Travel Policy Updates Coming Jan. 1 (More details to come)

Guest Traveler

Our Guest Traveler program, designed to accommodate a diverse range of individuals. Our services extend to guests including, but not limited to, recruitments, donors, and volunteers. Please note that our guest category does not encompass vendors, such as independent contractors or guest lecturers, who provide services or goods in exchange for payment.

In our continuous efforts to provide streamlined and efficient services, Poly Travel enables admins to book and manage expenses on behalf of our guest travelers. This ensures a smooth, worry-free travel experience from start to finish.


Before embarking on your journey as a Guest Traveler with Poly Travel, we kindly ask you to:

View Process

Travel Updates

Guest Traveler

Steps for Guest Travel

Step 1. - Add guest to our systems

Fill out the Non-Employee Travel Vendor Add Form to add guest to our systems

  • This will allow you to book and expense on their behalf in Concur and pay them for their out-of-pocket expenses
Non-Employee Travel Vendor Add Form

Step 2. - Receive confirmation

Receive confirmation guest is in system; you can now book and expense on their behalf

Step 3. - Book on behalf of guest

Department can now book on behalf of the guest traveler and have the university pay majority of their expenses. See matrix below.

In the event, the guest prefers to book and pay for their own travel, they may do so. See expense for more details including what is allowed.

Expense Type How to Book How to Pay
Hotel Concur Concur Travel Card
Airfare Concur Concur*
Car Rental Guest - Self Book & Pay Reimbursement through Concur Expense Report
* Airfare transactions will automatically appear in booking admin's list of expenses in Concur

Step 4. - Expense

Only 1 expense report allowed for each guest trip

Best practice is for the university to pay directly for airfare, hotel and car rental expenses. Guest may pay out of pocket and be reimbursed only after travel is completed. A check will be issued upon process of expense report and mailed to guest.

Concur has specific expense types for guest travel, only these should be used for guest travel expense reports. See list below and guest travel policy for maximum limits for each expense category.

  • Employee Recruitment/Interview
  • Airfare Employee Recruitment
  • Airline Fees Employee Recruitment
  • Car Rental Employee Recruitment
  • Car Rental Fuel Employee Recruitment
  • Ground Transportation Employee Recruitment
  • Hotel/Lodging Employee Recruitment
  • Hotel/Lodging Tax Employee Recruitment
  • Incidentals Employee Recruitment
  • Meals Employee Recruitment
  • Parking & Tolls Employee Recruitment
  • Personal Car Mileage Employee Recruitment
  • Personal Car Mileage Reduction Employee Recruitment

Please note, personal car mileage may NOT be the most cost-effective way to travel to San Luis Obispo, please compare all transportation options.

Guest Indirect Expenses - must follow hospitality policy

The below expenses shall follow the hospitality policy and process and expense by cardholder.

  • Hosted meal
  • Promotional Item/ college branded items/ “swag”

  • I need a Concur travel card

    The Concur Travel Card is the preferred method of payment for travel expenses.

    Concur Travel Card Application
    • Step 1. Fill out application
    • Step 2. Submit approved application to polytravel@calpoly.edu
    • Step 3. Receive card and training (at the same time)
    • Step 4. Sign Acknowledgement form
    • Step 5. Activate card
    • Step 6. Load card information in Concur profile
    • Step 7. Use Concur Travel Card during your business travel
    • Step 8. For revisions to your Concur card, fill out Revision Request Form (cardholder initiated); OR
    • Step 9. For Administrator's pre-filling revisions to Concur cards, fill out Revision Request Form (Pre-filled)

    The travel card is secure and convenient:

    • Cal Poly pays travel vendors directly
    • Charges feed right into Concur within a day or two of transaction
    • No additional reconciliation process, it automatically occurs during expensing process
    • Visibility to all your expenses in the Concur mobile app or online tool
    • Does not affect the cardholder's personal credit
    • Adjustable limits - overall or for a specific time frame
    • Travel insurance: $500,000 common carrier travel insurance for travel purchased for any scheduled air, land, or water conveyance (licensed for the transport of passengers for hire)
    • Fraud protection
    • Now, all individual hosted hospitality, regardless of location, can be paid via this card (local or while traveling)
  • I need to add a guest to book or expense on their behalf

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  • I need the credit card authorization form to book a local hotel for guest

    Guest hotel booking process, including the credit card authorization form is located here: https://afd.calpoly.edu/procure-to-pay/how-to-buy/events/hotels

Please start your travel process with the International Center for international travel with students.