Meal Reimbursements & Purchasing

General Guidelines

1. NYU's Travel & Expense policy provides the overall framework for allowable meals

2. All meetings and events with alcoholic beverages must comply with the Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy 

   • NYU recommends maximum of two alcoholic beverages per person

   • The above guidelines also apply to student events

3. There should be no more than four NYU hosts per external guest for business related lunch or dinner meetings or events (excluding students)

   • If the NYU host limit is exceeded for faculty recruitment or strategically important guest speaker or donor meals, please add a note to the reimbursement indicating that the meal was for this particular purpose and the reimbursement will be allowed. For more details, please refer to the A&S exception memo

4. Generally, meals between two or more employees (non-students) discussing routine business are not reimbursable.  As in the past, meals with or among faculty or students are reimbursable given a valid teaching/research justification

Purchasing & Reimbursements

1. Smaller events (under $500) can be done through an NYU Seamless Corporate Account

2. For larger catered events, we recommend using the NYU’s dining provider (Plated Catering). Although strongly recommended, this is not required if there is cost savings or a valid teaching/research justification. Please seek fiscal pre-approval for outside vendors, but iBuy should always be used in these cases.

3. Details guidance for Event Planning, Catering & Space Rentals is also available

4. Reimbursements should be processed through iTravel. The most senior representative present for meals must submit the expense

Sponsored Projects

1. NYU provides Guidelines for Charging Meals to Sponsored Projects. The Guidelines provide clarity on incurring meal charges for grant-related conferences, events hosted by NYU, and meals for business meetings. 

   1. The document also provides guidance on the expense type to use in Concur that is associated with the meal charge. Lastly, the guideline provides FAQs on charging meals to a sponsored project.

Dollar Thresholds ($)

1. Business meals have different guidelines to meals while traveling for business/research/professional development

   • Meals during travel may be processed as per diem or as reimbursement for actual expenses. Per diem should follow the GSA rates for domestic travel and the Department of State rates for international travel. Actual expenses should not be more than $75 USD/day for domestic travel and $125/day USD for international travel. Travelers cannot switch between per diem and actuals in the same trip. The Concur software system pre-populates per diem rates where applicable

   • Business meals are subject to different cost limitations and attendee restrictions 

     1. • Business breakfast or lunch should not exceed $50 USD per person (approx. $35 excluding tax & tip)

        • Business dinner should not exceed $100 USD per person (approx. $75 excluding tax & tip)

        • Business meal caps (above) should not be used for meals while traveling

        • There should be no more than four (4) NYU hosts per external guest for business related lunch or dinner meetings or events (excluding students)

        • The most senior representative present for meals must submit the expense

        • The Dean's Memo & Guidelines for Business Expenses provides higher thresholds for "strategic" meals, such as faculty recruitment or the hosting of visiting scholars

2. Drinks and alcoholic beverages are included in the limit

3. NYU recommends a maximum of two drinks per person

4. In case the meal goes over the per person limit, please seek A&S Fiscal approval

5. Faculty may exceed the above limits for business meals involving activities critical to our strategic goals (e.g., faculty recruitment or the hosting of visiting scholars). Subject to budget availability, faculty are approved to spend up to 2.2 times the stated policy (i.e. up to $77/person for breakfast and lunch and $165/person for dinner including tax + tip). As a best practice, please add an explanation in the cover sheet explaining that the meal was considered one of these special cases. For more details, please refer to the forthcoming memo on processing A&S-supported exceptions to policy

6. In the case of new hire employee lunches, Arts & Science will use a meal standard of $35/person (including tax and tip) for the employee and supervisor, as per flexibility built into the NYU policy

FAQs

1. How do I pay for a team meal?

   • The NYU Travel & Expense policy is rather strict in regards to team meals. Please see the policy here, under the heading "Occasional Employee Events and Functions (Onsite or Offsite)"