Adding per diem in SAP Concur starts from the home page, where you create a request or expense report and select a per diem (travel allowance) expense type. Concur then calculates your meal allowance automatically based on your travel destination and trip dates. The exact expense type names and fields vary by organization, but the core workflow is consistent across most Concur setups.
Start a New Request or Expense Report
From the SAP Concur home page, look for the Quick Task bar near the top of the screen. Hover over “New” and click “Start a Request” (if your organization requires pre-trip approval) or “Start a Report” (if you’re filing after travel). On the creation page, fill in the required fields, which are marked with a red asterisk. These typically include the trip name, travel dates, business purpose, and destination city. Click “Create” when you’re done.
If your company uses the request workflow, you’ll submit your per diem as part of a travel request before the trip. If your company skips pre-approval, you’ll add per diem directly to an expense report after you return. Either way, the per diem entry process works the same once you’re inside the request or report.
Select the Per Diem Expense Type
Once your request or report is open, click “Add” on the Expected Expenses or Expenses page. You’ll see a list of available expense types. Look for entries that reference per diem or travel allowance. Common names include “Meals – Individual Domestic Daily Per Diem” for U.S. travel and “Meals – Individual International Per Diem” for trips abroad. Your organization may label these differently, but they’ll typically include “per diem,” “fixed allowance,” or “meals” in the name.
Select the appropriate per diem expense type. Concur uses this selection to determine which rate table to apply, so picking the right one (domestic vs. international, for example) matters for getting the correct reimbursement amount.
Build Your Travel Itinerary
After selecting the per diem expense type, Concur will ask you to enter your itinerary details. Fill in the required fields: your departure date and time, return date and time, and the city or cities where you’ll be staying. Concur uses this information to look up the government or company-set meal rate for each location and calculate your daily allowance automatically.
If your trip involves multiple cities, add each leg of the itinerary so Concur can apply the correct rate for each stop. The per diem rate can differ significantly from one city to another, so accuracy here directly affects your reimbursement. Click “Save” once your itinerary is complete.
Adjust for Provided Meals
After saving your itinerary, Concur displays an Expenses and Adjustments page. This page lists each date of your trip alongside the location and the meal rate for that city. You’ll see a row for every travel day with checkboxes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If any meals were provided during your trip (by a conference, a client, or your hotel, for example), check the corresponding boxes for those meals on the relevant dates. Concur will automatically reduce your per diem for that day by the value of the provided meal. If no meals were provided on a given day, leave all the checkboxes blank and you’ll receive the full daily rate. Getting this step right is important because most organizations require you to deduct meals that were already covered.
Review and Submit
Once your itinerary and meal adjustments are set, return to the main request or report view. You should see the per diem line item with the total calculated amount. Take a moment to verify that the dates, locations, and daily rates look correct. If you need to add other travel expenses like airfare, hotel, or ground transportation, add those as separate line items on the same request or report.
When everything looks right, click “Submit Request” or “Submit Report.” Your submission will route to your approver for review. If your approver has questions about the per diem amount or meal deductions, they can send it back for corrections, and you’ll be able to edit and resubmit.
Tips for a Smooth Per Diem Entry
Your organization’s Concur setup controls which expense types are available and what rates are used, so if you don’t see a per diem option in the expense type list, your company may handle meal reimbursement through individual meal receipts instead. Check with your finance or travel team if the option isn’t visible.
Arrival and departure days are often reimbursed at a reduced rate (typically 75% of the full daily amount) rather than the full per diem. Concur handles this calculation automatically based on the departure and return times you enter, which is why entering accurate travel times matters. If your trip spans a weekend or includes personal days, only include the dates that are business-related in your itinerary to avoid issues during approval.