Home / Staff Toolbox Home / Travel / CTE Instructions

Corporate Travel and Entertainment (CTE) Card Reconciliation Process

  • All CTE transactions should be reconciled via CruzFly.
  • Cardholders will reconcile their credit card transactions on a consistent basis. Reconciliations are due 30 days after each statement becomes available. Failure to submit reconciliations within 60 days of the statement date with no clear plan in place to submit will result in suspension of the card. Unreconciled charges are considered a cash advance and may be reported to Payroll as taxable compensation in accordance with UC travel policy timely submission requirements.
    • Set up expense reports in CruzFly based on trip (travel or student travel) or Entertainment.
    • Please submit only the required receipts with your CTE Reconciliation.  CruzFly will warn you when a receipt is required for the transaction.  Most travel receipts under $75 are not required.
    • Allowed purchases:
      • Airfare and baggage fees
      • Conference registration and participation fees
      • Meals
        • Food for people not traveling (when you buy food for activities occurring in Santa Cruz) this is considered Entertainment and should be coded as such.
        • Food when you host someone for a meal while you are on travel status is considered Entertainment and should be coded as such.
        • Meals for travelers (Meals & Incidentals = $62 max per person per day - no exceptions allowed)
      • Ground Transportation
        • Rental cars and vans - use UC contracted vendors when possible - Insurance is not reimbursable no matter how paid and won’t be included if using a UC-contracted vendor
        • Fuel for rental vehicles
        • Uber, Lyft or taxi services
        • Train fares
      • Incidentals while traveling - Incidentals are defined as tips for porters and hotel maids (Meals & Incidentals = $62 max per person per day - no exceptions allowed).  Pay in cash and request reimbursement through the card reconciliation process.
      • Lodging - use UC contracted vendors if possible to receive UC contracted rates.  UC-contracted vendor hotels can book any number of rooms.
      • Memberships - (e.g.: memberships to professional organizations or scoring services annual memberships).
      • Parking and Tolls- local off-campus parking for business  purposes is considered in-state travel.
      • Registration fees for contests, greens fees, or similar.
      • Supply-type items when it is not possible to use CruzBuy and purchase in advance of a trip-supply items purchased while on travel status (under $75) are considered miscellaneous travel expenses and therefore no receipt is required. If supply items are purchased while not on travel status, receipts are required no matter the amount.
    • Prohibited CTE purchases:
      • Airline upgrades, early check-in, or club fees
      • Gas purchased for a personal vehicle
      • Insurance fees for rental vehicle 
      • Optional resort fees and other lodging expenses of a personal nature
      • Alcohol purchased with Federal or State funds (19xxx)
      • Charter/Bus Transportation - use CruzBuy
      • Services - use CruzBuy
      • Separate travel insurance - Travel insurance is available to all UC employees on business travel and to students on travel status free of charge. 
  • The easiest way to obtain it is to use Connexxus. If the UC traveler uses the preferred Connexxus suppliers/booking agents (including BCD, UC Travel Center, Shorts, Airbnb, STA and Anthony), the trip is automatically registered/insured.
  • However, if the UC traveler, uses a non-preferred supplier (including Southwest) they then have to take the manual step of insuring themselves by registering their trip through this UCOP link, which is free but an added step to the process. 
  • More detailed information is available on the Risk Services website. Specifically check out the travel benefit summaries. The benefits are extensive.
Contact Cristen Babik, A&R Business Operations Manager with questions (cbabik@ucsc.edu) - We are keeping this document up to date with information that is verified through the Financial Affairs Accounting Office until such time as they post a version centrally.