Purchases Not Exceeding $1,000
Purchases
of supplies, materials, and services not exceeding $1,000 (when not
available from University Resources or University contracts) may be
made from off-campus vendors. University employees with the written
authorization of their department head may make these purchases
from vendors without getting competitive prices from additional sources,
provided the price is reasonable.
Please note, however, this procedure
does not include the following exceptions that must always be requisitioned
through the Office of Purchasing, regardless of the dollar
amount.
•Advertising
•Catering
•Compressed gases
•Improvements to facilities (new construction, alterations, modifications,
remodeling, etc.), inclusive of carpet, draperies, mini-blinds, locks,
and locksmith supplies (please refer also to PS-84).
•Items normally available through University
Resources, Facility Services, Gasoline Station, Printing, Copier Services, Graphic Services,
University Relations, and University Stores.
•Professional, Personal and Consulting Services
•Unusual items (decorative, personal, or any items appearing
inconsistent with a department's mission)
Splitting
of purchases to stay within the $1,000 limitation is STRICTLY PROHIBITED
and subjects the University to a critical audit review. Vendors suggesting
or offering to put materials on multiple invoices to avoid the $1,000
limit should be reported to the Office of Purchasing. Departments
guilty of "splitting" invoices risk having to pay the invoices
with non-University funds and possibly losing their delegated purchasing
authority.
If
the vendor involved will deliver, or ship, or allow a department to
pick up an order of $1,000 or less based on the department's verbal
order, then the invoice for that purchase (approved for payment with
proper budget codes) may be submitted directly to Accounts Payable for payment.
Although
purchases within the $1,000 limit are monitored periodically, it is
the responsibility of the department to call the Office of Purchasing's
attention to any item purchased on a repetitive basis that could be
stocked in University Stores or placed on a University contract.
La
Carte Purchasing Card
“La
Carte” is a credit card issued to authorized employees for the
purpose of making low dollar purchases.
La
Carte is intended to simplify your buying process and improve your
cycle time from ordering to payment. Typical examples of items that
may qualify for this program include books, subscriptions, computer
accessories, materials, and supplies.
La
Carte is “programmed” with a range of information: the cardholder’s
identity; the account number and object code to which purchases are
to be charged; dollar limits for cardholder’s purchases— defaults
are $1000/transaction, $1000/vendor/day, $30,000 per month; and the
types of merchants (merchant category code (MCC)) that can or cannot
be utilized.
For
complete details as well as information on how to apply, click here: La
Carte Purchasing Card.
