Tips and FAQs
PSFIN Expense Module Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: I have gone through the steps to enable my pagelet, but I can't access the Travel and Expense Home link? A: Once you enable your Travel and Expense pagelet, you must sign out and then sign back in to activate your pagelet.
- Q: How do I submit my travel authorization? A: Currently all travel authorizations are being handled outside the PSFIN Expense Module. This means you submit and obtain approval for travel using paper travel authorizations. We have updated the travel authorization form and it can be found on the travel website under “Forms”. We will begin using the electronic travel authorizations once a specific encumbrance problem is resolved.
- Q: When I enter meals for my departure or return date, it doesn't allow me the entire per diem amount, why? A: The system incorrectly prorates the allowed maximum limit for a meal based on the hour duration keyed into the start and end times on an Expense Report. Therefore, if an employee’s start and end times for a given day define a span of less than 24 hours, an employee will receive a lesser pro-rated amount than what they may be entitled to. This problem should be corrected in the first update release later this year. Until then, the workaround is as follows: The traveler would enter the actual amount that he/she is entitled to based on the per diem amount. An explanation would need to be entered to justify why an amount exceeded the amount that the system identified as the allowable amount.
- Q: I am trying to enter an expense report for the first time but I'm receiving an error message about a budget reference. What does this mean? A: When trying to enter an expense report for the first time, you may receive a warning message about the budget reference being blank on the user profile. As part of the initial set-up, you must go in and ensure your account number and current budget year (2009) is entered into your profiles and preferences. This can be found on the organizational tab under the employees profile and preferences.
- Q: I'm an approver and received an email that I have something in my worklist to approve. However, when I click on the link, it doesn't go to the self service worklist? A: Approvers will receive an email notification each time a transaction is submitted to their worklist. There is a link embedded into the email that is supposed to take you to the self service portal to access your worklist. This link is not directing you to the proper location. We have requested that this problem be corrected but until that time, you will need to log directly into self service to access your worklist.
- Q: What business purpose do I use if I am traveling to a location to pick up a speaker or candidate? A: You should use the new business purpose that was added called "Provided Transportation."
- Q: What start/end times do I enter for the meal expense? A: The purpose of the start and end times under the meal detail link is to determine the eligible meal per diem. The traveler should enter their departure and return times. If overnight travel is incurred, the start time would be 12:00 am and the end time would be 11:59 pm for full days of travel. On the departure and return day, the start and end time should be your actual time you departed or returned to campus or home.
- Q: What is the default location under the General Information section? A: This should be your destination location.
- Q: Are automobile tag numbers still required to be entered on the expense report? A: No, there is no field for this information.
- Q: How do I search for my destination location? A: You must enter the first two letters of the appropriate state and click on the lookup button. This will search for all locations within that particular state.
- Q: Why is my transaction failing budget check when I know that I have sufficient funds? A: Your transaction may not have a full account number. If you did not enter your program and class code in your user defaults, it must be entered in the Expense Report. Be sure that you have the correct account number entered in your accounting defaults for the expense report or on each accounting expense line.
- Q: My home address is in Alabama however under Setup Reimbursement Options I have a campus address for my home address. The system won't let me update my home address to Alabama, why? A: The home address must be in the State of Georgia for tax purposes. You can leave the address as the campus address.
- Q: In modify user defaults, do I select Frequent User or Occasional User? A: All travelers are considered occasional users.
- Q: As a traveler, can I see whether or not my expense report has passed budget checking? A: The traveler will not be able to see the status on his/her expense report. However, an approver can see whether or not the transaction has passed budget checking.
- Q: How do I enter an expense report that is to be charged to an agency account? A: There are two new expense types that have been added. They are called Agency - Travel and Agency - Other. If you need to charge something to an agency account, please select one of these account types. The fund (60000) and account code (241100) should automatically default in when these expense types are selected. If a program or class code has defaulted into the account number, be sure to delete those numbers. You do need to enter a description of the item being reimbursed in the description field on each expense type line detail.
- Q: What location do I select if I can't find my city in the location lookup? A: For locations within the state of Georgia, please look for the county where your destination or origination city is located. You may choose the appropriate county and enter the exact city in the Description box on your expense report. We have recently added all of the counties in the state of Georgia. For locations outside of Georgia, we will be adding an "Other" location for all states. This location should be used if you don't see your specific city in the look up table. This "Other" location will have the proper meal per diem amounts for those cities that are not considered high cost locations within that state.
- Q: Why do I see multiple names for the individuals who have set me up as a delegate? A: Many of you who have been set up as a delegate for other travelers are seeing the names of those travelers appearing multiple times. The name will appear for each data row that is in self service. Therefore, you may see it two, three or even more times. Please choose the first entry for a particular person when you are entering on their behalf.
- Q: What amount do I enter on my travel authorization for requesting a prepaid airline ticket, an estimate or an exact amount? A: If submitting a travel authorization to West Ga Travel for a prepaid airline ticket, please remember to include an estimated "not to exceed" amount on your travel authorization. West Ga Travel will be able to book a ticket up to the amount on the travel authorization but they can't exceed the amount that is stated.
- Q: I have entered my fund and budget reference on the organizational tab of my profile, but when I save the transaction, it shows a row without this information populated? Did it accept my information? A: Not yet it hasn't (but soon will with a couple more entries). Some employees have multiple rows. Some of these rows may even show a status of "terminated." These are inactive rows but they still must be populated with a Fund and Budget Reference. The fund should be the fund number from which your salary is paid. For the Budget Reference field, enter 2009 for all rows displayed. Then save your data. If it doesn't pop up with another error message, or data row, it saved the data.
- Q: I've entered my expense report electronically, what do I do now? A: Your expense report will route electronically for approvals. You should print a copy of the expense report. You can do this by clicking on the Printable View link while you are in your expense report. This will open up another window where your expense report will be displayed. To print from this window be sure to click on the print icon within this window's tool bar. After the report is printed, please sign it as the traveler, attach your receipts and your travel authorization and forward it to the Controller's office. If the expense report is to be charged to a grant, please forward your paper documentation and receipts to the Office of Sponsored Operations.
- Q: I've clicked on my Travel and Expense Home icon and I receive an Oracle sign in page, what do I do? A: Most likely, you need to clear your cache within your internet browser. Your web browser remembers previous screens, certain images and pictures and will not show the user the correct screen until the cache has been cleared. If you do not know how to clear your cache, please contact the IT helpdesk or PeopleSoft end user support for instructions and assistance.
- Q: The mileage expense types contain three different types, Auto Mileage Tier 1, Auto Mileage Tier 2 and Auto Mileage Tier 3. Which one do I use? A: The auto mileage tiers relate to whether or not your personal vehicle was the most cost advantageous form of travel. If you performed a cost comparison of a fleet vehicle, rental car and your personal vehicle and your personal vehicle is the most cost advantageous, you may be reimbursed at the Tier 1 rate. If your personal vehicle was not the most cost advantageous but you decided to drive it anyway, you will be reimbursed at the Tier 2 rate. If you have a state vehicle assigned to you and you choose to drive your own personal vehicle, you will be reimbursed at the Tier 3 rate.
- Q: What do I select if I can't find my business purpose? A: We have added a business purpose called "Other Business Purpose." You may select this if you do not find an appropriate business purpose in the drop down list. If this business purpose is selected, a detailed description of the purpose of travel is required in the comments section of the expense report.
- Q: What can the expense types labeled as "Team/Group" be used for? A: These expense types can be used if an employee is being reimbursed for expenses incurred for a team or a group. If these expense types are used, specific details (including name of individual(s) and the group name) should be included in the comments section of the expense report or on a separate document submitted with the expense report.
- Q: I am traveling to multiple locations within a day, do I need to submit these on separate expense lines? A: Yes, each mileage expense line should contain the exact origination and destination location for each of your stops. For example, if you travel from Carrollton to Douglasville for a meeting and then to Atlanta for another meeting and then return to Carrollton all within the same day, you should report an Expense line for mileage from Carrollton to Douglasville; from Douglasville to Atlanta; and from Atlanta back to Carrollton.
- Q: I am trying to approve an expense report and am getting an error message that says "Errors exist on the expense report and the errors must be corrected prior to approving the expense report." Also, my date field is highlighted in red. How can I approve this transaction? A: This error means that a transaction has an accounting date in a prior accounting month and the transaction cannot be approved until a date within the current accounting month is used. Please change the accounting date to the current date and you can approve the transaction.
- Q: I have received a transaction to approve but I need to make changes to it. Is this possible? A: Yes, you can either send the transaction back to the traveler to make the changes or, as the approver, you have the ability to also make the necessary changes.
- Q: I have forgotten my self service password, can I reset it? A: If you have set your "forgotten password help" question, you will be able to reset your own password. If you enter your password once or twice and do not successfully login, go ahead and reset your password. Entering your password incorrectly multiple times will lock your account and it will have to be unlocked by a system administrator.
