The Bicycle Commuter Benefit is available to:​

• Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs​
• Members of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Student Union ​

Participants are eligible only if they commute by bicycle for a substantial portion of their commute and do not receive a University of Pennsylvania transit benefit or annual parking permit during the same period.​

• Bicycle Purchase - New or used bicycle from retailers or private sellers​
• Bike improvements, including labor costs for repair or installation of parts (tips will not be reimbursed)​
• Bike maintenance parts and professional tune-ups​
• Bike mounted parts, such as locks, storage, or child seats​
• Safety Gear, including lights, helmets and reflective items​
• Parking and Storage​

• Bike-share or gym memberships​
• Athletic clothing or shoes that are not bike cleats​
• Bike rental​
• Car-mounted bike racks​
• Any purchase (including otherwise eligible ones) for with you have no valid receipt​

Final determination of expense eligibility will be made by the Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Team​

To be eligible for reimbursement, participants must submit documentation that clearly includes:​

• Name of the service provider or seller​
• Description of the item purchased or service received​
• Amount paid and method of payment​
• Date(s) of purchase or service​

All receipts must be issued in the participant's name. The University reserves the right to review all reimbursement requests and approve or deny them based on the submitted documentation and applicable requirements.​

• Is a full-time benefits-eligible faculty, staff, or post-doctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania or a member of the Graduate Student Union​
• Has registered a bike at the University ​
• Does not have another commuter benefit within the university, including transit or parking. 

• Commuter bike reimbursements are treated as taxable wages and a subject to federal and state withholding​
• Are submitted and reviewed on an annual basis. Any requests submitted outside of the approved timeline will not be considered.​

The Graduate Student Union (GSU) contract provides eligible graduate student workers with access to the Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Program. Annual funding for this program is capped at $30,000, and reimbursement requests submitted after available funding has been exhausted will not be approved.​

Eligible graduate student workers may submit a Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Form to receive reimbursement of up to $240 for eligible expenses, provided they include the required supporting documentation.​

This benefit is available only to graduate student workers who are GSU members during the applicable benefit period. For example, reimbursement requests for purchases made in August 2026 require the applicant to be a GSU member in August 2026.​

Participants in the Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Program must follow all guidelines outlined on this page. Applications that are incomplete, missing required documentation, or contain inaccurate information may be canceled or denied. 

The university follows IRS guidelines for Bicycle Commuter Reimbursements, which determine whether reimbursements are pre-tax or post-tax. More information is available in IRS Publication 15-B:​
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b

No. The Indego365 membership is not included in this program. However, employees may participate in both the Indego365 program and the Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Program at the same time.

Yes. We will review all receipts submitted, but reimbursement is capped at $240.

No. Reimbursement receipts must match the tax year of the program. For example, a receipt from May 2025 cannot be used for the 2026 reimbursement cycle (which runs January–March 2027).

Yes. You may not have another commuter benefit during the same month as the reimbursement purchase.

Yes. Your termination date will be added to the OTP file in the “Effective Date” column. You will still receive your reimbursement after March 15.

Yes. We will use your current position number on the OTP file.

After you submit your Bicycle Commuter Expense Reimbursement Form, a member of the Commuter Benefits Team will respond confirming your submission. Respond to this message and explain your employment situation (for example: I made this purchase in August 2026 but I left the university in November 2026). Commuter Benefits will work directly with Payroll to process your reimbursement while still ensuring your tax records and final pay/reimbursement are accurate.

Registering your bike with the Division of Public Safety helps protect your property. The registration sticker serves as a visible deterrent and increases the chances of recovery if your bike is lost or stolen. We ask this question to confirm that you are taking steps to keep your bike secure. Bike registration is easy, smart, and free.​

Learn more and register here: https://www.campusexpress.upenn.edu/safety/faculty_staff.jsp

A “valid” receipt just needs to clearly show who, what, when, and how much.​
​
Whether it’s handwritten or typed, a valid cash receipt must include these basics:​

Seller information​

• Business name (or individual’s name)​

• Address​

• Phone number or email​
  (A logo is nice but not required)​

Receipt details​

• Date of purchase​

• Receipt number (can be simple, like #0017)​

Item or service description​

• What was purchased​

• Quantity​

• Unit price​

• Line total​

Totals​

• Subtotal​

• Tax (if applicable)​

• Total amount paid​

Payment method​

• Clearly state: Paid in cash​

Confirmation​

• Seller’s signature or​

• “Received by” name or​

• Business stamp (if available)​

• Yes, sales tax will be reimbursed.​

• No, tips are not reimbursable.

• Take a photo of the receipt immediately​

• Attach:​

  • A short explanation of the expense​

  • The business purpose​

  • Don’t alter totals after the fact—redo the receipt instead