FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT

AMERICAN EXPRESS MEETING PLANNERS ACCOUNT (MPA)

Reference: SAM MM 0808

1.      Q. What is a Meeting Planner?

A. A person authorized to arrange meetings, conferences and trainings for their department.

2.      Q. How do I get approval to arrange meetings and conferences?

A. You must be authorized by your Department Program Administrator and American Express.

3.      Q. What if the hotel wants an actual card to charge for guest rooms and meeting space?

A. As part of your contract with the hotel you will advise the convention center or hotel that you are

providing them with an American Express non-card billing number. If they have any questions regarding

use of the Meeting (MPA), they should contact their American Express Representative Shawn Campbell (Shawn.T.Campbell@aexp.com)

4.      Q. Do I need a formal written contract for a small meeting?

      A. You should have a formal written contract for each meeting to insure a common understanding between all parties.

It is important to establish the guidelines by which a hotel vendor can use the MPA (i.e., dollar limits). A one-page document should be sufficient

to cover your small guidelines.

5.      Q. Can a hotel invoice be faxed from the hotel to the meeting planner for signature approval and in turn faxed back

        to complete the process?

A. Yes, faxes are acceptable. Any subsequent changes must be approved and initialed by both the Meeting Planner and the hotel prior to

submission to American Express.

     6.      Q. Should all transactions be on one invoice?

A. The optimal process should include all transactions on a single invoice approved by the meeting planner, and one transaction amount

submitted to American Express.

7.      Q. Can you use one MPA number for all meetings?

A. Yes. American Express has the ability to provide multiple Meeting Planners Account numbers for individual planner or departments.

8.      Q. How can I get additional supplemental numbers?

A. Authorized Meeting Planners can contact their American Express Representative (Shawn.T.Campbell@aexp.com).

9.   Q.  Can I charge guest rooms & tax on the Meeting Planners Account?

A. Yes. Room & tax only should be stipulated to the hotel at the time of hotel arrangements and documented. Incidentals charges should

be placed on a personal card.

10.  Q. What if my American Express statement reflects an incorrect charge for my meeting?

A. The American Express billing statement must be paid in full by the next billing cycle to avoid a suspended account. If your bill and your signed

invoice do not match, contact your hotel (or venue) meeting representative immediately. American Express has already reimbursed the hotel (or venue)

and they must make the appropriate adjustments with American Express on your behalf.

11.  Q. Will penalty charges be applied to my account if I go past due on payment to American Express?

A. No. However, any payments past due may {60+ days will automatically} suspend your MPA account until payment have been applied.

12.  Q. What if I don’t have enough time to reconcile my meeting charges with the hotel prior to the American Express payment due date?

A. This should never happen if the invoice has been approved by the meeting planner prior to the American Express billing statement having been generated.

The hotel invoice has, in effect, been audited prior to signatures being applied and the hotel released to process the transaction.

13. Q.  How soon can hotels expect payment once the folio invoice has been approved?

A. Hotels have a relationship with American Express, which affords them a quick flexible payment schedule, usually 3 days. This is a significant benefit to them

since they do not have to “carry” your account.

      14.  Q.  Are there reports available to our departments providing our overall charges on our MPA?

A. Yes. Specific reports are available on a quarterly (YTD) basis by contacting your American Express Representative (Shawn.T.Campbell@aexp.com).

15. Q.  Does the MPA have an expiration date for the hotel to key in when requesting authorization?

A. For purposes of vendor authorization, you may use 12/2010 as a “valid through” date. However, the MPA is valid for the length of your

Corporate Card contract.

16.  Q. Where can I locate hotels listings to for my meetings?

A. A listing of hotels are located on the website for state employees www.catravelsmart.com.

      17. Q.  I have a hotel that I would like to use not listed on your website, how can I get them added to the website?

            A. In the lodging section of the website there is a 2008 Hotel Application that can be downloaded by the hotel to complete and mail to the address listed on the application to be added to the website.                                         

18. Q.  How do I order food or beverage for Meetings or Conference?

            A. Please refer to the DPA Codes www.dpa.ca.gov.

      A. Yes. A contract is always advisable.

       20. Q.  Can I continue using an independent meeting consultant to arrange my meeting?

             A. Yes. As long as the form of payment is the Meeting Planners Account (MPA) is to the hotels, convention centers, etc.

 21.  Q. What if I already have a signed contract?

            A. Provide an amendment to reflect the American Express Meeting Planners Account (MPA) as the form of payment.

 22. For additional questions, please contact the CA Meeting Manager Pamala Corona at (Pamala,Corona@dgs.ca.gov) or

       your American Express Representative Shawn Campbell (Shawn.T.Campbell@aexp.com).