CALS PCard Resources
Obtaining and using your PCard in CALS.
The Procurement Card (PCard) is a Visa corporate liability credit card used by approved employees for legitimate NC State University business purchases. The University PCard program is administered by the University Procurement and Business Services Department. NC State employees who have been given the authority by their department/college to purchase goods and services for their department are eligible to apply for a PCard.
To ensure compliance with university and state purchasing guidelines, CALS cardholders and reconcilers are required to complete additional training requirements. CALS employees should follow the steps below to obtain and retain their PCards.
Steps to Get Your CALS PCard
- Apply for a PCard: To request a PCard, all university employees must fill out an application which can be completed and submitted in the PCard Center in MyPack Portal. Learn More.
- Complete the University PCard Training: Once the application is accepted, an invitation to attend a PCard training administered by University Procurement and Business Services will be sent via email. Please note, CALS employees will not receive their PCard until they have also completed the college-level training.
- Complete the CALS PCard Training: Once you have completed the university training, you will need to register for college-level training administered by CALS CBO. Your role will dictate which CALS training is required of you. Please use the following link as a reference for which training you need to complete and how to register for the training: CALS PCard Training Requirements. Please note, a mandatory CALS PCard refresher training is required every three years. You will be notified via email when it is time to enroll in this course.
- Receive and Activate Your PCard: Upon completion of both university and college trainings, you will be contacted by CALS CBO to coordinate PCard delivery. Instructions for card activation and PIN setup can be found in the PCard Cardholder Manual.
Using and Retaining Your PCard
- Review Your Cardholder Roles and Responsibilities: Ensure you understand your roles and responsibilities as a PCard holder, as detailed in the PCard Cardholder Manual.
- Understand Allowable and Non-Allowable Purchases: It is critical you understand what purchases are allowable and non-allowable on your university PCard. Improper use of your card may result in your card being revoked and possible disciplinary action. Be sure to regularly review the purchasing guidelines in the PCard Cardholder Manual.
- Tax Exemption: All payments made to merchants using a university-issued PCard are exempt from sales tax. To receive sales tax exemption when making purchases, the cardholder must request sales tax exemption from the merchant. Instructions along with the NC State Tax Exemption form can be found in the PCard Cardholder Manual.
- Complete Required CALS Refresher Trainings: CALS PCard holders are required to complete a refresher training every three years. Cardholders will receive an automated email from the CALS PCard Supervisor notifying them of their upcoming refresher training, directions on which course to register for and how, as well as the time frame to complete the training.
Submitting Your Documentation and Receipts
- Dates and Deadlines: To ensure the CALS Business Office is meeting university PCard deadlines, CALS cardholders should follow the CALS PCard Billing Cycle Calendar for dates and deadlines, including the last day to upload receipts for each billing cycle.
- Uploading Receipts: Cardholder receipts should be uploaded in the PCard Center within 1-3 days of the transaction date and avoid uploading all receipts the day before or on the day of the reconciliation deadline.
- The following should be provided on, or uploaded with, the receipt:
- An Itemized Receipt*: Including vendor name and address, date of transaction/order, description of item(s) or service(s) purchased, quantity of item(s) purchased, shipping to address, and total breakdown of expenses.*An order confirmation may be provided to you as a receipt, yet must contain all required information above and show paid in full or amount owed is $0.
- Detailed business purpose: A detailed business purpose answers the following questions: who benefits from the transaction, where the purchased item is located (if applicable), and why the transaction was necessary. When the type of transaction may inherently imply a business purpose (e.g., toner, paper, pens, lab supplies, etc.), it is still necessary to provide a business purpose that describes which location or project within the department the item was purchased.
- Project phase when you do not want to use your project default for the transaction, travel authorization number when applicable, and any other necessary documentation.
Additional Resources