Required Elements of a Receipt and Proof of Payment

Elements of a Receipt

When submitting expenses for reimbursement, policy requires receipts to contain the following information:

  • Name of vendor or payee
  • Total amount paid (and currency paid in)
  • Date and time of purchase
  • Location of purchase (when applicable)
  • Itemized list of what was purchased
  • Any tax and/or gratuity that was paid
  • Method of payment (what form of payment was used)
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Method of Payment

Only US Dollar Sources Are Allowed

UCOP purchasing and reimbursement policies only allow the reimbursement of expenses that derive from US Dollar (or an equivalent currency) sources; this could be payment via cash (hard currency), a personal or cashier's check, or a credit card payment.

Methods of Payment Not Allowed Per Policy

  • Gift cards
  • Gift certificates
  • Vendor credits from a previous purchase
  • Reward points
  • Frequent flier miles
  • Any other non-cash source

Reimbursements That Involve a Credit From a Previous Purchase

For reimbursement requests that involve a credit from a previous purchase, you will need to provide proof of payment and documentation of the previous purchase that led to the credit being issued. If that cannot be provided, or if the method of payment is any of the non-cash sources listed above, the expense will be considered non-reimbursable.

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If No Receipt is Available

Credit Card or Bank Statement

In the event that a receipt for a business purchase lacks the method of payment (i.e., it does not state what method was used to pay the charges), please attach a redacted copy of a credit card or bank statement showing the origination of funds.

Obscuring and Redacting a Document

To properly redact a document, please be sure to obscure or remove any sensitive or confidential information, including:

  • Social Security Numbers
  • Credit card numbers (except the last four digits)
  • Debit card numbers (except the last four digits)
  • Credit or debit card security codes
  • Passwords, including access codes for financial institutions
  • Bank account numbers, including numbers encoded on the bottom of checks
  • Home addresses (UC Berkeley employees only)
  • Passport numbers
  • Driver's license numbers or other state identification card numbers
  • Date of birth information

The Adobe Acrobat 'Redact' tool is the recommended tool for redacting documents.

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Contact

Please email travel@berkeley.edu if you have questions about a receipt and/or proof of payment.