Rhode Island Per Diem Allowance

Calculate Rhode Island’s per diem rate based on GSA guidelines to simplify your business travels.

Find my State   ↓

Trusted by 2000+ Customers

  • Aprio
  • Centric
  • Classic Collision
  • Datastax
  • Disruptive
  • E3 Environmental
  • Encore Enterprises
  • Keystone
  • May Mobility
  • Sprenger
  • TST Construction
  • Williams Homes

Rhode Island is a key destination for business and academic travel. For organizations with employees traveling Rhode Island, a clear and efficient per diem strategy is essential for managing expenses in a state with diverse and seasonal costs.

This guide is designed to provide clarity on travel expenses in Rhode Island. We will cover the official GSA per diem rates, explain the laws that govern employee reimbursement, and show you how to streamline the entire process.

Rhode Island Per Diem Rate

Per diem rates for official travel in Rhode Island are set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). These federal rates are mandatory for federal employees and serve as a common benchmark for private sector companies looking to create an IRS-compliant reimbursement policy.

For Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), key rates are broken down as follows:

Major Metro and Tourist Destinations

Rhode Island's primary cities and tourist hotspots have their own designated Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates.

  • Providence / Bristol (Providence & Bristol Counties):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: A flat rate of $154 per night.
  • Newport (Newport County, including Jamestown & Middletown):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: Highly seasonal, with a peak summer rate of $268 per night (June-Aug) and rates as low as $141 per night in the off-season.

The first and last day of travel for these locations, the M&IE rate is $60.00.

Standard CONUS Rate

For any county in Rhode Island not specifically listed by the GSA—such as Washington County—the standard CONUS rate applies. For FY 2025, this rate is $178 ($110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE).

Rhode Island Per Diem Rate Calculator

Find the exact per diem allowance for your business trip to Rhode Island with our easy-to-use calculator. Select the fiscal year, choose your destination, and input your travel dates. The tool will instantly provide the correct lodging and M&IE rates based on the official GSA schedule.

{{ state.name }}
{{ county }}

Your per diem allowance

Dates
Lodging (L)
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
Total (L + M&IE)
{{ value }}
{{ result.label }}
Lodging (L)
{{ result.lodging }}
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
{{ result.meals }}
Total (L + M&IE)
{{ result.total }}
*For the first and last day of travel, M&lE spend is limited to 75% of its normal, daily allowance.

Rhode Island GSA Lodging Rates

Financial year
{{ lodgingYear }}
{{ lastYear(lodgingYear) }}
{{ lodgingYear }}
County
{{ month }}
{{ result.county }}
{{ result.lodging[month] ? `$${result.lodging[month]}` : '' }}

Rhode Island Meals and Incidental Rates

Financial year
{{ mealsYear }}
County
Daily M&IE Total
{{ result.county }}
{{ result.meals ? `$${result.meals}` : '' }}

Some Important Rhode Island Per Diem Laws

For private employers in Rhode Island, state law provides strong protections for employee wages, making a clear reimbursement policy essential.

  • The Role of Company Policy and Wage Protection: While Rhode Island law does not have a single statute requiring all private employers to reimburse all business expenses, the state's wage and hour laws strictly limit unauthorized deductions from employee wages. This means an employer cannot force an employee to pay for business travel costs if it reduces their pay, making reimbursement a practical necessity.
  • Rhode Island's State Employee Travel Regulations: The State of Rhode Island has its own detailed travel regulations for its public employees. This policy sets specific reimbursement rates and rules for lodging and meals that are separate from, but often based on, the GSA per diem system.

Rhode Island Per Diem Laws vs Federal Law

It's important to understand the distinction between the federal GSA system and Rhode Island's state law.

Primary Applicability

  • Federal Law (GSA): Mandatory for all U.S. federal government employees on official business in Rhode Island. It is also the most common standard used by private businesses for an IRS-compliant accountable plan.
  • Rhode Island State Law: Does not mandate a specific reimbursement system for private employers but provides strong wage protections. The primary legal considerations are the employer's own policies and the state's minimum wage laws.

Rate Setting and Usage

  • Federal Law (GSA): Sets specific, non-negotiable per diem rates for various locations in Rhode Island that federal agencies must use.
  • Rhode Island State Law: Does not set or regulate per diem rates for private companies. Businesses are free to set their own reimbursement rates or policies, though using GSA rates is a common best practice.

Legal Focus

  • Federal Law (GSA): Aims to create a uniform, cost-controlled system for federal travel.
  • Rhode Island State Law: Aims to protect employee wages and relies on the agreements made between an employer and employee, holding businesses accountable to their own written policies.

How Fyle Can Automate Per Diem and Expense Tracking

Managing business travel in a state like Rhode Island, with its seasonal rate changes and diverse industries, requires a smart, efficient system. Fyle's expense management platform automates your entire travel and expense process, giving you powerful control and saving your team valuable time.

Here’s how Fyle streamlines your Rhode Island travel expense management:

  • An Automated Policy Engine for Complex City Rates: Build your specific company travel rules directly into Fyle, including the seasonal GSA rates for Newport. Fyle automatically checks every submitted expense, preventing out-of-policy spend and ensuring compliance without manual review.
  • One-Click Expense Reporting for Traveling Employees: Your team can capture and submit expense receipts the moment a transaction happens. A quick text or a photo from Fyle is all it takes to create a fully documented record, eliminating the need for paper receipts.
  • Simplified Corporate Card Reconciliation: For companies using corporate cards, Fyle offers direct integration with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. It provides real-time transaction feeds and helps employees reconcile their spending instantly, ending the monthly hassle of matching statements to receipts.
  • Accurate Mileage Tracking for Every Business Trip: Fyle integrates with Google Maps to provide a robust mileage tracker to log vehicle mileage, perfect for travel around the state.
  • A Faster, More Accurate Financial Close: Fyle integrates seamlessly with leading accounting software like NetSuite, Sage, QuickBooks, and Xero. All approved expense data flows straight to your general ledger, eliminating hours of manual data entry and ensuring a faster, more accurate monthly close.

With Fyle, you can manage your Rhode Island travel expenses with confidence, providing a modern, hassle-free experience for your employees while maintaining perfect financial control.

ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMAMDMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWAWVWIWY

Your single platform for tracking per diems, mileage, receipts, and automating all expense reporting.

G2 Leader Winter 2025 badgeG2 High Performer Enterprise Winter 2025 badgeG2 Best Software 2025 – Top 100 Highest Satisfaction Products badgeG2 Best Software 2025 – Top 50 Accounting & Finance Products badgeG2 Momentum Leader Winter 2025 badgeG2 Most Implementable Mid-Market Winter 2025 badge
Learn more

Also Read

How Fyle helps traveling employees manage corporate travel management

Corporate Travel Management: Everything You Need to Know

Learn more
Fyle blog explaining all the tax rules for per diems

All the Tax Rules for Per Diems You Need to Know

Learn more
Fyle guide for managing business expenses

Business Travel Expenses: A Guide to Management, Calculation, Tax Deductions & More

Learn more

The content on this page is for informational use. As legal standards and per diem rates are subject to change, users should verify current details with official GSA or government resources. This information does not serve as financial or legal counsel.