Standard Allowable Purchases
The PCard may be used for the following university business expenses:
- Conference registrations
- Utility payments
- Office supplies (although always shop the MarketPlace first)
- Scientific supplies (although always shop the MarketPlace first)
- Groceries (food for human and non-human consumption should be documented appropriately and approved by your department/college)
- Gift cards for employees, non-employees, and research incentive payments, when approved by your college/department (Please refer to the Sponsored Programs guidelines for research incentive payments and to the Controller’s guidelines for 1099 reporting for employee and non-employee gift card purchases)
Meal Charges
Meal Charges are allowed regardless of travel status when:
- Entertaining a group of individuals (i.e. not just the cardholder).
- They are business related and approved by the college/department.
- They have appropriate documentation.
- Submit a list of attendees and business purpose with your documentation; this could be in the form of an AP107. Please check with your college/department on what documentation is required.
- Per diem meals are NEVER allowed.
Non-Allowable Purchases
PCards CANNOT be used for the following:
- Personal meals.
- Payments to individuals (including grant-writing, honorariums, etc).
- Hotel incidental charges such as movies, bottled water, room service and laundry.
- Third-party lodging (ex: AirBnB, VRBO).
- Fuel for a personal vehicle.
- Additional insurance on rental vehicles in the U.S.
- Goods or services for personal use.
- Payments to other NC State University departments (with the exception of Campus Enterprises businesses). Use an interdepartmental transfer (IDT) or service unit billing (SUB) for these purchases.
- Parking Infractions: The individual driver is responsible for how and where they park regardless of who owns the vehicle. Refer to the policy under the Controller’s Travel Center.
- Additional merchant category restrictions as described below.
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