Pay with a Credit Card 

Using a PCard or Personal Card

Travel, hosting, and supply purchases under $5k may be made directly by faculty and staff using a U-M corporate card (PCard) or a personal card (Out-of-Pocket/OOP). To process your PCard or OOP expenses, submit them on an expense report.

PCards are highly recommended over OOP methods, as OOP expenses become taxable after 60 days and cannot be submitted until the trip or event ends. Please email Megan Xu (xuyun@umich.edu) to request a PCard.

Services (e.g., editing, photography, consulting) may not be purchased with a PCard or OOP. Please see Buying Methods to review other options for service payments.

FAQs 

What is the difference between a PCard and Out-of-Pocket (OOP) purchase, and how are they processed?

Travel, hosting, and small-dollar supply costs can be paid for with a PCard (university corporate credit card) or personal card (OOP). Both are processed when you create a report in the Emburse expense reporting system. PCard purchases populate automatically, while OOP items are added manually. PCard purchases can be reconciled as soon as they populate in Emburse, while OOP expenses cannot be submitted until after your purchase/trip/event is complete.

I booked a flight through CTP, but they didn’t ask for a shortcode. How will my payment be processed? 

Like PCard purchases, CTP bookings autopopulate in your Emburse profile and you must submit them on an expense report to “reconcile” or charge them to a shortcode.

How can I get Emburse to import itemized/nightly hotel costs automatically? 

Upload the detailed/folio receipt to your Receipt Gallery so the system can import and scan each line before you add the expense to a report. The scanning functionality does not work if you upload the receipt after you’ve added the line to a report.

How do I create an expense report?

We highly recommend using SSC’s report prep service – it saves time and greatly reduces the chance of your report being sent back! Submit this eForm, and SSC will draft a report and submit it to you for approval in the Emburse system.

To create your own report, follow these step-by-step instructions.

How much can I spend per person for a hosted event?

Business meal expenses, including non-alcoholic beverages, tax, and tip, should not exceed the maximum per person allowances of $30/breakfast, $30/lunch, and $70/dinner.

Expenses for alcoholic beverages are limited to $20 per person, per event, including tax and tip. Alcohol expenses typically cannot be charged to Sponsored funds. The “X” class box in Emburse must be checked for alcohol. Emburse will mark alcohol on a General Fund shortcode with a yellow flag, but you can proceed with submission as the Taubman approver will adjust it.

Can I claim mileage reimbursement in place of airfare?

A coach class comparison from CTP (through the online travel booking tool) at least 14 days in advance of the trip is required with the expense report submission. Mileage reimbursement is limited to the amount of the coach airfare.

What is my PCard limit, and can I increase it?

The typical monthly PCard limit is $5,000. The limit resets on the 15th of each month, regardless of whether you have unreconciled expenses in Emburse. Whenever you need a higher limit, submit a PCard Limit Increase e-form in advance (refer to PCard Maintenance) and add Megan Xu (xuyun@umich.edu) as the “Unit Approver”. Limit increases are processed on business days only and may take 1-3 business days. Please note that a flight booked through CTP doesn’t use your PCard limit.

Are there any items I cannot purchase with a PCard or OOP?

Unallowable items include services (see Buying Methods for other options); retail memberships (Sam’s Club, Amazon Prime); and rental car insurance (decline Loss/Damage Waivers). See the Restricted Purchases and Allowable/Unallowable Travel Expenses lists for more information. 

Where can I learn more about travel & expense requirements?  

• SPG 507.10-1, U-M’s Travel and Business Hosting Expense Policy, provides overall guidance for employees spending university funds for business travel and hosting.
• SSC’s Travel & Expense Resource Guide is a great starting point to find travel/expense resources. 
• The Expense Reporting page summarizes common questions on mileage, per-person hosting limits, receipt requirements, and best practices.
• The Procurement website features a chatbot to help with purchasing questions. 
• Also, check out our expense reporting tips below.

What are some tips to keep in mind when preparing an expense report?

Area	Tip
SSC Emburse Report Service	Use SSC’s prep service to save time and reduce errors. Submit the eForm and attach receipts/attendee lists, or link to a shared folder.
Avoid OOP Taxes & Delays	OOP (Out-of-Pocket) items are taxable after 60 days. Request a PCard by emailing taubmancollegefinance@umich.edu.
OOP Submission Timing	Submit OOP/mileage/per diem expenses within ~30 days after trip/event to allow time for corrections. OOP expenses cannot be submitted until completion.
Report Length/Shortcodes	Create shorter, separate reports by project/shortcode or for travel vs. supply to speed approval.
Hosting Limits	If you exceed per-person limits ($30 breakfast/lunch, $70 dinner, $20 alcohol), comment with an explanation for the approver.
Missing Receipts	Attach a missing receipt memo if receipt is lost/unavailable.
Correct Report Type	Select “Both Travel & Non-Travel” for combined expenses; travel expense types are not in “Non-Travel” reports.
Email Receipts	Email your eReceipts to receipt@ca1.chromeriver.com (or upload directly with the Emburse app). To email receipts to someone else’s profile, include their email in the subject line.
Amount Due Employee Check	Before submitting, check that the “Amount Due Employee” is $0 if all expenses are PCard/CTP; this ensures you are not inadvertently adding OOP reimbursement lines.
Lodging Errors	Use “Travel Room Deposit Pre-Paid” for pre-paid lodging (e.g. Airbnb) v. “Hotel Room Rate” for end-of-stay charges. Itemize room rate and tax by night.
Expense Types	Double check expense type for each line before submitting (e.g., Amazon defaults to “Book/Publication/Subscription”).
Alcohol	Itemize alcohol separately from food; alcohol is not permitted on most shortcodes—check with Finance team if unsure.
Receipt Gallery	Import eReceipts to your Receipt Gallery before adding to a report for automatic transcription of hotel room/tax rates and other details.
Help Guides	Emburse Knowledge Base; Expense Reporting page.