The key rule
Keep an itemized, paid receipt for every lodging expense, regardless of amount, and for every other individual expenditure of $75 or more. A card statement, reservation confirmation, or DTS screenshot does not replace the vendor's receipt.
Which expenses need a receipt?
The receipt threshold applies to an individual expenditure. It does not make an expense reimbursable, and it is not permission to split a single purchase into smaller claims. Your approving official still needs enough information to validate each expense.
| Expense | Receipt rule |
|---|---|
| Hotel or other lodging, even below $75 | An itemized lodging receipt is required. |
| One non-lodging purchase of $75 or more | A valid receipt is required. |
| One non-lodging purchase below $75 | No receipt is required under the general JTR threshold; keep it when available and follow applicable documentation rules. |
| Ordinary meals covered by M&IE | Standard M&IE is an allowance, not reimbursement of each restaurant bill. Authorized actual-expense cases have different requirements. |
One parking bill versus three fuel purchases
You pay $96 for eight days of airport parking in one transaction. That is one $96 expenditure, so a receipt is required; do not split it into eight $12 entries to avoid the threshold.
Three separate $30 rental car fuel purchases are three individual expenditures. Enter each actual date and amount. If you combine them into one $90 expense, DTMO's receipt guidance says a receipt is required.
What a valid receipt must show
The receipt must come from the vendor or its agent, be legible, and show what you bought and that it was paid. Before leaving the counter or hotel, check for:
- The vendor's name.
- The purchase or service dates.
- The itemized price of the goods or services.
- Any taxes and the total amount.
- Evidence of payment, such as a payment entry and zero balance.
A final hotel folio should show the nightly room charges, taxes, other fees, and payment. A booking email shows what you planned to buy. A card statement shows a payment but usually lacks the required itemization. Both can support the record, but neither is a substitute for the final vendor receipt.
Check hotel and third-party booking receipts carefully
Download the complete folio after checkout, including every page. Make sure the first and last nights match your actual stay. Check that room charges, lodging taxes, parking, meals, and other fees are distinguishable; the entire hotel bill does not necessarily belong in the lodging field.
For lodging purchased through an online booking agent, get the required daily room, tax, and fee breakdown from the hotel or booking agent. A combined “taxes and fees” amount can prevent reimbursement of those unitemized charges. DTMO specifically says a lost-receipt form cannot substitute for the required third-party lodging documentation.
Use the lodging tax guide to decide which amounts belong in lodging and which belong in a separate expense.
What to do if a receipt is missing
- Request a duplicate first. Try the hotel's folio portal, rental company's receipt lookup, airline or TMC, or vendor support.
- Keep a record of your attempts. Note whom you contacted and whether the vendor could supply the receipt.
- Ask your AO or travel office about the accepted statement. Where allowed, a statement explaining the loss must provide the information that the missing receipt would have contained. Use your Component's or organization's accepted format.
- Attach the statement and supporting evidence. Explain the expense accurately; do not manufacture a vendor receipt or assume the statement guarantees payment.
The DTMO receipts FAQ links to DFAS statement-in-lieu forms. The exception for third-party lodging above still matters.
Upload a receipt that your reviewer can actually use
In DTS, attach each receipt to the corresponding expense. Open the attachment to verify the text is readable and all pages are present. DTMO advises against attaching the same bundle of all trip receipts to every expense because it slows validation.
Foreign-language receipts may need an explanation or translation that lets the certifying official validate the claim; check your local requirements. Keep the original foreign currency amount and the exchange-rate evidence together.
Saving receipts during travel makes this easier. A photo taken at checkout is useful only if it captures the entire itemized, paid folio.
Sources and review notes
- DTMO: What is a Valid Receipt? — September 2, 2026
Receipt definition, the $75 threshold, individual-purchase examples, third-party lodging, missing receipts, and attachments. - DTMO receipts FAQ
Duplicate receipts and statement-in-lieu resources. - Joint Travel Regulations — September 2026
010301, receipt and lost-receipt requirements; 020304, M&IE documentation.
Checked September 13, 2026. These guides explain common TDY cases; the rules applicable to your travel dates, orders, and circumstances control. Your AO or travel office can resolve exceptions. Examples are fictional and do not establish an entitlement.
Written and published by Southwind Digital LLC, the maker of TDY Slayer. Report a correction.