Car Rentals

Reimbursement of car rental expenses is limited to official business use only, and prudent judgment should be used when trying to decide whether or not to rent a car.

Effective October 1, 2006, CAR RENTALS INITIATED FROM THE TRAVELER'S BASE POINT (defined as the office, place or building where the traveler performs his/her duties on a routine basis) MUST BE DONE THROUGH ENTERPRISE LEASING. When trying to determine whether to use a personal vehicle or rental car, the traveler must first consider the average DAILY mileage for a trip. If the traveler does not own a car or does not have access to a personal car, then a car rental is allowed, HOWEVER, do NOT rent a car to go to the airport to park it for the term of your trip; TAKE A SHUTTLE, rail, or some other public transportation. Be sure to document the circumstances.

If the AVERAGE DAILY mileage is 129 miles or less, then the traveler can use a personal vehicle and be paid the higher mileage rate. (An example of "average DAILY mileage" is a five day business trip where the roundtrip mileage is 500 miles: 500 miles divided by five days = 100 average daily miles, so the higher rate can be paid because 100 average miles per day is 129 miles or less.) READ the "Personal Vehicle Mileage" web page for details.

If the AVERAGE DAILY mileage is 130 or over, visit www.dgs.virginia.gov/fleet.aspx.
1. Click "Travel Planning and Enterprise Rental" on the right side navigation at this site.
2. Follow the directions at this site, and CLICK on the "Trip Calculator" to calculate the vehicle cost of the proposed trip.

If the trip calculator shows that the use of a rental vehicle is more cost effective, the traveler should click on the link (located on the calculator page) for Enterprise Leasing and reserve a rental car for the trip. The employee should print a copy of the screen showing the cost comparison of the renal car compared to the personal vehicle and attach this print out to the Travel Reimbursement Request Form. At the Enterprise site, look under "U" for the University of Mary Washington. Follow the Enterprise instructions from that point. To have a complete understanding of these regulations, read the "Personal Vehicle Mileage" web page.

If the trip calculator shows that the use of a personal vehicle is more cost effective, the employee should print the cost comparison and attach a copy to the Travel Reimbursement Request Form. To have a complete understanding of these regulations, read the "Personal Vehicle Mileage" web page.

CAREFULLY READ THE REST OF THIS WEB SITE TO AVOID OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES.

All vehicle reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance of anticipated pick up of the vehicle. WHEN TRAVELING BY AIR OR RAIL, TRAVELERS GENERALLY SHOULD NOT RENT CARS AS A METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION TO THE AIRPORT OR TRAIN STATION. The traveler should use his/her personal car or some form of public transportation or shuttle to get to the airport or train station.

In the event of emergency travel (less than 24 hours notice) the traveler is still required to go through the process above and attempt to acquire a vehicle through Enterprise Leasing. If Enterprise Leasing cannot fulfill the request the traveler must print the screen from Enterprise Leasing that documents a vehicle was not available. Call the Accounts Payable office at 654-1224 for further instructions.

When renting vehicles AFTER reaching the destination of travel, the traveler can rent from any car rental agency--NOT just Enterprise. The traveler must justify the cost of renting a vehicle instead of taking a shuttle. (A cost analysis that shows a car rental is less expensive than taking a shuttle/taxi should be attached to the Travel Reimbursement Request Form.) If the cost comparison shows favorably for renting a car, the traveler should select the most economical contractor and type of vehicle available, and acquire any commercial rate or government discount available when the vehicle is rented. Before ANY travel purchases are made, a Request for Travel form with appropriate signatures should be completed IN ADVANCE. The Commonwealth does not have limitations on car rental rates. UMW will reimburse for only reasonable uses and will not reimburse for items listed below.

The Commonwealth has many restrictions as listed below. These restrictions apply to ALL University affiliates and guests, including people being recruited by UMW.

You will NOT be reimbursed for:

1. Upgrades-for any reason, even if you have a personal discount coupon. (Click here and see #6 under "MILEAGE FAQ's" for details.)
2. Gas purchased at car rental agencies. You should purchase gas at a gas station and submit that receipt.
3. Insurance in the U.S. The Commonwealth provides insurance for business travel in the U.S. to all Commonwealth employees. Non-employees of the Commonwealth-- excluding students --can be reimbursed for car rental insurance. (UMW students are also covered under the Commonwealth's insurance.) For example, candidates who need to rent a car may be reimbursed for LDW (Liability Damage Waiver) and CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) car rental insurance.
NOTE: If anyone--employee, student, guest of the University--is traveling outside of the territorial United States (including Canada, Puerto Rico) LDW (Liability Damage Waiver) and CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance must be purchased and will be reimbursed.

Other types of insurance such as trip cancellation, personal health or life insurance will not be reimbursed.

If a payment for a car rental is made through the Internet, you should view regulations at Internet Purchases regarding necessary documentation to ensure reimbursement.

If you use a method of payment for which you will need to be reimbursed , you will need to attach an original receipt--or a printed copy of a receipt for electronic purchases--to the Travel Expense Reimbursement form . Remember that you will not be reimbursed until AFTER the travel has occurred. (See Reimbursement Process for Travel Expenses .)