Return to CSUN Homepage
Page Description

The following page is a three column layout with a header that contains a quicklinks jump menu and the search CSUN function. Page sections are identified with headers. The footer contains update, contact and emergency information.

Purchasing and Contract Administration

Prohibited & Restricted PCard Uses

Prohibited Uses of the P-card:

The following transactions are prohibited by State or CSU regulations:

The following transactions are prohibited, CSU regulations require specific controls for the purchase of such items and these must be submitted to the Purchasing Office via the requisition/purchase order process. The exception is Travel. Accounts Payable is responsible for the travel process.

Restricted Use of the P-card:

The following items require additional action.  This may be in the form of requesting approval from Purchasing & Contract Administration prior to the purchase or providing supporting documentation/justification for the purchase.

Approval required prior to the purchase:  The following transactions require approval from Purchasing & Contract Administration in order to make a purchase.  To request approval, email pcardhelp-l@csun.edu.  For urgent requests you can contact the PCard Coordinator at extension 5916.  Submission of a request is not an automatic approval.  You must receive an email confirmation your request is approved before making the purchase.

Supporting Documentation: The following transactions require the cardholder to document their transactions.

Gratuities:

Gratuities are permitted for programmatic events (served on or off campus or delivered to campus). Gratuities are allowed in an amount up to 20% of the cost of the meal. This means the gratuity shall be calculated on the dollar amount of the meal (do not include costs for tax, handling fee, and/or delivery fee when calculating the gratuity). As with all PCard transactions, an itemized receipt must be obtained. Cardholders will be required to reimburse the University for any amount of gratuity that exceeds the permitted amount.

Office Products Orders:

The CSU's exclusive office products vendor is OfficeMax (OM). Orders for office supplies should be placed via the OfficeMax online system. Do not place purchases for office supplies for OfficeMax and especially not for any other office supply vendor using the P-Card. There are exceptions:

  1. If you need to make a purchase that cannot wait for the OM next day delivery. You may use your P-Card in conjunction with an OfficeMax Retail Card to make the purchase (this will ensure you receive contract pricing or special pricing; whichever is lower).
  2. You may purchase from another office supply retail location using the P-Card if exception #1 above does not meet your needs. Contact the Purchasing Office if you need any assistance or guidance with this process at extension 2301.