Concur FAQs

How do I claim expenses?

Salaried staff - use our online system, Concur. To access Concur, sign in to the University's webpages and enter 'Concur' in the search box (but new members of staff please see FAQ below).

PhD students - use form FP16a PhD for a single time, after which we will set you up on Concur.

Students and visitors - use form fp16a,

Workers on the STP or VAM payrolls - use the associated STP or VAM expense forms.

Frequently asked questions

How do I access Concur? - sign in to the University's homepage and enter Concur in the search box. If you can't access Concur, please check first with your departmental administrator whether they have sent us your details and whether those details are correct. If they have submitted your details and they were correct and you still can't log in, then contact expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk. Do not try to contact Concur for a password re-set - this will not work.

If you are in WMG please contact WMGFinanceProcessing re setting you up on Concur

New employees are not automatically set up in Concur, since most will never need to make an expenses claim.

Cost codes - You have a default code but, if you need to change the percentage or amount to be charged to another code use the "allocate" button. Codes are uploaded from SAP every night; if you cannot find the code you want, it may have only just been created in SAP and will be available tomorrow or it may have been closed and therefore an alternative code will have to be used. When searching for a code make sure you have the correct type (cost centre, project or order) and then start to type the code in slowly (the University has thousands of active codes and it takes Concur a while to filter through them). The codes are not case sensitive but you must put dots in project codes and the project must be 12 characters in length e.g. A.AAAA.NNNN.XXX.

Pre-booked Hotels - enter your check in and check out dates re your actual stay and enter the date you have paid for the hotel (must be in the past) in the transaction date.

Hotel Room Tax and VAT Number- please do not put anything in these fields (unfortunately these are pre-set fields in Concur which we are unable to hide or remove, but the University does not use)

How many claims can I submit?- Please combine your expenses on to a single claim. Your Claim Header is for your own information, and could be called something like "Your Name - May expenses".

Business Purpose - This is a really important field which is copied into SAP and should clearly show what the expense is for (Where, Why, When - e.g. Berlin, Collab Meeting ,6-7/1/17).

You can shorten items such as Conferences to Conf etc (we have a limit of 50 characters), but this provides a quick, at-a- glance record of the reason the expense was incurred.

Other information, such as who the expenditure was for or the type of expenditure (train ticket, mileage etc) can be ascertained from other fields, so this should not be included in the Business Purpose.

(The comments field is used for explaining items of expenditure for which the approver might need further background and is not uploaded to SAP)

The Business Purpose in the header is automatically carried through to all your expenses in your claim. If your claim is for a single business purpose, you will not need to make any changes within the claim. If your claim includes several business purposes, you will need to change the Business Purpose for each expense. Tip: you can create a number of claims with different business purposes and then use the "move" button within the claim to transfer them to a single claim without needing to retype the business purpose for each expense. Then submit the combined claim and delete the old, now empty claims.

What is the Company Code for Mobile Registration? - in Concur go to Profile/Profile Settings/Mobile Registration

After downloading the mobile app, authenticate with your Warwick IT account credentials in the format: u1234567@warwick.ac.uk. This will direct through the mobile default browser to the Warwick authentication page where you just enter your username in the format u1234567 and this will then direct you to the Microsoft authentication page for your password and MFA (Multi Factor Authentication). Concur works with single sign on - you do NOT need a separate Concur password

Getting started

Who approves my claims?
Does the mobile version of Concur have the same functionality as the online version?

Training

Is there training available to support me?
Who do I speak to if I have an issue or query?

Getting started

Who approves my claims?

There will be set approvers per department, and only Heads of Department can change who these approvers are. When you submit your claim, you won't be able to choose who checks it - it'll automatically be sent through to an approver, who will look over it and send it on to Expenses if they're happy.

Does the mobile version of Concur have the same functionality as the online version?

There are a few things that are not possible on the mobile version of Concur, such as changing your cost code or using Google Maps for mileage. However, this mobile version is designed so that you can collect expenses as you're out and about, with the intention that you review these with the full functionality of the 'desktop' version when you're back in the office if required.

Training

Is there training available to support me?

The system is very intuitive - the quick guide should help you to get to grips with it. You’ll also be able to access bitesize training videos when you log into Concur - as well as a range of videos and quick guides on the training webpage - and if you don't find the answer you're looking for, there's always the option to drop a question over to the dedicated Expenses email account: expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk.

Who do I speak to if I have an issue or query?

Please take a look at our quick guide and see if you can find the answer to your question. The walkthrough video above should also be useful as you're getting started. If you're still struggling, please email expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk and tell us what you'd like some help with.

Using Concur

I've logged in - what next?

The first time you log in to make a claim, you'll need to head over to your profile to add your vehicle details and register your mobile (if applicable). If this all sounds a bit baffling, check out our quick guide or take a look at the walkthrough video above.

I've made my first claim - now what?

Your department's approver will be notified that you've made a claim, and they'll have to check they're happy with this. Then, the approved claim will be sent on to the Expenses team, so they can make sure everything's as it should be. You can log back into Concur to check on the progress of your claim, if you like.

I'm seeing lots of different icons on Concur - what do they mean?

Take a look at our guide (PDF Document) and find out.

When I upload receipts and other documents, which file types are allowed?

You can use PDF, PNG, JPG, HTML or TIF files. Please note, to attach an email (for example if the email is your proof of purchase or will be useful for Expenses to see) you must first save it as an HTML file.

Note: You need to use the ‘Attach receipt’ button to add any attachment, receipts or documents. If you've already uploaded one item, when you try to upload a second you will receive a message to tell you there's "already an image" associated with this expense. Simply choose ‘Yes’ to attach another image.

What role do original receipts hold now - and does HMRC need to see them?

HMRC accepts electronic images of the receipts - please make sure these are clear and not blurry or pixelated. It's not vital that you hold onto your receipts but it's good practice to retain them until your claim's been paid, in case of any queries. Your department will advise you if they need the original receipts for audit or research purposes.

I haven’t got a Smart device – do I need to scan and upload each receipt separately?

You can do this, or you can attach several receipts to a single sheet, number them and upload this sheet.

Although the receipts are all attached to the claim, to Concur it will look as if you only technically have a receipt for one of your items. Because of this, you will need to change the receipt status to “No receipt” and add a comment explaining that all of your receipts are on a single sheet.

It would help your approvers if you put the receipt number in the comment box and number your receipts in either value or date order.

Can I manually change the exchange rate if it's different from the rate I was charged?

Concur will automatically apply the Oanda conversion rate on the day of purchase. You can alter the exchange rate by the GBP value or the rate itself, but only within a certain tolerance. The system will prompt you if the tolerance is exceeded. If you have any issues with this, feel free to contact the Expenses team: expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk

How do I know which cost code to use?

The University has thousands of cost codes, so make sure you ask the relevant contact in your department for a list of the codes you can use. There are also ways to make things easier for you – for example, make sure you add the codes you’re going to be using regularly to your ‘favourites’. As you start typing out a code, Concur will automatically filter the list to reduce the amount of available options, so this should help things, too.

Can I claim if I have paid on behalf of more than one person?

Yes - if you've paid for lunch for two members of staff, for example, all you'll need to do is add them as an 'attendee'. For non-Warwick staff, this should be claimed under 'hospitality'.

What if a group of people has one receipt but we all paid separately - how will this work?

In this instance, you'd all need to arrange to have your own copy of the receipt.

What do I do if I lose my receipt or do not have one?

Expenses will not be reimbursed without a receipt - it's your responsibility to request and retain a receipt for anything you expect the University to reimburse, except mileage. In exceptional circumstances where no receipt is available, you must enter the reason for this as a ‘comment’. It's then for the approver to determine whether the comment is acceptable and the claim paid or rejected. If you are using the London UndergroundLink opens in a new window please attach a statement showing your journey and payment history

What do I do if I'm not given a receipt to begin with?

Please ensure you always ask for a receipt before you purchase an item or service. In exceptional circumstances where receipts simply cannot be provided for cultural reasons (e.g. if you've travelled to a country where receipts are not the norm), a daily detailed log of expenditure (showing what was purchased, when, the business reason and the price) should be scanned into Concur instead.

Will I have to provide my bank details each time I make a claim?

Expenses will be paid into the same bank account as your salary. If you change your bank account, the Expenses team will change your account in Concur.

When you enter a claim, why do you need to enter a city?

This is purely to ensure the correct currency conversion is applied if needed. The system will start to remember cities you have visited, so it'll become quicker to select future locations. For London, use 'London, Greater London'.

Is there a rule for the minimum value of a claim that can be submitted?

Not currently, but we hope that people will group claims together so that they add up to a reasonable amount to claim - otherwise, the cost of claiming may outweigh the claim.

When a SAP code is closed, how will Concur know that a claim should no longer be submitted using that code?

When a code is closed on SAP it will become invalid on Concur. However, there may be cases where a claim is submitted and its cost code is closed before it has been fully processed through to SAP. In these circumstances, the Expenses team will return it to you with an appropriate comment.

Concur seems like it's playing up today - what do I do?

If you are experiencing problems with Concur, check on the 'Training help' area of the site to see whether there are alerts for problems with the whole system. If there are, you might need to try again later. If you're really stuck and nothing seems to be working, contact the Expenses team: expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk

Information for approvers

Do approvers get notified or emailed when there are things they need to action?

Yes - email alerts are delivered when a claim changes status at each point in the workflow. You can switch these emails off if you'd like, but if you do so we recommend checking Concur regularly so you're not missing anything you need to action.

What happens if a 'main approver' leaves without notifying anyone that a new approver needs to be nominated?

The system will escalate any claim that has been left for more than 15 days. The HoD will need to inform the Expenses team of approvers who leave and who the new approvers are.

What should we do if our Head of Department leaves at any point?

When the new HoD starts, we'll need to change the approved set-up. For this and for any other new users, please use the 'new user' template form (sent to you when your department first signed up to Concur) and indicate what the changes are.

Per diems

Policy Update - Travel starting on or after 1st August 2018

Foreign Per diems can only be claimed for the Countries/Cities listed on the per diem sub-pages and for visits which meet the following criteria:

Travel is to a country outside the EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Iceland, Monaco, Norway or Switzerland OR
A per diem is being claimed for a period of more than 14 days OR
Accommodation results in only a partial per diem of up to 80% being claimed (as a result of staying as a private guest in a residential property or a serviced flat) OR
The funding body requires the use of a per diem.

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Accessing Concur: you need to be signed in to the University's webpages then enter Concur in the search box

Need help or support?

View our videos and quick guides

Our step-by-step video shows you how to make a claim

Want to find out more? Need to ask a question that isn't in the list?

Drop us an email: expenses at warwick dot ac dot uk
Contact us via the expenses hotline: 23000 (internal) or 024 7652 3000 (external)
Check out Warwick's own quick guide

How do I claim expenses?