You can decide on a form-by-form basis if per diem rates for lodging and M&IE default onto the expense form. You also determine what happens when employees charge over the rates: do they split charges between allowable and unallowable costs, or does an error message force them to change the amount?
The table below describes how selecting an option other than Don't default per diem for either lodging or M&IE affects both pre-authorization requests and expense reports.
Note that although we explain per diem defaults for lodging and M&IE together due to the parallel processes, you do not have to make the same selection for both. For example, if you select a default per diem option for either lodging or M&IE, then the Edit Expense Report screen displays the Per Diem button. If, however, you select a default per diem option only for M&IE, then clicking Per Diem will fill in costs for the M&IE categories, but not for lodging.
|
In this type of expense form, for this option... |
e-xpense does the following... |
|
Pre-authorization request
|
When the employee clicks Itemize Cost, if s/he had entered a location code and travel date, then e-xpense defaults the per diem rate for each applicable M&IE and/or lodging category into the Cost Per Day/Unit column. e-xpense does not validate when the employee charges over the per diem rates. No error message appears if the employee changes the defaults, but the screen does note the changes. |
|
Expense report
|
e-xpense displays the location code, defaulting the code from the pre-authorization request if the employee entered one there. e-xpense displays a Per Diem button. If the employee clicks it, then e-xpense uses the combination of the travel date and location code to fill in the cost for each applicable M&IE and/or lodging category. If the employee enters the same date for more than one column, then e-xpense fills in only the first and leaves the rest blank. If the employee charges over the per diem rate, regardless of whether s/he had clicked Per Diem, then e-xpense moves the difference between the amount charged and the per diem rate to the Unallowable Cost field (Edit Expense Report screen) and to the Unallowable Amount field (Expense Detail screen). |
|
Expense report
|
e-xpense displays the location code, defaulting the code from the pre-authorization request if the employee entered one there. e-xpense displays a Per Diem button. If the employee clicks it, then e-xpense uses the combination of the travel date and location code to fill in the cost for each applicable M&IE and/or lodging category. If the employee enters the same date for more than one column, then e-xpense fills in only the first and leaves the rest blank. If the employee charges over the per diem rate, then e-xpense displays the following error message, regardless of whether the employee had clicked Per Diem. You charged over the per diem amount. For travel date <date>, <category> category, you entered <entered amount>. The maximum amount is <maximum amount>. |
|
Expense report
|
e-xpense displays the location code, defaulting the code from the pre-authorization request if the employee entered one there. It does not default per diem rates, so the employee must enter the actual amount charged. e-xpense uses the combination of the travel date and location code to validate each of the employee’s entries to an applicable M&IE and/or lodging category against the per diem rate. If the employee charges over the per diem rate, then e-xpense moves the difference between the amount charged and the per diem rate to the Unallowable Cost field (Edit Expense Report screen) and to the Unallowable Amount field (Expense Detail screen). |
Note: If the employee enters the same date for more than one column, then e-xpense validates the cost against the per diem rate only for the first column. For all additional columns, e-xpense automatically moves the cost to the Unallowable Amount field or tells the employee that s/he cannot overcharge, whichever is applicable.