Faculty and Staff

Travel Event Planner (TEP) Card Overview

Last updated September 24, 2009 1:35:15 PM PDT
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Learn about UCSD’s Travel Event Planner (TEP) card program.

UCSD’s TEP card is a Visa card issued by U.S. Bank to employees who coordinate group travel,conferences, or activities for UCSD. With a TEP card, you have a single method of payment forvendors and your department can better control event expenses.

See the following TEP card topics:

Getting started

TEP cards are issued on an individual basis at the UCSD Travel Card Program Administrator's discretion.

To request a TEP card, Department Business Officers (DBOs) must send an e-mail to travelcard@ucsd.edu with the following information:

  • Event's description
  • Event's business purpose
  • Expected expenses (e.g., meeting room rental, catering, etc.)
  • Event budget and requested monthly spending limits

If your request fits the TEP card guidelines, you'll receive an application from the Travel Card Team. Submit your completed application and allow up to 2 weeks for delivery of your TEP card.

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Restrictions

Vendor contracts and insurance requirements apply and must follow UC policy, including review by the appropriate Procurement and Contracts specialist, when necessary. Certain purchases, including personal services, are restricted.

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Roles and responsibilities

  • UCSD is responsible for making prompt payments to U.S. Bank.
  • Department Business Officers (DBOs) are responsible for managing proper use of the TEP card, charges to UCSD funds, and liabilities.
  • Cardholders are responsible for ensuring proper use of the card.

For specific details, see TEP Card Roles.

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Reconciling transactions

Take the following actions to reconcile TEP card transactions:

  1. Review transactions.
    • Each TEP card is assigned a default index and account.
    • DBOs or transaction reviewers can change an account code and index, or split transaction amounts between other indexes and accounts before the transaction posts. See ECManager: Reviewing TEP Card Expenses.
  2. Dispute any inaccurate charges.
    • For charge disputes, contact the merchant directly. If unable to resolve the error, file a formal dispute online with U.S. Bank within 60 days of the disputed item's transaction date for any of the following reasons:
      • Unauthorized charge appears on a statement
      • A merchant will not credit duplicate or incorrect charges
      • Billed for services never received

      Note: You must register your card for online services before filing an online dispute.
      U.S. Bank will then take these actions on your behalf:
      • Work with the vendor to determine if the charge is valid
      • Contact you if further information is required
      • Make adjustments to your account, when necessary

      Disputed amounts post to your department's index until research is completed. If the dispute is valid, your account is adjusted accordingly.
  3. Complete the TEP Reconciliation Form (TEP-RF) (Excel).
  4. Retain records.
    • The department is responsible for retaining all TEP-RFs, original itemized receipts, and participant or guest lists for 5 years, and providing copies within 10 days when requested during a post audit.
  5. View posted transactions.
    • TEP Card transactions post to the operating ledger 10 days after they're received from the bank. View a list of posted transactions by accessing the operating ledger in FinancialLink.

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Post audit

UCSD Travel Card conducts post audits of the TEP-RF to ensure that departments are following program responsibilities and using TEP cards appropriately. Departments must respond to TEP audit requests within 10 days.

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Queries

You can research the following using FinancialLink Queries:

  • Travel Event Planner Cardholder
  • Travel Event Planner Transaction

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For more information, call Chrissy Smith, (858) 534-8419, or Leah Negrete, (858) 822-0652, or e-mail travelcard@ucsd.edu.

Notice: UCSD travel policy, as published in Blink, is decisive. It has been adapted to UCSD's organization, delegation of authority, terminology, chart of accounts, and processing applications. The source for UCSD travel policy is UC Travel Policy and Regulations.

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