Travel Reimbursements- Tips for Uncommon Scenarios

by Preyanka Govender, Staff Associate II

Posted on April 21, 2026

USFR Compliance Questionnaire findings for travel reimbursements exceeding the maximum amount established by the Arizona Department of Administration are fairly common. Here are some tips on how to handle some of the common travel reimbursements situations that result in findings.

Are employees reimbursed for airport parking costs?

For Phoenix and Tucson airports, employees are reimbursed the lesser of the actual base parking rate incurred or the established base parking rate.

For Phoenix airports the current reimbursement limit for base parking is $6.50 per day and, for Tucson, it is $5.00 per day.

For all other airports, while there are no established rate limits, employees are expected to choose economic parking options including off-premises parking with shuttle service whenever available.

In addition to the base parking rates, employees are reimbursed for any imposed taxes and non-optional fees.

Employees are not reimbursed for any reservation fees and any upcharges for covered or inside parking.

Receipts with details are required for reimbursement.

The State of Arizona Accounting Manual lists out specific parking lots that offer rates that comply with the reimbursement limits. To get these rates, employees need to obtain a Spot Club Card. The card can be obtained two ways:

Are employees reimbursed for food delivery charges or for rideshare services to travel to get to the restaurant?  

Meal reimbursement rates include the cost of any delivery fees, tips, taxes, and travel to get the meal.

If an employee’s daily meal and incidental reimbursement limit is $64 and the employee pays $10 including any tips for a ride share service to and from the restaurant, or for delivery services, the employee has $54 remaining for meals and incidental expenses.

Are employees reimbursed the tip amount when using rideshare services?

If an employee tips the driver, the reimbursed amount for the tip is limited to 15% of the rideshare fare. In addition to the 15% cap, they are reimbursed for $1 per bag if the driver helps with their bags.

For example, an employee’s Lyft fare is $50 and employee tips $10. The employee can be reimbursed $50 for the fare and $7.50 for the tip. If the driver helped the employee with one bag, they are reimbursed $50 for the fare and $8.50 for the tip.

Additional information can be found in the following State of Arizona Accounting Manual sections:

Final Tips

It is important to communicate with employees where they can find travel guidelines.

Employees responsible for reviewing claims should be familiar with the guidelines, and any changes to employee reimbursement claims should be accompanied by the relevant guidelines.

Print-ready version: Click here