Expense report guidelines

My company makes me pay everything on my credit card too (except airfare). Which is good for me because I earn miles, but bad for me because I also get reimbursed after interest is charged to my account (because of a long process of getting 3 signatures to approve it).

That said, my company is pretty good when it comes to expense report guidelines. We have $25 breakfast/$25 lunch/$50 dinner limits but for NY it can go up to $75 for dinner. Receipts need to be provided for anything over $25 but they prefer to see every single receipt. With hotels, I'm lucky because I'm forced to stay at the hotel where my meetings are taking place- usually Ritz Carlton, Hyatts, Westins, etc. We were provided a hotel pricing guideline but I've strayed from it many a times. Airfare- they prefer that we book one of the 2 least costly fares. However, with a manager's approval, we can book any flight (just not first class). They never fly us business or first (even international) but they said we can use our own miles to upgrade (nice of them, huh?).

Regarding the strict no-lunch policies, I've never heard of this until reading this thread. I guess I've been lucky. I can expense lunch at my home airport (when my office is only 5 miles away) but I only do this when the flight is 1 or 2pm. I also can expense lunch when I'm at other offices and I usually take a co-worker or two with me

We are provided a corporate AMEX. However we are responsible for timely submitting our expenses so we can be reimbursed. Our expense reimbursement is included on our twice monthly paycheck. If you file your expenses timely then you will be reimbursed in time for the due date on your AMEX bill.

Official policy is to use the Corp AMEX for all expenses but I only use it for air travel and rental cars. I have to use it for air travel because they have our corp AMEX numbers on file at the travel agency and we aren't given a choice and I know that our Corp AMEX covers some insurance with the rental car.

All other expenses go on my United Airlines VISA because I want UAL miles. I already have a pile of CO miles, AMEX MR points, SPG Points, and Hilton Honors points that I am now trying to "spread the wealth". Officially this is against policy but they don't say anything about this one.

Unfortunately we are required to put everything possible (basically everything but cabs & tolls) on our corporate credit cards. We're not as fortunate as what prncess674 said about them not saying anything about breaking policy on that...we definitely hear about it. We use Concur Expense, which then when exp. reports are processed generates the payment to our corporate card.

When I joined this huge multinational last year my boss told me I could make terrible decisions to screw up the business and all could be forgiven, but mess up an expense report and I'd be fired.

We are required to book through Business Travel International, and we are required to pay with the corp AmEx. I can have no loyalty to an airline. Just when I was getting comfortable with AA I've lately been forced onto US because their fares are slightly lower. I can choose my hotels. I eat well when I travel. No lunch problems or per diem for me, but they do not permit "entertaining" fellow employees when I visit another site. I can't expense a bar tab, but a couple drinks or wine with dinner is not a problem.

HR told me that if I followed this test all would be OK. So far so good.

My only real gripe is that we are required to submit expense reports through concur.com But this dramatically reduces receipts to submit. We must turn in all hotel folios, and anything over $25 if it was not paid with corp AmEx. I suppose in-room movies & mini-bar are not allowed, but I never buy them when I'm on personal travel.

Does anyone have a good resource for researching tipping protocols? As an American, I am used to tipping generously when I travel (taxi drivers, doormen, bellmen, chambermaids, wait staff, etc.), and although I don't mind erring on the side of over-tipping rather than under-tipping, I do like to know what the local customs are when I travel.