines to give access to all available airline fares and offers.
  • Improved seat maps: Recognizes loyalty status, allowing selection of preferred seats.
  • Baggage allowance display: Clear visibility of baggage policies for all fares.
  • European rail enhancements: Expanded options for rail travel.
  • Advanced electric car filtering: Options to filter and display electric car rentals.
  • Improved hotel cancelation policy: Enhanced clarity on cancelation terms
• Airfare

  Fare search results in the new experience will mimic popular consumer sites, displaying details such as baggage information, seat selections, C02 emissions, refund policies and more.

  “Best Flights for You” and “Recommended Flights” now appear in the search results. These options are tailored to the user's preferences based on factors such as frequent flyer programs, preferred vendors, fewest stops, lowest emissions, and more.

  Previously, search filters were limited to price range, time frames, airports, and connecting airports. The new Travel Booking experience introduces expanded filters, including number of stops, departure times and ranges, connecting airports, carriers with preference labels and fares, airline alliances (e.g., Oneworld, SkyTeam), class of service, and policy and flexibility options.
   

  

• Hotels/Accommodations

  The new Travel Booking experience displays hotel room images and detailed property information, helping travelers make more informed choices. Information that was previously unavailable—such as sustainability scores and amenities—is now visible directly in the search results.

  Filter options include sustainability certifications, star ratings, hotel brands, and parent brands. Hotel prices are now shown as the average room rate for the entire length of stay, rather than the highest nightly rate. Travelers can still view the nightly rate breakdown once the property is selected.

  

• Rental Cars

  For full fee transparency, rental car rates now display the total rental amount, which includes the University of California’s negotiated daily rate along with applicable taxes and fees. In the legacy experience, only the UC negotiated daily rate—excluding taxes and fees—was shown.

  Pick-up and drop-off locations are now displayed on a map, including both airport and off-site options, offering improved visibility and flexibility for travelers.

  Search results can be filtered and sorted by category (car size), type (e.g., van, SUV), rental company (Enterprise, Hertz, National), specifications (electric, automatic), distance from location, and lowest emissions.

  

• Review, Finalize, Cancel

  Once you've reviewed your booking, click Book and Continue.

  

  On the Finalize page, you can choose to complete the booking, Cancel or Hold Trip. Campus-required information is noted in the Additional Information section, which is indicated with *.