Meals Details Tab of the Add/Edit Expense Screen

Use the Details Tab to enter details about meals expenses.

Certain fields described below display only for per diem expenses.

Screen Fields

Field Description
Location

The Location field only displays if the Expense Report Type and Expense Type track multiple locations. Select the location from the drop-down list to which you are applying this portion of your car rental. When you select a location, Start Date, End Date and Comments (if you added any for the location) default.

View Per Diem Rates

Click Per Diem Rates to view per diem rates for this expense.

Expense Date

This table only displays for non per diem single day expenses.

To select a date for the expense, enter it manually, or select a date from the calendar that displays below the field. In the two-month view, the calendar displays the default month and date on the right and the previous month on the left. Click the arrows at the top of the calendar to change the month. The value you enter must be valid date format, which are numeric characters. The date format is "MM/DD/YYYY." The date you select automatically populates the Expense Date field.

This field is required regardless of the Expense Type selected and is non-editable for outstanding expenses.

Start Date (also referred to as Check-In Date)

To select the check-in date or start date for this expense, enter it manually, or select a date from the calendar that displays below the field. In the two-month view, the calendar displays the default month and date on the right and the previous month on the left. Click the arrows at the top of the calendar to change the month. The value you enter must be valid date format, which are numeric characters. The date format is "MM/DD/YYYY." The date you select automatically populates the Start Date field.

If the expense type selected combines meals and lodging, this field is titled Check-In Date.  For all other meals expense types, this field is Start Date. This field is non-editable if the expense is an outstanding expense.

End Date (also referred to as Check-Out Date)

This field displays only for per diem expense types.

To select a check-out or end date for this expense, enter it manually, or select a date from the calendar that displays below the field. In the two-month view, the calendar displays the default month and date on the left and the next month on the right. Click the arrows at the top of the calendar to navigate to a different month. The value you enter must be valid date format, which are numeric characters. The date format is "MM/DD/YYYY." The date you select automatically populates the End Date field.

If the expense type selected combines meals and lodging, this field is titled Check-Out Date. For all other meals expense types, this field is End Date. This field is non-editable if the expense is an outstanding expense.

First Day of Trip
Note: This option is available only for per diem expenses and if Allow Override of Trip Start/End Dates is selected in Expense Types.
Field Description

Select this option to override the expense report start date, which  may be desirable if you want meals for this day reimbursed at 75%.

When meal expenses are reimbursed on a per diem basis, first and last day meals are reimbursed at only 75%. This is because typically, breakfast is taken before the trip starts and dinner after it ends.

For reimbursement purposes, the First Day of Trip date is the same as the expense report start date. So, for example, if your expense report start date is March 1, meals for that day are reimbursed at 75%, since that is the first day of your trip.

If, however, your expense report covers a series of trips with time at home between them, you will potentially have several days reimbursable at the first-day-of-trip rate of 75%.

For example, let's say you're traveling from March 1 to March 31, but you plan to submit just one expense report for the entire period. After your first week of travel, you return home on Friday March 5 but leave again on Monday March 8.

In this case, even though March 8 is not the first day of your expense report, the meals should be reimbursed at 75%, because it is the first day of your next trip. However, the meals will be reimbursed at 100% unless you override the expense report start date.

If you select First Day of Trip for March 8, meals for that day are reimbursed at 75%.

On the other hand, if First Day of Trip is already selected and you qualify for full reimbursement of meals that day, clearing the check box would ensure that you are reimbursed at 100%.

Last Day of Trip  

This option is available only for per diem expenses and if Allow Override of Trip Start/End Dates is selected in Expense Types. Select this option to override the expense report end date, which  may be desirable if you want meals for this day reimbursed at 75%.

When meal expenses are reimbursed on a per diem basis, first and last day meals are reimbursed at only 75%. This is because typically, breakfast is taken before the trip starts and dinner after it ends.

For reimbursement purposes, the Last Day of Trip date is the same as the expense report end date. So, for example, if your expense report end date is March 31, meals for that day are reimbursed at 75%, since that is the last day of your trip.

If, however, your expense report covers a series of trips with time at home between them, you will potentially have several days that should be reimbursed at the last-day-of-trip rate of 75%

For example, say you're traveling from March 1 to March 31, but you plan to submit just one expense report for the entire period. After your first week of travel, you return home on March 5 but leave again on March 8.

In this case, even though March 8 is not the final day of your expense report, the meals should be reimbursed at 75%, because it is the last day of your current trip. However, the meals will be reimbursed at 100% unless you override the expense report end date.

If you select Last Day of Trip for March 5, meals for that day are reimbursed at 75%.

On the other hand, if Last Day of Trip is already selected and you qualify for full reimbursement of meals that day, clearing the check box would ensure that you are reimbursed at 100%.

Late Check Out

This option only displays for per diem expenses.

Select this check box if you checked out of the hotel after the required checkout time and were charged an extra night's stay. If you select this checkbox, the ceiling amount on the next page is increased by one day.

This check box displays only if the expense type selected combines meals and lodging.

Number of Days

The system calculates this field by subtracting the Check-In/Start Date from the Check-Out Date/End Date. The system uses this value to determine the "not to exceed" ceiling amount.

If the expense type selected combines meals and lodging, this field is titled Number of Nights.  For all other meals expense types, this field is Number of Days. If the Check-In/Start Date is the same as the Check-Out Date/End Date, the Number of Nights/Number of Days field will be "1."

Conference

This field displays only if the Meals Expense Type allows combining of the meals and lodging allowance.

Select Conference if the expense should be reimbursed at the adjustment percentage rate (for example, 125%), instead of the normal Per Diem Ceiling or Per Diem Allowance rate.

Provider

Use the drop-down box to select the provider used for this meals expense. This field displays only if the Provider check box is selected in the Required Fields group box in the Input Options tab of the Expense Types screen.

User Defined #1

The function and purpose of this field is determined by your system administrator. Typically, this field either displays as a drop-down menu, where you must select a pre-determined value, or it is an edit field, where you can directly enter the requested information. If validation attributes have been assigned to this field, you may possibly receive warning or error messages.

User Defined #2

The function and purpose of this field is determined by your system administrator. Typically, this field either displays as a drop-down menu, where you must select a pre-determined value, or it is an edit field, where you can directly enter the requested information. If validation attributes have been assigned to this field, you may possibly receive warning or error messages.

User Defined #3

The function and purpose of this field is determined by your system administrator. Typically, this field either displays as a drop-down menu, where you must select a pre-determined value, or it is an edit field, where you can directly enter the requested information. If validation attributes have been assigned to this field, you may possibly receive warning or error messages.

Meals Edit Table

This table only displays for non per diem   single day expenses.

The Meal Details tab displays an table that contains a breakout of the meals for the selected date, where you can add meal expense amounts for that day.

To enter a meal, select the check box next to the meal (for example, breakfast) that you want to enter. After the check box is selected, the amount field becomes editable.

Short Description

This field defaults a description of the expense type. It is used in the Description field of the AP Voucher and the information displayed in the field is determined by the configuration of the expense type. This field is non-editable and displays regardless of the expense type selected.

Comments

Use this optional field to enter any comments regarding this expense. This field is non-editable if the expense is an outstanding expense and the Comments have already been entered.

Cancel

Click Cancel to exit and return to the Claimed Expense(s) screen. This button does not display in the View mode.

Back

This button only displays in the Add mode. Click Back to return to the previous tab.

Continue

After completing fields on this tab, click Continue to advance to the next tab. This button does not display in the View mode.

Close

This button only displays in the View mode. Click Close to exit and return to the Claimed Expense(s) screen.

Reset

This button only displays in the Edit mode. Click Reset to clear any modifications you have made and return to the original data.

Meals Details Tab

Use the Meal Details tab to enter required and optional information about the expense. Certain fields described below display only for per diem expenses. These exceptions are noted.

Field Description
Currency

Use the drop-down box to select the currency used to pay for your expenses.

This field displays only if the expense report type selected has been configured to use multiple currencies (the Multicurrency check box is selected in the Expense Report Types screen) and is non-editable if the expense is an outstanding expense.

Meals Edit Table

The Meals Edit table contains a breakout of the meals that fall within the dates entered in the check-in/start date and the check-out/end date, where you can enter meal expense amounts.

To enter a meal, select the check box next to the meal (for example, breakfast) that you want to enter, or click Select All to select all the meal check boxes.

After the check box is selected, the Amount field becomes editable for non Per Diem expenses and Per Diem Ceiling expenses. The Amount field does not display for Per Diem Reimbursement expenses, because those amounts are predetermined.

For Per Diem meal expenses, employees traveling to more than one location in a single day would use two separate expenses (one per location because Per Diem rates could be different in these locations). In this case, the employee should clear the Incidental check box, so they are not reimbursed the Incidental portion of the Per Diem for both locations for one day.

If you enter an expense for a meal that you already submitted or if another user lists you as an attendee for a meal, the system displays a warning message and that meal will be unchecked.

Depending on configuration settings, the Unallowable and Personal columns also display in the Meals table. Select these check boxes to indicate that a meal amount is either unallowable or personal. The amounts entered in these columns also display on the Amounts tab, but the fields are un-editable. Amounts entered in Personal and Unallowable are used to calculate over-ceiling amounts.

Note: The Unallowable column only displays if Unallowable is selected on the Options tab of the Expense Types screen.
Recalculate

Click Recalculate to display the Per Diem, Deduction, and Reimbursable Expense amounts while on this screen. The fields are updated as follows:

  • Per Diem — If the expense type for this expense is Per Diem Reimbursement, the Per Diem amount was calculated based on the check boxes selected. If the expense type is Per Diem Ceiling or Non Per Diem, the amount that displays in Per Diem is based on entered amounts.
  • Deduction — The amount that displays in Deduction is calculated by subtracting any Personal amounts from the Per Diem amount.
  • Reimbursable Expense — The amount that displays in Reimbursable is calculated by subtracting the Total Deduction amounts from the Total Per Diem amount.
Cancel

Click Cancel to exit and return to the Claimed Expense(s) screen. This button does not display in the View mode.

Back

Click Back to return to the previous tab.

Continue

After completing fields on this tab, click Continue to advance to the next tab. This button does not display in the View mode.

Close

This button only displays in the View mode. Click Close to exit and return to the Claimed Expense(s) screen.

Reset

This button only displays in the Edit mode. Click Reset to clear any modifications you have made and return to the original data.