Prohibited Commodities
The use of the PCard for the following expense types is prohibited, and a violation of PCard policy. Such violations may result in consequences up to and including suspension of the PCard.
- Gift Cards*
- Local Travel Expenses**
- Fuel/Gasoline
- Car Rentals
- Furniture, Drapes, Carpeting
- Radioactive Substances
- Controlled Substances
- Equipment Leases, including Copiers/Printers
- Service/Maintenance Contracts
- Legal Fees
- Mortgages
- Rents
- Real Estate Taxes
- Space/Facilities
- Employee Relocation Services
- Translations and Interpreting
- Royalties
- Donations
- Consulting Services and Independent Contractors, such as:
- Attorneys
- Guest speakers/Lecturers
- Health care or medical care, including physicians
- Performers
- Human subjects
- Honorarium
- Purchases that are subject to any special regulations or require detailed documentation and/or special authorization in advance of the commitment of university resources
*Gift Cards: Gift Card purchases are only allowable for research study participant reimbursements. They cannot be purchased with the PCard for any other reason, and should instead be purchased using the ARIBA network.
**Local Travel Expenses: Use of the PCard for employee local travel expenses outside the Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge areas, including off campus meals, is prohibited. If a local travel expense exceeds $50, the PCard should not be used; instead, the University Travel Card should be used for the purchase. Because of the sensitivity of these transactions, the employee is required to complete an expense report in the expense management system to reconcile the card transaction, or prior to reimbursement of the expense for any out-of-pocket expenses.
Non-Local Travel: The PCard must not to be used for non-local business travel or non-local meeting expenses, including guest and/or student travel expenses.