Jason’s Guide to Spend Authorizations

Creating a Spend Authorization

1. In Workday, click in the search bar at the top of the screen and enter, “Create Spend Authorization”
2. Select the “Create Spend Authorization” Task
3. This will bring up the Spend Authorization screen
4. Set the Start Date to the day you plan to leave for the trip
5. Set the End Date to the day you plan to return from the trip
   1. Note: Spend Authorizations MUST be completed and approved before you start your trip per WSU Policy, and to receive insurance coverage from WSU for the business trip. Failure to submit a Spend Authorization may impact your ability to receive reimbursement for travel expenses.
6. In the Description box, enter the reason you are travelling. For example, you might enter, “Attending 2023 IMS Conference” or “Attending CDADIC Summer Meeting”
7. Click in the Business Purpose box, and select the item that best matches the purpose of your trip
   1. If you are requesting purchase of conference registration that you will be attending remotely (without travel), submit a requisition to your department instead
8. In the Justification box, enter the reason you are traveling, how it will support WSU and the project you are working on, and the destination you will be travelling to (for example, “Travelling to San Diego to present research at IMS Conference and learn about others’ research in the field”)

Adding Spend Authorization Lines

1. To add a Spend Authorization line, click the “Add” button in the middle left of the screen. This will start a list on the left side of the screen, that you may click through to edit the different lines. To delete a line, click the small trash can next to the words “Spend Authorization Line” at the top of the section
2. Search in the Expense Item box for the category that you wish to add and enter the anticipated quantities and costs, according to the list in item 15 below
3. Do not adjust the Budget Date for the items, it should stay as the first day of your travel
4. In the Memo box for each item, enter a short description that provides the details of the expense, for example “Flights from Pullman to Seattle and back” or “3-night hotel stay in Denver”
5. Each item MUST have a Worktag (budget number) entered
   1. This is NOT the ORSO or Award (AWD###) number, these are instead the grant, program, project, or gift numbers that are given as a part of the Awards
      1. Project numbers begin with the letters “PJ” followed by a number string
      2. Program numbers begin with the letters “PG” followed by a number string
      3. Gift numbers begin with the letters “GF” followed by a number string
      4. Grant numbers begin with the letters “GR” followed by a number string
   2. Please contact the EECS Front Office if you are unsure of which number to use
6. Once you finish adding the details and budget, click on the Add button in the middle left side of the screen to add a new Spend Authorization line. Do not click Submit until you are done!
7. Below are a list of common Expense Items and a description of how to add them properly:
   1. Air Transportation (In-State, Out-of-State, Foreign) – This is the total cost of airfare for your trip, including flights to and from your destination, and any fees. If the airports you are flying between are both in the State of Washington, use the “In-State…” item. If one or more of the airports are in another U.S. State, use the “Out-of-State…” item. If one or more of your airports is outside of the United States, use the “Foreign…” item.
      1. Notes on Air Transportation: You must use economy class unless you have prior approval from your department. If you are flying outside of the United States, your trip must adhere to the Fly America Act. Do not use the “Air Transportation Fee” item.
   2. Per Diem Lodging (In-State, Out-of-State, Foreign) – This is the total cost of lodging you expect to spend. If the lodging location is in the State of Washington, use the “In-State…” item. If it is in another U.S. State, use the “Out-of-State…” item. If it is outside of the United States, use the “Foreign…” item. You must enter a destination on the right side of the screen for each place you are intending to stay, and so there should be one expense item for each destination, e.g. “In-State…” for a night in Seattle, then “Out-of-State…” for nights in Chicago, etc.
      1. Notes on Lodging: Do not use “Lump Sum Lodging” items. Do not use expense items starting with “z – …,” these items are for expense report itemization ONLY. Per Diem rates can be found on the Payment Services website (not including taxes) and while it is possible to go up to 150% of these rates with exceptions, it is safest to stay below these prescribed rates.
   3. Per Diem Meals (In-State, Out-of-State, Foreign) – This is the total cost of meals you expect to spend. Meals are reimbursed at a per diem rate based on the ultimate destination, but you will still need to enter an estimate and destination. You do not need to break this up by destination for Spend Auths, but if you expect to eat any meals out of state or in a foreign country, then the whole item should be “Out-of-State…” or “Foreign…,” respectively.
      1. Notes on Meals: As mentioned prior, meals are reimbursed at a per diem rate, which can be found on the Payment Services website. This rate is expected to cover the costs of regular meals and misc. snack and drink purchases. When you complete the Expense Report, you will be asked for your start and end times of travel and then select which meals you provided. Do not use expense items starting with “z – …,” these items are for expense report itemization ONLY.
   4. Other Expenses (In-State, Out-of-State, Foreign) – This Expense Item is for travel costs or expenses not included in the other lines and should be broken up by whether the expense was in-state, out-of-state, or in a foreign country. This may include Uber, Lyft, taxi fares, public transportation fares, parking fees, rental car rates, etc.
   5. Private Automobile Mileage (In-State, Out-of-State, Foreign) – Should be used if you plan to drive your private car on your trip (for example, to the Spokane Airport), and is reimbursed on a per mile basis. This is expected to cover wear and tear and gas costs and is $0.65 per mile. In the Quantity box, you should enter the total number of miles you expect to drive. If any significant portion, including your destination, is in another state or a foreign country, then the whole trip becomes then the whole item should be “Out-of-State…” or “Foreign…,” respectively.
   6. Conference Registration Fees – If you will be attending a conference that requires a registration fee, you will need to use this Expense Item and enter the cost of attendance.
8. Once you have added any relevant Expense Items, you may click “Submit” at the bottom left of the screen to send it to your department for approval.

After You Submit Your Spend Authorization

• Receipts: You should save ALL receipts from your trip – excluding meals – to include on your Expense Report for reimbursement once you return. Especially for lodging and airfare, receipts should include an itemized list of expenses as well as a method of payment that can be used to prove you made the purchase (most common is last four digits of a card number).
• When the Spend Authorization is submitted, it will be sent to the fiscal analyst (or equivalent roll) of the department who oversees the budget it was submitted under for approval
• Once the fiscal analyst approves it, it will be sent the requestor’s manager for approval
• Next, it will be sent to the grant manager for final approval
• Once the grant manager approves the expense, you are ready to travel!