Students Only – If you are a student, please refer to Students & Student Group Entertainment Expenses to submit your entertainment expenses.
Key points regarding entertainment policy, roles and responsibilities can be found on this Understanding Entertainment Policy (External) page.
The Help with Entertainment (External) campus resource contains a wealth of links for all entertainment-related questions, including job aids.
You may also reference the main campus Purchasing and Payment Method Matrix (External) to verify what expenses are allowable. There is a tab specifically for entertainment.
To reduce personal spending on entertainment
- BearBuy (External) can be used for entertainment-related purchases and can be required for larger events which include vendor contracts and purchase orders
- BluCard can be used for entertainment-related purchases. Please refer to the campus Purchasing and Payment Method Matrix (External) to make sure you can use the BluCard for your purchase
- Both forms of payment (Bearbuy & BluCard) require an Entertainment Form (ECF) Form filled out with the chartstring owner’s approval. The meals must be within the campus maximum meal limit: Maximum Meal Expense (External) and Entertainment Form (ECF)
Business Financial System(BFS) Common Account Codes – Common Expense Account Code (External)
How to reconcile your BluCard Transactions Reconcile bluCard Instructions (External)
Maximum Per Person Amounts by Meal Type
Below is the maximum per person amount allowed based on meal type effective on or after September 1, 2025.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner Light Refreshment $34 $59 $103 $24
These maximum meal limits include the cost of food and beverages, labor, sales tax, and service and delivery charges. The cost of rental, room set-up fees, media rental, and decorations, etc., are not included in the per-person costs unless these costs cannot be separated by the vendor.
Berkeley Law will reimburse the maximum meal limit. Meals over the maximum limit will need pre-approval. If you do not have the pre-approval for the over the maximum meal limit, you will be reimbursed the maximum meal limit. For pre-approval, please contact Shivani Bhatia: shivanibhatia@berkeley.edu
Note: Entertainment on travel needs to be submitted under travel reimbursement. Itemized receipts for entertainment on travel are required even if the expense is less than $75.
If you are requesting reimbursement for entertainment
Faculty and staff can directly enter all reimbursement requests into UC Berkeley’s Reimbursement System: The T & E Reimbursement System (External)
Specific information regarding reimbursements for entertainment-related expenses can be found in this resource: Filing an Entertainment Expense Report (External).
Key requirements for reimbursement requests
To make your request, you will need the following information:
- Business Justification (how does this benefit the university and the university’s mission: who, what, when, where, why)
- Chartstring Example of Full Chartstring (External)
- Approvals (payee, chartstring owner)
- All required documents Documentation and Receipts (External)
- To understand the required elements of a receipt and proof of payment, please review Elements of a Receipt and proof of payment (External)
- All expenses require receipts/documentation: Link to further information regarding documentation/receipt requirements (External)
Submission Deadline
All reimbursement requests must be submitted after the last day of travel or after the date of entertainment but within the 30 days of the date of the expense. This gives Business Services time to approve by campus deadline of 45 days and avoid the expense to be treated as income tax to the employee.
If you need assistance, check with your manager or contact the Business Services via email at inquiries@law.berkeley.edu