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Purchase Cards

Purchase cards (P-Cards) are Visa credit cards issued to individual university employees for use while traveling on university-approved business and for the purchase of approved items or payment of approved services.

As employees of a public university, cardholders must be good stewards of taxpayer funds. The cardholder and reconciler both have a responsibility to ensure that all university funds are used wisely and in accordance with established purchasing policies. All P-Card transactions will be reviewed each month for adherence to University Purchasing and Travel policies.

Some things to remember when using a University Purchase Card:

  • The university is exempt from paying North Carolina sales tax and our tax-exempt number is noted on your credit card.
    • For in-person purchases be sure to notify the vendor (cashier) of your tax-exempt status prior to the purchase being processed.
    • For online purchases, you’ll need to review the vendor’s website for setting up a tax-exempt purchase.
  • Do not use your P-Card for Marketplace vendors or for purchases on campus.
  • Items ordered using a P-Card for payment that are being shipped must be shipped to a university address.

PCard Transaction Process Overview

Purchase is made
Transaction posts to Financials
Transaction is reconciled
Expense posts to WRS
Expense is deducted from cash balance

Image: P&BS Year End Planning Guide

Instructions for Purchase Card Holders:

  1. Follow proper internal procedures specific to DASA’s purchasing policies.
  2. Adhere to all university purchasing and travel policies.
  3. Ensure that transactions are not split to circumvent the approved per transaction dollar amount.
  4. The P-Card is for external use only and should not be used for purchases from other departments on campus.
  5. The P-Card is to be used strictly for NC State business-related purposes and may not be used for personal purchases.
  6. Ensure the NC Sales Tax is not charged on the purchase.
  7. Provide itemized receipts for all transactions – payments and credits.
  8. Redact any sensitive data on documentation before uploading: NC State Data Classification Table

If your card is approved for meals you will need to submit an itemized receipt that includes what food selections and beverages were served as well as the receipt that shows how much tip was given.  Both receipts are required for documentation.

Do not use the purchase card for meals when in travel status.  You will be paid a “per Diem” for each meal regardless of actual cost when you complete your Travel Reimbursement document.

International Travel Notification

The cardholder will need to notify the Bank of America (888-449-2273)  when they will be traveling Internationally.

International Transaction Fee

If you are traveling abroad and you are charged an international transaction fee, attach the original vendor receipt to this transaction for documentation and reference the transaction number (CPS#) of the originating transaction either on the receipt or in the comments box.

For Travel related purchases that cannot be competed or put through the bid process (hotel, airline reservations, etc.) the university can increase your per transaction amount above $5,000.

The card reconciler should enter an increase request through the NCSU card center for College level approval. Choose “Administrator Defined Limits” and select “One-Time Transaction Limit “. Enter the supplier name, date payment will be made, business purpose, and a comment describing what is needed before routing for approval.

Instructions for Purchase Card Reconcilers

Reconciler’s are responsible for reviewing the statement and receipts for the following information:

  • Purchases are NC State business-related.
  • All receipts are itemized with pricing that matches the selected transaction on the statement.
  • The business purpose is clearly defined for each receipt.
  • Receipts are legible and pertinent information is not missing.
  • All sensitive data has been redacted: NC State Data Classification Table
  • For project ID/Account code changes made after the reconciliation deadline, write the JV# on the receipt to indicate the correction made or save the journal as a PDF and attach it as additional documentation.

At the end of each “Billing” cycle the “Statement” cycle begins. During the statement cycle the reconciler will do a final review to be sure all charges have all the appropriate back up attached (receipts, as well as any other back up that might be required for that purchase) and they will then approve the statement and route it to the P-Card holder, who will then also have a chance to review and approve and the statement will then route to the P-Card holder’s supervisor for final review and approval. All three approvals must be completed by the last day of the statement cycle. If the statement is not approved at all levels by the deadline the Purchase Card office may choose to put the P-Card holders card on hold for an indefinite period of time.

Note: If there is a charge for food on the statement the department head must sign off on the statement. If the supervisor is the department head then no further action needs to be taken. However, if the supervisor is not the department head then the department head must be added as an ad hoc approver. This would be done by the first person (usually the reconciler) that routes the statement. As soon the statement is routed the routing workflow appears at the bottom of the page. Click on the plus symbol (+) between the second and third boxes and add the department head.

International Travel Notification

The cardholder will need to notify the Bank of America (888-449-2273) when they will be traveling internationally.

International Transaction Fee

If you are traveling abroad and you are charged an international transaction fee or make a purchase from a company in another country, attach the original vendor receipt to this transaction for documentation and reference the transaction number (CPS#) of the originating transaction either on the receipt or in the comments box.

P-Card Billing address: NC State University, 2721 Sullivan Dr., Campus Box 7212, Raleigh, NC 27695

Report a card lost or stolen

During university business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) contact the Purchase Card Administrator at 919-515-8097.

Nights and Weekends –  contact Bank of America at 1-888-449-2273.

For more information see the Purchase Card Website.