Decline reimbursement on Business Travel: air ticket

[corporategreed]

Re: Can a business billable travel expense reimbursement be declined because it was not charged through company credit card?
I am employed by a public traded company. According to company policy, air ticket must got through specific travel agent and use company credit card. I followed the step but the travel agent used my credit card under my profile for the air ticket reservation which I did not aware of until I received my credit card statement. I submitted my reimbursement but our account payable declined it because it was not paid through company credit card.

Is it legal for company to decline my reimbursement because I did not follow the company policy? Since the travel expense will be billed to the company's client as it is a billable travel expense, does it mean the company will receive the air ticket fare from the client but not give it to me? How would it work in the accounting side? Treated as employee contribution to the company revenue or over charged to client?

 

[Betty3]

Is there someone at the company (your boss; head of payroll.....) who might help you with this & see that you get reimbursed?

 

[Proserpina]

California does allow an employer to refuse reimbursing you if you haven't followed the rules.

How they bill the client, I cannot answer.

 

[Proserpina]

Is there someone at the company (your boss; head of payroll.....) who might help you with this & see that you get reimbursed?

I'm wondering that too, specially if this is the only time it's happened.

 

[Betty3]

I was thinking it was worth a try.

 

[army judge]

Mistakes once explained are readily corrected.
If, on the other hand you've been told not to do this, the current decision is likely not to be overturned.
Negotiate, compromise, educate, explain, and request an equitable resolution to a mistake often derives a just result for all.

I've traveled extensively doing legal consulting for all manner of clients.
Employers all have different rules about this.
There are many reasons many require you to charge to their account and/or their corporate card, use their travel agent, and book on select airlines.

Occasionally one has to seek a correction when a mistake is made.

Once the situation is explained, I've never had it go uncorrected.

I know that me anecdotal experience isn't reflective of others.

But, try discussing and seeking guidance on how you can be reimbursed for this one off mistake.

After all, you didn't make the error, the travel agent did.

Perhaps a short email from the travel agency explaining and backing up your story will get this corrected?

The last thing you want to do, assuming you value your job is to turn this over to the courts.

No reputable company wants to cheat an employee or a contractor. That said, they will readily punish recalcitrant, intransigent, obstinate, and insubordinate transgressors.

 

[disagreeable]

You would likely get farther by filing a dispute with your credit card company.

 

[Proserpina]

I don't recommend that at all.

The company has done absolutely nothing wrong - disputing the charge is probably the fastest way for OP to labeled a "problem" and suddenly finding himself not employed there at all.