PCARD TIPS
- DO NOT use the PCARD for meals when on travel (or charge them to your hotel bill). You’ll get reimbursed per diem for meals.
- DO USE the card for hotel, Uber/Lyft (don’t tip over 20%), registration fees, abstract fees, parking, airfare, car rental, etc.
- Must get itemized receipts showing what was purchased for all purchases.
- Cannot use PCARD for office décor items (rugs, lamps, furniture, etc. – please ask)
- Don’t tip over 20%
Tax Exemption Information:
- Before you purchase in a physical store using the PCARD, be sure to tell them your purchase is tax exempt (sometimes a tax exempt account must be set up in advance when using the PCARD online).
- Lodging/hotel costs are not tax exempt even when using the PCARD. We DO have to pay tax on lodging.
- Penn State has partnered with Amazon for you to have an Amazon Business Account so that Amazon purchases are tax exempt when using your PCARD. Visit the previous link and follow the steps below the dark blue bar. It’s pretty easy to set up. Be careful you are in the correct account when making personal Amazon purchases!
- Here are links to tax exemption certificates and letters if you need them. If you Google Penn state Tax Exemption, you should get a link to this page as well.
Research Specific
- Group Meals are almost never allowed on grants (except if specifically budgeted like for some workshop grants and REUs).
- OTHER ITEMS NOT ALLOWABLE ON GRANTS: General office expenses like paper, toner ink, pens, etc. Computers or other hardware unless it is specifically budgeted or being used solely for that project (can’t be a computer used for multiple projects or for a faculty member). A hard drive to store data for one specific project could be allowed if justified as such. Computers attached to equipment to collect data for one specific project could also be allowable. Please ask if unsure!
AMAZON BUSINESS ACCOUNT
Penn State has partnered with Amazon for you to have an Amazon Business Account so that Amazon purchases are tax exempt when using your PCARD. Visit the previous link and follow the steps below the dark blue bar. It’s pretty easy to set up. Be careful you are in the correct account when making personal Amazon purchases!
PSUBUY
You must take training and request access in order to see and use the PSUBuy tile in SIMBA. For training steps, navigate to the procurement site for PSUBuy and click the "PSUBuy Access" icon. After you have access, follow the instructions below for a one-time set-up procedure so your delivery address is populated on every order you place.
- Preferred over the PCARD if there is a vendor that provides what you need (e.g. you don't have to worry about tax being charged). The catalogs you might use most are for computer hardware and scientific supplies and equipment like DigiKey, McMaster Carr, CDW-G, Dell, Lenovo, B&H PhotoVideo, etc.
- Log into SIMBA and click the PSUBuy tile to shop.
Setting Up Default Shipping Address in PSUBuy.
- Go into PSUBuy tile in SIMBA.
- Click the little button with your initials on it in the upper right corner (pic below)
- Click “App Settings” then “Change Your Profile”
- Use the menu on the left to select Step 2: Account/Ship
- Scroll to the bottom under Step 3 where it says “Plant” and search for “1369 (WALKER BUILDING _ THE PENNSYLVANIA….” And choose it.
- In the Deliver To field, type your name (if it isn’t there already. )
- Click “NEXT” at the bottom of the page
- Add a comment that you are setting your default delivery address, then click next again and again until you get a “Submit” button and then click it!