For the über-Road Warriors - those who spend their lives on the road

Part 1: Receipts

Ask for receipts!
Keep your receipts!

I heard that a lot from the guys over at the Administration Department when I was a newbie business traveller.  Forgetting to ask for receipts and misplacing receipts are common mistakes made by a lot, even by those who have been travelling for years.

It’s a lesson which one quickly learns. After all, who would want to pay reimbursable travel expenditures out of one’s own pockets?!

What is my practice now?

Even if I am not sure if it is reimbursable or not (as per our company’s policy), I ask for the receipt anyway.  I even carry around a small clear envelope which I use to keep all the receipts that I have.  After the trip, I sort it all out and clarify with the powers that be at the Admin Department which ones the company can reimburse and which ones are considered personal expense.

I have also been using my credit card whenever possible. That way, if and when I do lose receipts, I have a back-up in the form of my credit card statement.

Some companies may have different policies regarding receipts. Some are strict and some aren’t.  Basically, general rules governing receipts are similar to this.

If you have all your receipts, you are guaranteed to get all your money back in a timely manner.  It helps a lot, especially if -- like some travellers -- you are not really looking forward to doing your travel expense reports.

Next...

Part 2:  What are the reimbursable travel expenditures?
Part 3:  How to file your travel expense report