U-M Employees

PCard and Travel & Hosting Card

Purchasing Cards 

The U-M Purchasing Card (PCard) is your key to simplified university purchasing, eliminating the need for personal funds and reimbursement hassles.

A university-issued credit card enables eligible employees to make immediate point-of-sale payments for travel expenses, hosting, memberships, and transactions under $5,000 only when items aren’t available through internal providers, university contracts or catalogs found on Marketsite+.

Explore the card options below to determine the best fit to meet your unit-specific needs.

PCard

The U-M Purchasing Card (PCard) is issued to eligible employees and may be used solely for purchases related to official university business. All items purchased with a PCard are the university’s property. Employees can have either a PCard or a Travel card but do not need both. The PCard can still be used for travel-related purchases.

    Use this card for:
    • Business purchases after exhausting a search of:
      • Marketsite+ catalogs
      • University-wide catalogs and contract & internal service providers (contract search)
      • Department-specific contracts
      • Restricted commodities (High risk – low dollar items)
    • Or through Marketsite+ for Amazon Business (U-M specific account) purchases

    Examples include:

    • Goods that cannot be found within Marketsite+
    • Memberships, dues, and subscriptions
    • Hosting (dine-in, carry-out, drop-off restaurants)
    • Travel-related expenses, especially international and conference travel
    • Hosting expenses, memberships, dues, and subscriptions
    • Transactions under $5,000 if the item is not available through an internal service provider or university contract (see Find Products & Services search tool)
    Do not use for:
    • Personal purchases
    • Goods and services available through a university contract or an internal service provider
    • Items on the list of Restricted Purchases and Special Approvals or items not considered an allowable business expense, unless specifically indicated
    • Purchases from payment systems that do not provide visibility into the item(s) that was purchased on the PCard statement (e.g., PayPal, Google Wallet, etc.).
      • If such a system is the only way the supplier accepts payment, detailed receipts showing the supplier and item details must be provided.

    Travel & Hosting Card

    The U-M Travel & Hosting Card is issued to eligible employees and is a subset of the current PCard program. The card is restricted to travel and hosting merchants only and is for employees who do not make any other business purchases for their department.

    Use this card for:
    • Travel and travel-related expenses, especially international and conference travel, including:
      • Airfare
      • Train fare
      • Hotels
      • Conference Registration
      • Ground transportation &  travel parking
      • Baggage fees
      • Car rental & gas/electric charging for rental vehicles
    • Hosting charges (i.e. dine-in, carry-out, delivery restaurants, non-catering)
    Do not use for:
    • Personal purchases
    • Travel meals, which are reimbursed via per diem after the conclusion of the trip
    • Purchases not related to travel or hosting

    Contact Us

    Use Request a Change to my Card to request a limit change, profile maintenance, temporary ATM capability or to close, suspend or reinstate a PCard/Travel Card.

    Request a Change to my Card
    Submit a Card Question
    Apply for a Card

    All policies and procedures must be strictly followed. JPMorgan Chase or U-M may suspend or cancel cardholder privileges at any time for any reason. Failure to comply with these policies may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. See SPG 507.10-1 Travel and Business Hosting Expense Policy for further information on PCard/Travel & Hosting Card policies.

     

    Cardholder Responsibilities
    Unit Responsibilities
    Expense Approver Responsibilities
    • The PCard/Travel & Hosting Card is only to be used by the person it is issued to (the cardholder). Allowing other employees to use a PCard/Travel & Hosting Card can result in its cancellation.
    • PCards/Travel & Hosting Cards remain the property of the financial institution issuing the PCard/Travel & Hosting Card (JPMorgan Chase). It may not be transferred to, assigned to, or used by anyone other than the cardholder.
    • All PCard/Travel & Hosting Card holders must take the required training, PRE110, every 3 years and must review the terms and conditions as written in the PCard/Travel & Hosting Card Cardholder Agreement.
    • PCard/Travel & Hosting Card holders are responsible for the proper use of the card and recording of the charges in Emburse Enterprise.

    Note: Items coded as a personal expense and submitted within Emburse Enterprise will serve as written consent to deduct from the cardholder’s paycheck.
    • Units determine who may be good candidates for a PCard/Travel & Hosting Card and are responsible for making applicants aware of the risks of being a PCard/Travel & Hosting Card holder, such as fraud or misuse.
    • Units should monitor their employees’ PCard/Travel & Hosting Card use. For those with Business Objects access, this report is a recommended management tool: PCard Holder Report.
    • Ensure the proper use of the PCard/Travel & Hosting Card by determining the business appropriateness of the transactions.

    Units select their own approver(s). Both the expense approver and the cardholder are equally responsible and accountable for transactions.

    Expense approvers:

    • Should be in a position of authority and at a higher level than the cardholder.
    • Review the transactions on the expense report and all supporting documentation to ensure compliance with all policies.
    • Approve the expense report in Emburse Enterprise, thereby attesting that they have thoroughly reviewed each transaction and have verified that all transactions are business appropriate and allowable expenses.
    • Must take the required approver training, Expense Report Approver Training.
    Provides a more secure form of payment, with the ability to track issues and address any improper or fraudulent charges with the support of JPMorgan Chase
    Eliminates the need to use personal resources and seek reimbursement for U-M business purchases while also eliminating the risk of taxation on late-submitted expenses
    Makes submitting expense reports easier, with most expense information pre-populated and already attached to your user profile
    Allows suppliers that offer e-receipts and third-level details to automatically send them to your expense profile so they will be attached to the transaction
    Provides more controls than a shortcode and requires approvals (prevents unauthorized use and accidental use of an incorrect shortcode)

    Training

    Policies

    • The university is exempt from the payment of sales and use taxes. The Michigan Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption can be used in accordance with SPG 502.03—Michigan Sales and Use Tax for university business.
    • Before making a PCard purchase, ask the supplier if sales tax can be excluded from the cost of the transaction. The university tax ID number is embossed on the PCard and most suppliers will accept this as evidence of U-M’s non-taxable status.
    • If you have any additional questions or inquiries about the tax status, please contact the Tax Compliance and Planning Department.