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Procurement Card (P-Card)

What Is a Procurement Card (P-CARD)

P-Card is a Visa credit card (PNC) issued to authorized Illinois Tech employees to make allowable purchases (purchases that fall within the Essential Spending Guidelines) up to $2,499 on behalf of the University.

The P-Card is also used for authorized University business travel expenses by University staff and faculty. As the P-Card is billed to and paid for by the University, P-Card holders are personally responsible for their assigned P-Cards, must not allow others to use their P-Cards, and should diligently secure the card at all times to guard against fraud and unauthorized use of the P-Card. Cardholders and departmental approvers are also responsible for accurate and timely reconciliation (receipt attachment and business purpose) and approvals for each billing cycle. Those individuals who are not reconciling their P-card purchases as required by will have their P-card privileges revoked.

Who Can Get a P-CARD

Illinois Tech AVPs, VPs, Budget Managers, those doing research using grant funds, or staff members who travel for essential university business, are qualified to obtain a P-Card

What Can the P-Card Be Used for

The P-Card is intended for low value authorized purchases that fall within the Essential Spending Guidelines, primarily goods under $2,499.

“Essential spending” is defined as only spending what is necessary to successfully deliver student programming and ongoing sponsored research, ensuring that strategic long-term goals are achieved, and maintaining critical campus facilities and infrastructure. 

Essential expenses include:

  • Costs related to keeping critical campus facilities and infrastructure safe and operational
  • Setting up and delivering courses
  • Supplies required to keep actively used labs and classrooms operational
  • Supplies necessary for the safety, health, and security of residents living on campus
  • Purchases required to keep the university in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
  • Travel and events, under the following conditions:
    • Travel/events paid for with internal university funds must be associated with critical university operations and be approved in writing by the interim provost (for those in the academy) or the appropriate vice president.
    • Grant-, endowment-, and/or ICR rebate-funded travel/events are permitted as long as sufficient funds from these sources are available.
    • Only economy-class domestic and international air travel is allowed.
  • Active externally sponsored research
  • For units that have gift/restricted funds, these funds must follow the critical spending criteria and must be exhausted with all applicable operational costs before spending for additive purposes.

All expenses that do not fall within the guidelines above should be considered nonessential. If it is unclear whether or not a requested expense qualifies as “essential spending,” requestors must seek advice and approval from their dean/VP. From there, the request must be reviewed and approved in writing by the interim provost (for all academic units and his direct reports) or the vice president of finance (for all non-academic units).

The P-Card CANNOT Be Used for

Under no circumstances can the P-Card be used for the following types of purchases:

  • Purchase of Gift Cards / eGift Cards
  • Any purchase of services, especially those that fall under policy E.6 Insurance Requirements for Third Parties, including bus charters
  • Postage stamps
  • Construction-related services
  • Leases, rentals, repeating periodic service agreements
  • Hazardous and radioactive/nuclear materials
  • Animals of any type
  • Capital equipment ($2,500 or greater)
  • Items for resale
  • Fuel purchases for personal vehicles
  • Purchases with suppliers that are available in Buy It eMarketplace such as Amazon, Home Depot, Fisher Scientific, McMaster Carr, etc.
  • Personal meals
  • Personal travel including local transportation such as taxis, Ubers, Lyfts, etc.
  • Travel purchases such as airline or hotel that can be purchased through the university’s Concur Online Booking tool
  • Department social events such as meals, parties, birthdays, etc.

Please review the for additional information on your responsibilities as a P-Card holder.

Use of your Visa P-Card for personal purchases, cash advances, or cash refunds is strictly prohibited!

Visa Spend Clarity Enterprise App. - The Little App. That Could!

Visa Spend Clarity Enterprise App

No more keeping and organizing paper receipts! Download the Visa Spend Clarity Enterprise App. and use it for quick and easy receipt capture and linking using your smartphone for your P-Card transactions no matter where you are!

Please review the and start to make your P-Card receipt capture and linking process more effortless!