Business Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 95: Travel

BPPM 95.04

For more information contact:
   Travel Services
   509-335-2034

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Overview

University departments should use Central Travel Accounts (CTAs) to purchase airline, rail, and bus transportation for University travelers. CTAs are used to purchase only airline, rail, and bus transportation. CTAs are managed and maintained at the departmental level. Each department uses Workday to view and reconcile CTA activity. (See the Workday Create and View Expense Report reference guide for CTA reconciliation instructions.)

CTAs are charge accounts with a private financial organization. This organization also issues travel charge cards. See BPPM 95.03 for information about travel charge cards.

Application

CTA Application Process

To establish a CTA, contact Travel Services; telephone 509-335-2034.

CTA Users

After Travel Services trains the departmental CTA user, the CTA custodian security role is assigned to the employee. (See BPPM 85.33 regarding Workday security roles.)

Notifying Travel Agency

For internal control purposes, Travel Services recommends that the department send a memorandum to the travel agency indicating the names of no more than three departmental employees who will make purchases using the CTA number(s). The memorandum indicates the account number of the applicable CTA. The department retains a copy of this memorandum.

The employing department sends a replacement memorandum when an employee terminates employment, changes departments, or changes responsibilities. The memorandum lists all individuals who are authorized to purchase tickets with the CTA. The department retains a copy.

Using a CTA

Authorization

Before purchasing a ticket with a CTA, an authorized University official must approve the travel plan (see BPPM 95.01 and 95.05).

Allowable Use

Authorized departmental personnel use CTAs to purchase airline, rail, and bus tickets for official University travel.

Expenditures for unofficial travel that constitutes an incidental or minimal portion of an official trip may be included in the total travel package purchased with a CTA. The traveler is responsible for promptly reimbursing the University for unofficial travel. The traveler writes a check payable to WSU. The department deposits the check as a recovery of the original expenditure. See BPPM 30.53 for deposit procedures.

Purchasing Tickets

To purchase a ticket, a CTA user provides the travel agent with their name, the CTA number, the name of the traveler, and necessary travel information.

Online or Telephone Purchases

An authorized CTA user can use the web or telephone to purchase tickets directly from an airline. The user must contact the airline through the official airline website or the official airline reservations telephone number. The CTA user enters the CTA number as a credit card number.

Logging the Transaction

Travel Services requires that each CTA ticket transaction be logged. The department must log each transaction by entering the CTA transactions in an Expense Report. (See the Workday Assigning Central Travel Card Transactions in Expense Report reference guide for instructions.)

Authorizing Payment

The department is responsible for reconciling and authorizing payment of CTA expenditures in Workday. The department performs the online reconciliation each day during periods of CTA activity. (See the Workday Assigning Central Travel Card Transactions in Expense Report reference guide for instructions.)

Review

Departmental personnel compare the charges in Workday with the receipts noted at the time of purchase.

Corrections

If departmental personnel find discrepancies, they contact the financial organization directly to correct billings. The financial organization provides a toll-free telephone number.

Code Charges

Using Workday, departmental personnel code each transaction with applicable Foundation Data Model (FDM) worktags.

Travel Services

Travel Services pays all reviewed CTA transactions, enters the expenditures into the University’s financial system and initiates payment to the bank.

Monthly Statement

Once a month, the bank sends a CTA statement directly to the department.

A departmental employee compares the CTA statement with the Workday entries, CTA Log Sheet, and receipts to ensure that all charges are appropriate.

Records Retention

The department is responsible for retaining the monthly statement for six years after the end of the current fiscal year. See BPPM 90.01 for records retention schedules and procedures.

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Revisions:  January 2021 (Rev. 560); June 2014 (Rev. 434); Apr. 2001 (Rev. 378); Dec. 2004 (Rev. 252); July 2003 (Rev. 233); Mar. 2002 (Rev. 203); May 2000 (Rev. 162); Aug. 1999 (Rev. 147); July 1995 (Rev. 97); July 1992 (Rev. 90); Jan. 1992 – new policy (Rev. 88).