As of July 1, 2025, the District will be processing all employee travel through Emburse Enterprise. 

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Before traveling on behalf of the District, please read LBCCD’s Administrative Procedure 7400 on Travel and Professional Conference Attendance. 

There are two parts to travel:

1. Pre-Approval Report: Submit a request through the Emburse Enterprise App at least 2 week prior to your travel dates. You are not authorized to travel until your Pre-Approval Report has been fully-approved.
2. Expense Report: Must be submitted within 5 business days after returning from your trip. No exceptions.

Note: Attending an online conference/webinar is not considered travel. No pre-approval is needed. Use the Online Conferences/Webinars/Courses Request for Payment Form or request reimbursement via the Revolving Cash Form.

 

Travel Pre-Approval Process

Step 1 - Collect supporting documentation/information and the account string(s) that will be funding the travel.
Step 2 – Using the Emburse Enterprises system, enter Pre-Approval Report for the estimated cost of each expense to be incurred during the travel and attach all required supporting documents.
Examples: 

• Detailed conference agenda
• Meeting communication (dates, location, costs, meal provisions)
• Estimated travel arrangements (airfare, hotel, car rental)
• Estimated reimbursable expenses (mileage, parking, shuttle, per diem)
• Funding account number

Step 3 – Submit the report for approval, and track its progress to ensure that it is fully approved in time for your travel. Fiscal Services  is the final approver. You will receive an email once the report approval is completed.

Once your travel has been approved:

• If you selected“Reimburse me later”: Email approval authorizes you to book your travel.
• If you selected “Emburse card”: You will receive a virtual credit card with a set dollar amount for approved expenses.

There are two options for travel arrangements

Option 1: Self-Pay

• Submit a Pre-Approval Report with the “Reimburse Me Later” option selected.
• One approved, make your own travel arrangements and pay upfront.
• Submit an Expense Report within 5 business days of returning from your trip.

Option 2 – District Pre-Payment (Emburse Card) 

• Submit a Pre-Approval Report with the “Emburse Card” option selected.
• One approved, make your own travel arrangements and pay upfront.
• Submit an Expense Report within 5 business days of returning from your trip.

Expenses that can be pre-paid by the District

1. Registration

• You must register yourself for the event.
• If the vendor does not accept credit cards, request a check by emailing fiscaltravel@lbcc.edu after your travel has been approved in Emburse.
• Required documents:
  • Registration confirmation
  • Conference agenda
  • Vendor name and mailing address

2. Airfare

• Must be tourist class, also called economy class.
• The District will not pay for:
  • Upgrades
  • Early boarding
  • Insurance
  • Business class
  • Preferred seating
• Use your legal name as shown on your California Driver’s License when booking.

3. Car Rental

• Use economy class
• Specify pickup location, pickup and return dates, and times

4. Lodging

• When booked using the Emburse card, request a Credit Card Authorization Form from the hotel
• Only authorized charges: room, taxes, and resort fees
• Ask the hotel to charge the card immediately to avoid issues at check-in

Note: A credit card authorization form allows a business to charge a customer’s card for goods and services when the physical card is not available or for a third party. The form can be an email link or a physical document. If you do not have access to a fax, you can use FaxZero.com.

Virtual Card Allowable Usage

These cards are intended strictly for business-related travel Prepaid expenses.

Allowable Purchases:

• Conference and event registration fees
• Airfare
• Hotel accommodations
• Car rentals
• Train and rail travel

Unallowable Purchases:

• Food and drink, including meals and grocery store purchases
• Rideshare services (e.g., Uber, Lyft), public transportation, and parking
• Fuel or gas station purchases

Please note that any use of the virtual card outside the allowable purchases is considered a violation of company policy. If any employee is found to have used the card for unallowable purchases, their pre-payment privileges may be removed, and they may be required to cover the cost of the unapproved expense personally. The employee may be required to pay out of pocket for future travel expenses and submit for reimbursement after returning for the trip. 

Expense Report Instructions

Submit your Expense Report in Emburse within 5 business days of returning.

Include:

• Receipts for each expense:
  • Registration
  • Flight
  • Car rental
  • Hotel folio
• Attach:
  • Registration confirmation
  • Flight and rental receipts
  • Hotel folio

The Travel Accountant is the final approver. Allow up to 2 weeks for reimbursement processing after submission and approval.

Frequently Asked Questions/FAQ

Q: What do I do if the per diem isn’t calculating correctly?

A: If it’s the first day of travel, your start time should be when you left your home or the college to begin the travel and the end of the day should be 23:30, to show you stayed in travel the rest of the day. The last day of travel, your start time should be 00:00 hrs. and your end time is when you return to the college or home. If it is not the first or the last day of travel, your travel time should start at 0 hrs. to 23:30 hrs. to represent a full day of travel. For each day you should check off the meals that are being provided by the event. (You may need to open the wizard to make edits the per diem) See example of a full day of travel:

Q: What start and end date should I put on the Emburse card request?

A: The Emburse card start date should be today’s date and the end date should be the last day of travel. This will activate the Emburse card as soon as the pre-approval is approved.

Q: What should I do if I’m going to be away and unable to approve request in Emburse?

A: If you’re going to be out of the office or unavailable, please assign a delegate to handle approvals during your absence. Choose a colleague with similar or higher responsibilities. 

Q: What can I use the virtual card for?

A: The virtual card is to be used only for approved pre-paid travel expenses, including:

• Conference and event registration fees
• Airfare- economy (no extra seat fees, upgrade seat or amenities, early boarding, no insurance)
• Hotel accommodations
• Car rentals
• Train or rail travel

Q: What types of purchases are not allowed?

• Food and drink, including meals, snacks, and grocery store purchases
• Rideshare services (e.g., Uber, Lyft), public transportation, and parking
• Fuel or gas station purchases

Q: What happens if I use the card for something unapproved?

A: If the virtual card is used for unallowable purchases:

• The employee may be required to reimburse the company for any unapproved charges made on the card
• Pre-payment privileges may be revoked
• The employee will be required to pay out of pocket for future travel expenses and submit for reimbursement after returning from the trip

Q: What if I need to increase the balance on my virtual card?

A: Email the budget administrator with your request, including the event name and the employee’s name, and be sure to CC: fiscaltravel@lbcc.edu . Include the information on which expense you need the increase for and the amount you need added. Once the budget administrator approves the request, the travel accountant will update and increase the card balance accordingly.

Q: How do I check the status of my pre-approval or expense report?

A: In Emburse, select your report and click the tracking button to view the approval status. You can see the current step where approval is pending and the name of the approver, by clicking on the step. To follow up, you’ll need to contact the approver directly.

Q: How do I make changes to my pre-approval after I submit it?

A: If the report is still pending, you can recall it to draft status and make any necessary changes before resubmitting. 

Q: How can I check the status of my reimbursement?

A: You can check the issue status by viewing the tracking information. Click on the tracking link and select an expense to see the exported date. If your expense report has an “Exported” status, it means the reimbursement has been issued and the check has been mailed to the home address on file.