Chrome River Training Resources

Mt. SAC has implemented Chrome River to automate travel and non-travel related expenses.

With Chrome River you will be able to:

Submit expense reports electronically
Upload your receipts through your phone or web browser
Approve submitted expense reports online or through your email

Explore the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Learn how to use Chrome River by clicking the video resource links below:

Chrome River Training Videos (Click title link for larger version with steps)

Introduction to Chrome River

Learn the benefits of using Chrome River
Learn how to install Chrome River and Chrome River SNAP on your mobile device
Access Chrome River through the Mt. SAC portal
Register an alternate email address within Chrome River
Set up delegates within Chrome River to create reports on your behalf
Select other users to create reports on their behalf

Creating Conference and Travel Pre-Approval Reports

Learn how to create Pre-Approval reports
Learn how to edit and submit a Pre-Approval report
Find out how to track submitted Pre-Approval reports and see who needs to approve them

Creating P-Card Expense Reports

Understand the rules of P-Card use through Chrome River
Learn how to create P-Card expense reports
Learn how to edit and submit a P-Card expense report
Find out how to track submitted expense reports and see who needs to approve them

Additional Chrome River Videos (Click title link for larger version with steps)

Creating Direct Pay Expense Reports

Learn how to create Direct Pay expense reports
Learn how to edit and submit a Direct Pay expense report
Find out how to track submitted expense reports and see who needs to approve them

Approving Reports in Chrome River

Learn how to approve expense reports from your email or within Chrome River

COMBINED VIDEO: Introduction, Pre-Approvals and Direct Pay together

One combined video that goes over those key functionalities.
Content is the same as the other videos, combined for convenience

Additional Chrome River Videos (Click title link for larger version with steps)

Creating Conference and Travel Expense Reports

Learn how to create Conference and Travel expense reports
Learn how to import a Conference and Travel Pre-Approval report
Find out how to track submitted expense reports and see who needs to approve them

How to Link P-Card Expenses on Conference and Travel Expense Reports

Learn how to Link P-Card expenses on Conference and Travel expense reports if you are the owner

FAQs

Questions?
Explore our Frequently Asked Questions below

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 3/15/22

General

- What do I use Chrome River for?
  
  Chrome River is used to electronically submit conference & travel pre-approvals, conference & travel expenses, direct pays for employees ONLY, and to reallocate p-card transactions.
- How do I sign in to my portal?
  
  From the Mt. SAC Homepage, click "Portal" in the top right and enter your log in credentials.
- Where do I find Chrome River?
  
  Once you are logged in to the Employee Portal go to the "Employees" tab at the top and you will find the Chrome River portlet. You will be connected to Chrome River through single sign on and will not have to enter your credentials again.
- I am having technical issues approving requests through email.
  Problem: When accepting a submitted request through email, a web browser opens instead of the email application.
  Solution: Change your default Email application from your web browser to Outlook.
  - In Windows, click your Start icon to open the Start Menu
  - Next click the Gear icon to open your Settings
  - In the Settings Search type in "Default Apps" and click the result
  - Click the default Email app and change it to Outlook
- I am having technical issues approving requests because of an unmatched email address.
  Problem: When accepting a submitted request I get the error message "You recently tried to approve the following report, however we could not match your email address [your.email@mtsac.edu] in our systems. Please Review."
  Solution: Add the email address noted in the message to your Chrome River profile.
  - Log into Chrome River and go to your account settings
  - From the Chrome River account settings page, select the Add Alternative Emails button.
  - Enter the email address noted in the error message and click the Add button

Pre-Approval

- When is a Pre-Approval needed?
  
  A pre-approval is needed for ALL conference & travel requests.
- How far in advance should I submit my travel and conference request?
  
  It is recommended to submit your pre-approval request as soon as you know about your attendance to the conference. Please allow at least five (5) working days to process your request. If the conference or travel requires Vice President approval, please allow ten (10) working days.
  
  If you are using Professional Development (POD) funds, please allow four (4) weeks. Board approval is required for student conference and travel out of the country. Board of Trustees meeting dates may be found on the Mt. SAC website under Board of Trustees.
- What report type should I use for my pre-approval?
  
  Please select "Employee Travel" for any staff or faculty travel. This report type is tied to account 521000.
  
  Please select "Student Travel" for all student travel. This report type is tied to account 523000.
- What needs to be included with my pre-approval request?
  
  All conference and travel requests must include supporting documentation when submitting a pre-approval. Examples of acceptable documents include agenda’s, event programs, itineraries, flyers, published calendars specifying dates, times, and locations of conferences, etc.
- Can I receive an advance for meal stipends?
  Yes, if the travel includes a student group. This request follows the same guidelines as it would for any other pre-payment. In order to receive an advanced meal stipend for the student group you are traveling with, you will be required to complete a Payment/Reimbursement Request Form with required signatures and a class roster, including the students/staff names and A#’s. On the form you will request the amount you need per day and the number of attendees, as well as special handling requests. Examples of special handling requests include a check pick-up or direct deposit request. The above mentioned form can be found under "Budget and Accounting" forms using the link provided. You will also be required to submit original receipts for all expenses and return any unused funds to the College.
- How do I have any of my expenses pre-paid (i.e. registration fee, hotel, etc.)?
  
  Please complete a Payment Reimbursement Request Form and attach an invoice and/or registration confirmation, the account number, and any special mailing instructions, then email directly to Fiscal Services for processing. Please note that pre-payments will be managed outside of Chrome River's system.
- What if I have a no-cost travel and conference?
  
  Please do not enter it into Chrome River, instead complete the Conference and Travel Request/Expense Claim Form and mark the “No cost to the District” box at the top of the form, then email it to Fiscal Services.
- What if I do not attend the conference and need to cancel my request?
  
  Please log in to Chrome River, select the appropriate pre-approval and click “Expire” to release the encumbered funds.
- Will I still get a T number?
  
  No, Chrome River will not assign T numbers, instead you will get a report ID number.
- Who needs to approve my Pre-Approval?
  
  Once the Pre-Approval has been submitted in Chrome River, the request will be electronically routed to the immediate manager of the employee traveling for approval, then additional approving managers, and VP’s as needed.
  
  Approvers are determined by HR records and budget approval queues. Chrome River does not allow substitutions or changes to approvers.
- How do I know when my pre-approval has been approved?
  
  You will receive an email from Chrome River letting you know that your request has been approved.
- Can my request be denied?
  
  Yes, requests can be denied for many reasons including, but not limited to, insufficient budget, missing information, and use of wrong account.
- Can someone else enter a pre-approval on my behalf?
  
  Yes, but first you must delegate the person so they can access your dashboard.
- Are there caps on the nightly lodging rate for travel?
  
  The nightly lodging rate shall be capped at the documented conference rate. If no conference rate exists, the lodging rate will be capped at $250 (before taxes and other allowable hotel fees). A justification and approval of the appropriate Vice President or President/CEO is required to exceed the allowable caps.

Expense Report

- Do I need to have a pre-approval to submit an expense?
  For expenses associated with travel and conference you WILL need a pre-approval. For direct payment and p-card expenses pre-approvals are NOT part of the process.
- Can I use my personal email to upload a receipt?
  No, Chrome River will only identify your Mt. SAC email.
- How do I upload my receipts?
  - Email receipts
  - Drag and drop
  - Use the Chrome River App to snap a picture
- Where should I email my receipts to?
  Please email to: receipt@ca1.chromeriver.com
- How do I get my expense approved?
  Expenses will be electronically routed for approvals using HR records and budget approval queues.
- How do I calculate my mileage?
  Use the Chrome River map, select you’re starting and ending destination and your mileage will be automatically calculated.
- Can I claim meals with receipts?
  No. Meals may only be claimed per diem.
- Can I claim meals per diem for single day travel?
  Yes. Single-day travel meal reimbursements are applicable for travel outside of the district service area. The district service area map can be found on our campus map.
- What are the tax implications regarding meals per diem?
  Meal reimbursements over the IRS rate are taxable and reportable per IRS regulation (publication 5137). You can find IRS approved per diem rates by location on the General Service Administration (GSA) website.
- How do the taxes get withheld for the meals per diem?
  Withholding of the tax will be facilitated through the College’s established payroll schedule.
- Will the excess of meals per diem over the IRS rate be reflected on my pay stub?
  The excess amount (taxable income) will show up on your pay stub as a non-cash amount, meaning it will not be part of your gross pay. The non-cash amount will be used to calculate the appropriate federal, state, and other tax amounts. The actual reimbursement for the meals will come from a check or direct deposit facilitated by our Accounts Payable department.
- What are our current per diem rates?
  Employee travel per diem rates are:
  - Breakfast: $20
  - Lunch: $30
  - Dinner: $45
  Student travel per diem rates remain the same.
- How do I get reimbursed for meals per diem?
  The payout for meals per diem will be processed the same as the rest of your travel related reimbursements. Once your travel report is submitted and approved in Chrome River, Accounts Payable will process the payment as usual.
- Can I use my P-Card to pay for personal meal expenses?
  No. P-Cards cannot be used for personal meal expenses incurred during extended and single day approved employee travel.
- Do I need to upload receipts of items that were paid with a P-Card?
  No, P-card receipts will be uploaded in the P-card module and should be separate from travel and conference expenses.
- Can I submit an expense on behalf of someone else?
  Yes, but first that person will need to delegate you.
- Can I request reimbursement through Chrome River for someone other than myself?
  
  No, Chrome River is designed to ONLY reimburse the owner of the expense. If you have third-party expenses for hotel, flight, etc. that need to be reimbursed to those vendors this would be done outside of Chrome River using the Payment Reimbursement Request form.
- What do I do if I lost my receipt?
  Please fill out a missing receipt affidavit and upload that in lieu your receipt.

Contact

Contact	Subject	Email
Chrome River	Conference and Travel, P-Card, Direct Reimbursements	Chromeriverhelp@mtsac.edu
Fiscal Services	Non Conference and Travel Employee Reimbursements	AccountsPayable@mtsac.edu
Purchasing	P-Card Support	Purchasing@mtsac.edu

Introduction to Chrome River

- 1Install the Chrome River App on your mobile device (0:50 - 1:29)
  Optional: Only if you would like to access Chrome River from your mobile device
  - Navigate to the Google Play or Apple App store and search for "Chrome River"
  - Install the app to your device and open
  - Enter your Mt. SAC email address
  - The first time you login, you will need to enter a code that was sent to your email
  - Enter your portal username and password to log into your Chrome River account
- 2Install the Chrome River SNAP App on your mobile device (1:30 - 2:16)
  Optional: Only if you want to easily upload receipts to your Chrome River account using your phones camera
  - Navigate to the Google Play or Apple App store and search for "Chrome River SNAP"
  - Install the app to your device and open
  - Enter your Mt. SAC email address
  - The first time you login, you will need to enter a code that was sent to your email
  - The first time you open the App, it will ask to use your camera. Choose "While using the app"
  - Frame the receipt and hit the shutter button
  - Tap upload to sent the receipt to your Chrome River account
- 3Accessing Chrome River from a web browser (2:20 - 2:40)
  - Navigate to www.mtsac.edu and login to your portal
  - From the tab links at the top click the "Employees" tab
  - Click the blue Chrome River button from the Chrome River portlet
- 4Adding an alternate email to your Chrome River account (2:41 - 3:26)
  Optional: Add an alternate email if you would like to send receipts to Chrome River from an email address that is not your Mt. SAC email
  - Log into Chrome River
  - From the Dashboard click your name from top right corner and select "Settings" from the drop-down menu
  - Click the "+ Add Alternative Emails" button
  - Enter your alternate email
  - Verify this new alternate email by clicking the link sent to your Mt. SAC email address
- 5Adding delegates to your Chrome River account (3:27 - 4:21)
  Optional: Add a delegate if you would like to give someone the ability to create reports on your behalf. Approval delegates require a set time of access to be specified
  - Log into Chrome River
  - From the Dashboard click your name from top right corner and select "Settings" from the drop-down menu
  - Select "Delegate Settings" from the left side-bar
  - Click the "+ Add New Delegates" button
  - Enter the person's name or select them from the drop-down menu
  - For approval delegates click the "+Add New Approval Delegates" button
  - Enter the person's name or select them from the drop-down menu
  - Enter a Start and End date and click Save
- 6Selecting other users (4:23 - 5:00)
  Optional: Selecting another user allows you to create reports and allocate transactions on their behalf. They must have already set you as a delegate
  - Log into Chrome River
  - From the Dashboard click your name from top right corner and select "Select Another User" from the drop-down menu
  - Type the name of the user in the search field to filter, and click to select them
  - The selected user's name will appear in the top right of the toolbar
  - To revert back to your username click on the name in the top right corner and select "Revert To" from the drop-down menu

Creating Conference and Travel Expense Reports

- 1Creating a Pre-Approval Report (0:10 - 1:44)
  A Pre-Approval report is required before you travel and is not used for direct payments
  - Log into Chrome River to access the dashboard
  - Select the "+ New" button from the top toolbar and click "New Pre-Approval Report" from the drop-down menu
  - Fill out each field in the form
    - For the Report Name enter "Conference and Travel"
    - Start Date and End Date is the period of your trip
    - In Business Purpose enter the name of the conference you are attending
    - In Report Type select either "Employee Travel" or "Student Travel"
    - For Travel Type select either "In State" or "Out of State"
    - Cash Advances should only be used for student travel meals
    - Select the Fiscal Year you will be traveling in
    - In the Allocations section choose the correct one from the drop-down menu or start typing the name or account number to filter the list
  - Click "Save" from the top toolbar
- 2Adding estimated expenses to the report (1:45 - 3:32)
  - Select the appropriate tile for the type of expense you are adding
  - Enter the Estimated Amount
  - For Description add some details about the expense
  - Click the "Save" button from the top
  - Repeat until you have added all your estimated expenses
  - To Delete or Edit an added expense, select it from the left menu and click the "Delete" or "Edit" button from the top right toolbar
  - Once everything is completed click the green "Submit" button
  - Certify all expenses are true and correct by clicking the green "Submit" button again
- 3Tracking submitted Pre-Approval Reports (3:34 - 5:19)
  - On the Chrome River dashboard there is a PRE-APPROVAL ribbon on the left side
  - Click the "Submitted" section of the PRE-APPROVAL ribbon
  - Select the Pre-Approval Report you would like to track
  - Click the "Tracking" button from the top right
  - You can click on each step in the "Routing Steps" section to view more information on the approving process for that step
  - When all approvals have been received you will receive a confirmation email from Chrome River
  - To close a Pre-Approval Report that is partially used, partially applied, or no longer needed, navigate back to the Pre-Approvals and select the report
  - Click the "Expire" button from the top right menu
  - Confirm by clicking the "Expire" button again

Creating P-Card Expense Reports

- 1Locating P-Card expenses (0:53 - 2:33)
  - Log into Chrome River to get to the dashboard
  - Select the menu button from the top right corner and select "eWallet"
  - Select "Credit Card" from the right menu's side bar to show only P-Card or travel related expenses
  - You can click the small arrow on an expense to show more details about the expense
- 2Creating an Expense Report (3:28 - 4:45)
  Statement periods run from the 26th of the month to the 25th of the following month
  - Select the "+ New" button from the top toolbar and click "New Expense Report" from the drop-down menu
  - Ignore "Import from Pre-approval"
  - Fill out each field in the form
    - For the Report Name the convention is "P-Card, LastName, FirstInitial, StatementDate"
      
      For example, "P-Card, Mountie, J, 1/25/21"
    - Start Date and End Date is the statement period
    - In Business Purpose enter the convention is "P-Card transactions for statement period ending StatementPeriod"
      
      For example, "P-Card transactions for statement period ending 1/25/21"
    - In Report Type select "P-Card"
    - The Fiscal Year will default to the current fiscal year
  - Click "Save" from the top toolbar
- 3Adding expenses to the report (4:46 - 8:00)
  Do not select "Create New" when creating P-Card allocations
  - Select "Credit Card" from the left side bar
  - Select the transactions that need to be expensed for the statement period when your finished click the "Add" button
  - The first transaction will appear, some fields will automatically be filled out for you
  - In the Description field enter what the charges were for
  - If the transaction is categorized as "Miscellaneous/Other" select the appropriate account in the Misc Expense drop down menu
  - In the Allocations section choose the correct one from the drop-down menu or start typing the name or account number to filter the list
    - If you need to split Allocations between multiple accounts, click the "+ Add Allocation" button and select another Allocation
    - Split the Allocation by the desired amounts
  - Attach a receipt by clicking the "Add Attachments" button and selecting the receipt
    - Receipts may automatically merge with your transaction if they are already uploaded to your receipt gallery
  - Click "Save" from the top toolbar
  - If there is more than one transaction, your next will appear. Repeat the previous steps until all transactions have been allocated
- 4Editing allocated transactions and submitting the report (8:01 - 10:26)
  - Select the transaction you would like to edit and click the "Edit" button from the top toolbar
  - Make any changes or fix any errors and click the "Save" button from the top toolbar
  - A yellow triangle indicates a warning, you must provide an explanation if required before the report can be submitted
  - If you would like to allocate another transaction select the "+" button from the top left menu
  - If you would like to delete an allocated transaction, select the transaction from the left menu and click the "Delete" button from the top toolbar
  - Once your finished click the green "Submit" button to submit the report
  - Certify all expenses are true and correct by clicking the green "Submit" button again
- 5Tracking submitted Pre-Approval Reports (10:27 - 12:05)
  - On the Chrome River dashboard there is an EXPENSES ribbon on the left side
  - Click the "Submitted" section of the EXPENSES ribbon
  - Select the P-Card Expense Report you would like to track
  - Click the "Tracking" button from the top right
  - You will see a list of P-Card expense types, select the line item you would like to track
  - You can click on each step in the "Routing Steps" section to view more information on the approving process for that step
  - When all approvals have been received you will receive a confirmation email from Chrome River
- 6Recalling P-Card Expense Reports (12:06 - 13:27)
  - On the Chrome River dashboard there is an EXPENSES ribbon on the left side
  - Click the "Submitted" section of the EXPENSES ribbon
  - Select the P-Card Expense Report you would like to recall and click the "Recall" button from the top right of tool bar
  - Click "Yes" when prompted to recall the report to your drafts section
- 7Itemizing Transactions (13:28 - 17:25)
  You will need to create a new expense report for each transaction that requires itemization
  - Follow Step 2 to create and save a new expense report
  - Select the transaction that will need to be itemized and click the "Add" button
  - Click on the category tile from the top of the transaction and select the "Itemization" tile
  - Enter the Allocation fund, organization, or program
  - Attach a receipt by clicking the "Add Attachments" button and selecting the receipt
  - Click the "Itemize" button from the top toolbar
  - Choose the tile category that corresponds to the expense
  - Enter the amount in the Spent field and add what the expense was in the Description field
  - Click the "Save" button from the top tool bar
  - Click the "Itemization" button again from the top toolbar to start the next allocation
  - Select another category tile and follow the previous steps to allocate any remaining amounts
    - If the transaction is categorized as "Miscellaneous/Other" select the appropriate account in the Misc Expense drop down menu
  - Click the "Save" button from the top tool bar when your finished
  - Address any warnings and Submit the report

Creating Direct Pay Expense Reports

- 1Creating a New Expense Report (0:07 - 0:45)
  - Log into Chrome River to access the dashboard
  - Select the "+ New" button from the top toolbar and click "New Expense Report" from the drop-down menu
  - Fill out each field in the form
    - For the Report Name enter "Direct Pay"
    - Start Date and End Date of the statement period
    - In Business Purpose enter the reason for the expense report
    - In Report Type select "Direct Payment"
    - For Travel Type select either "In State" or "Out of State"
    - Cash Advances should only be used for student travel meals
    - Select the Fiscal Year this report takes place in
  - Click "Save" from the top toolbar
- 2Adding Expenses to the Expense Report (0:46 - 1:57)
  - Select "Create New" from the left side bar
  - Select the "Direct Pay" tile
  - Select the transactions that need to be expensed for the statement period when your finished click the "Add" button
  - Fill out each field in the form
    - For Date enter the date of the expense
    - In Spent enter the amount
    - The Business Purpose should already be filled from what you entered earlier
    - In Description enter what was purchased
    - In Merchant enter the name of the vendor
    - For Account select the correct account from the drop-down menu
    - In the Allocations section choose the correct one from the drop-down menu or start typing the name or account number to filter the list
    - Attach a receipt by clicking the "Add Attachments" button and selecting the receipt
      
      Receipts may automatically merge with your transaction if they are already uploaded to your receipt gallery
  - Click "Save" from the top toolbar
- 3Review and Submit the Expense Report (1:58 - 2:32)
  - Review your transaction from the left side area
  - Click the "Edit" button if you need to make changes
  - If everything is correct click the green "Submit" button to submit the report
- 4Tracking Submitted Expense Reports (2:40 - 3:56)
  - On the Chrome River dashboard there is an EXPENSES ribbon on the left side
  - Click the "Submitted" section of the EXPENSES ribbon
  - Select the Expense Report you would like to track
  - Click the "Tracking" button from the top right
  - You can click on each step in the "Routing Steps" section to view more information on the approving process for that step
  - When all approvals have been received you will receive a confirmation email from Chrome River
  - If you need to recall a expense report navigate back expense report
  - Click the "Recall" button from the top right menu
  - Confirm by clicking the "Yes" button
  - The report will be moved back into the Drafts section of the EXPENSES ribbon

Approving Expense Reports in Chrome River

- 1Approving a Submitted Report Through Email (0:08 - 1:01)
  As an approver you will receive emails from Chrome River notifying you of pending requests
  - The email will contain a summary of the request
  - You can approve it by clicking the green "APPROVE" button or deny it by clicking the red "RETURN" button
    - Before you approval report you MUST review the receipts attached by clicking the Receipts "View" link provided in the email
  - If you choose to approve, you will taken to a second email where you can add additional comments
  - You can also view and approve the request directly in Chrome River by clicking the "click here" link located at the bottom of the email
  If you have an alias on your email or have it forwarded to another account and receive an error message when attempting to approve a request, you will need to set up an alternate email inside Chrome River. Refer to the Chrome River Introduction Video to learn how.
- 2Approving a Submitted Report in Chrome River (1:02 - 2:31)
  - Log into Chrome River to access the dashboard
  - If you have pending requests, you will see an orange APPROVALS ribbon on the left side
  - Click on "Expense Reports" or "Pre-Approvals" to navigate to the respective request
  - On the left side, click on the report you would like to approve
  - Clicking the "Open" button from the top-toolbar will bring up a summary of the report
  - To view the reports tracking, select the report and click the "Tracking" button from the top-toolbar
    - You can view the history of the report by clicking on the different steps in the Routing Steps section
  - To send the report back for revision click the "Return" button from the top-toolbar
    - You must enter a reason for the return in the pop-up menu that appears
  - To approve the report click the green "Approve" button from the top-toolbar
- 3Things to Consider Before Approving a Report (2:32 - 3:38)
  - For Pre-Approval Reports
    - Make sure the proper allocation and account is being used
    - Employee Travel uses account 52100 and Student Travel uses account 523000
    - Make sure there is sufficient budget available
    - Verify the business purpose is the name of the conference
  - For Expense Reports
    - Make sure the proper allocation and account is being used and sufficient budget is available
    - Verify that the proper receipts are attached to all expenses
    - Make sure the expense is reasonable and appropriate for the allocation being used
    - Verify there is a valid business purpose for those purchases
    - If a warning is triggered, make sure there is a reasonable explanation included
    - For Travel and Conference, verify there is a Pre-Approval attached to the expense