Do You Need a CU Procurement Card?

If your job duties require you to make purchases on behalf of CU, you may reach out to CIRES Purchasing cirespurchasing@colorado.edu about obtaining a PCard for certain small-dollar purchases. Typically, the purchase limits will be $1,000 per transaction and $3,000 per month.

To reduce administrative burden and audit risk there are now limitations around issuance of PCards at CIRES. In some cases, it may be more appropriate for an individual to use the CU Marketplace procurement system or to have only a travel card. Furthermore, your finance manager or CIRES Purchasing can place orders on your behalf.

To start, please answer the following questions:

1. What is the business need for the PCard? 
2. On a monthly basis, will more than three purchases be made with the Pcard?
3. Will you be purchasing items regularly throughout the year or only sporadically for specific field campaigns? 
4. Is there another PCard holder in your group who could make these purchases?
5. Do your supervisor and Finance Manger agree that a PCard is necessary for your work?

Required PCard Training:

If, based on the answers to these questions, CIRES Procurement determines that you should have a PCard, you will be asked to complete the following trainings:

• CU: Procurement Card Cardholder Training (U00053)
• CU: Procurement Fundamentals (U00208)
• CU: IT Procurement (U00282)
• CU: Fiscal Code of Ethics (F00001)

Please note: CU required training and procurement card processes will be changing in 2027.

After all trainings have been completed, please email the following to cirespurchasing@colorado.edu. 

• Training certificates of completion
• Phone number to associate with the card
• If it is not appropriate for the PCard to be mailed to the CIRES Message Center for pick up, please provide an alternate address (such as your residence or DSRC). 

You’ll receive the card in a couple of weeks. If your card is being mailed to the CIRES Message Center, you will be contacted when it is ready for pick-up.

There are a lot of procurement rules, so be cautious before whipping out your card.

• Always get an itemized receipt.
• Make sure you are not charged tax. The University is tax exempt for any purchases delivered to the State of Colorado.
• Maximum amount for tips: 20%

Can I buy it on my PCard? 

YES, ALLOWED: 

• Field or laboratory research supplies and services
• Conference registration to present research (but not travel)
• Cost of publications related to the project and poster preparation for presentations

PROCEED WITH CAUTION There may be complex requirements for the following types of purchases. Please consult with your finance manager or CIRES Purchasing beforehand:

• Restaurant meals, employee food
• Official Functions
• Employee appreciation events, retirement parties, gifts, flowers, fruit baskets, etc.
• Anything automotive related
• Software licenses
• Memberships
• Gift cards

NO, DON’T:

• Computing equipment or supplies
• Personal purchases
• Split purchases for transactions exceeding your purchase limit.
• Office supplies
• Furniture
• Travel and travel-related expenses (with the exception of conference registration)
• Purchases requiring an authorized signature
• Donations, political expenses
• Parking
• Anything you can purchase with a PO through CU Marketplace punchout
• Alcohol

Here is Violations a Prohibited Transactions link: https://www.cu.edu/psc/procurement-card-handbook/violations-and-prohibited-transactions

If you are unsure or believe there are extenuating circumstances, please contact your FM or cirespurchasing@colorado.edu.

For more information, please refer to the Procurement Card program handbook

Creating Procurement Card Reports in Concur

Charges on your PCard should be submitted to an approving official within 30 days. Please try to include all of the month’s charges on one report.

Here are some pointers:

• Naming convention: "Last Name P-Card Month Year."
• Submit one report each month with all transactions.
• Assign charges to the appropriate ST.
• Always enter a business purpose. Feel free to add comments. Attach extra documents just to be sure. 
• Always attach an itemized receipt that shows in detail the items purchased unless the amount is $25 or less. Official function receipts are always required. 
• The University is tax-exempt for purchases received in the State of Colorado. Contact vendors for a refund if sales tax is included in the invoice/receipt. 
• Maximum tip amount is 20% of the final bill. 
• IT goods or services that fall under an existing university agreement may not be charged to your PCard.
• Complete an ICT review  before making any software purchases,  Attach a copy of any new ICT. If an ICT was previously completed, note it in the comments.
• Official Functions expenses must include a list of attendees as a comment or an attachment. Small official function (up to 10 attendees): Must provide name of each attendee and relationship with CU. Large Official Function (more than 10 attendees): List by general categories (for example: 10 students, 5 staff, 5 faculty)
• Conference Registration should use expense type 553000 REGISTRATION FEES
• Does your conference registration include additional charges for items like map, guidebook or membership fee? If they are not required by the conference, ask for a refund.
• Abstract submission fees should use expense type 487602 PRT/PUB/REPRO SERVICES
• Membership fees are discussed in this article on the CIRES Travel Costs page: https://ciresconnect.colorado.edu/en_US/travel-services-pages/travel-costs
• NOTE: Auto-fill does not equal correct. Concur may assign random expense types to your transactions. Now you know better, because you have this handy guide
• For violations, CU issues Official Warnings. Then they may escalate to 50-point violation.
•  At 90-days, expenses become your taxable income (Don’t say I didn’t warn you). 

Links to Concur Tutorials: 

Here is the link to the page with all of the tutorials: https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/topic/0TO8b000000ZFtOGAW/concur-expense

Here is the link showing how to create a new Pcard report: https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/Concur-Expense-Creating-a-New-Procurement-Card-Report

Here is the link showing how to add and expense to a report: https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/Concur-Expense-Adding-an-Expense

How to allocate (add the speedtype): https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/Concur-Expense-Allocations

Here is the link showing how to submit an expense report: https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/Concur-Expense-Submitting-an-Expense-Report

Here is step-by-step guide on “Concur Expense: Reconciling an Official Function Expense”:

https://pschelp.cu.edu/s/article/Concur-Expense-Reconciling-an-Official-Function-Expense

Commonly used Account Codes for P-Card reports:

• 487602 Prt/Pub/Repro Services (for publication and abstract fees)
• 500100 IT SUPPLIES
• 500200 IT SERVICES
• 500400 IT SOFTWARE LICENSES
• 530101 LAB & TECH SHOP SUPPLIES
• 530102 LAB & TECH SHOP SERVICES
• 532601 FIELD RESEARCH SUPPLIES
• 553000 Conference Registration Fees
• 550100 LARGE OFFICIAL FUNCTION (more than 10 attendees) 
• 550100 OFFICIAL FUNCTION (up to 10 attendees) 
• 8010700 CAPITALIZABLE EQUIPMENT COMPONENTS (FAB TAG# required)