The process for submitting a travel expense report and request for reimbursement involves multiple steps and handoffs. While processes may vary slightly between campus departments, at a high level, those reimbursement steps are:
- After the trip – collect documentation (receipts, itinerary)
- Employees submit an expense report in the travel reimbursement system. Guests and students contact the sponsoring department for assistance.
- Scan all records and backup documentation into a pdf and submit
- Travel transaction preparers and approvers review the information and process the request in the travel reimbursement system (TRV, for short).
- Traveler receives reimbursement payment, typically within 10 business days
Many travelers have requested greater visibility into what happens at step 5.
The TRV system is available for employee-travelers to track the status of their reimbursement requests once it has been entered into TRV.
Go to https://reimburse.berkeley.edu/; login with CalNet; select Track Your Travel Reports.
A grid will display your Travel Expense Reports that have been entered in the system. The most recent report will be listed first.
Click Track: To view a summary of the report and to track the status of the reimbursement request
Click View: To view details on the travel expense report (the bar-coded page)
Selecting 'Track' will display a summary of that expense report. Refer to the 'Report History' section. If the display is a list of dates, the transaction is in process or completed:
If Report History states “Report is not yet submitted” it is at the first step of being processed.
Monitor the actions in Report History:
If the status is: |
It means: |
Next action: |
Typical # of business days in this status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Report is not yet submitted |
The Preparer is still working on it |
The Preparer may be waiting for additional information. When complete, the Preparer will submit the transaction to the Reviewer/Approver. |
3-5 |
|
Date Sent to Reviewer |
The Preparer finished entering the report and moved it to the Reviewer/Approver for review. |
The Reviewer/Approver needs to review the transaction for policy compliance, completeness and funding allowability. The Reviewer/Approver must okay the transaction in the TRV system. |
1-3 |
|
Date Reviewer Approved |
The Reviewer/Approver examined the transaction and approved it for payment. |
The Reviewer/Approver needs to submit via fax or email any required receipts and/or backup documentation to the TRV system. |
1-2 |
|
Date Paper Work In |
The barcoded expense report and any supplemental backup pages were submitted by the Reviewer/Approver to the TRV system via fax or email. The system used the bar-code on the cover page to automatically attach the documents to the report. |
Based on business rules, the system will route the transaction for further review by Accounts Payable/Travel. |
1-3 |
|
Date Travel Approved |
The Accounts Payable/Travel office has cleared the transaction for payment |
The payment transaction is interfaced to BFS where it will be identified automatically for processing via EFT or paper check. An email is sent by the TRV system to the traveler as notification that a payment is in process. |
1-2 |
|
Date BFS Paid |
The payment has been issued to the traveler. |
Traveler receives payment in his/her bank account or in a check mailed to his/her home address. |
End. Allow 3-5 days for payment to be received. |
|
Date Reviewer Rejected |
The Reviewer/Approver returned the transaction to the Preparer for correction or additional information. |
The Preparer revised the report and re-submits. |
1-3 |