Purchases under $10,000 can be made using UA Financials Shop Catalogs which is in UAccess Financials or by using a University purchasing card (department or individual - see below for more details). For training on the UA Shop Catalogs system, please contact Heather Alvarez. Please note that capital purchases over $5,000 using grant funds must be budgeted or have approval from your program manager.
Purchases over $10,000 must be made via purchase requisition/order. All purchases require a quote and purchases over $25,000 require a sole-source justification (see 4.7 Sole source policy for additional details) or 2 additional quotes (if a sole-source is not applicable). Please fill out the purchase order smartsheet below to move forward and please allow ample time for the processing of your purchase request. The Purchasing office can take up to 14 business days to get your purchase order submitted to the vendor.
Researchers, Staff, and Faculty who use the purchasing card often are encouraged to obtain their own card. This is encouraged but not mandatory. The Department currently has two departmental purchasing cards that can be checked out. The cards can be checked out in the Geosciences Business Office. Upon check out, users will be required to sign a checkout sheet. Copying of the PCard information for future use is prohibited. Once purchase is made, please complete the PCard order smartsheet and attach receipt(s).
NOTE: purchases made with the PCard must follow purchasing card rules and guidelines. The current single PCard transaction limit is $10,000. Purchases such as hotels, software from foreign vendors, hazardous materials, alcohol, and expenses paid on behalf of non-employee foreign individuals may not be made with the PCard. Please be aware that the PCard cannot be used at the UofA Bookstore and all Bookstore purchases must be made via internal billing (contact business office for instructions). For more information regarding the use of the PCard and for more detail on allowable/unallowable purchases please see the Purchasing Card Policy Manual. If in doubt, please reach out to the business office before making a purchase.
Business purpose
Expenses purchased on behalf of the University must have a clear written business purpose that details the benefit to the either a specific research project and/or University business related purpose. Click here for guidelines on writing a business purpose: https://www.fso.arizona.edu/financial-management/business-purpose
Request a PCard
Please complete the Individual PCard Request smartsheet.
An employee can submit a request for reimbursement if the expense is reasonable and in accordance with University of Arizona Guidelines. Purchases made at the UofA Bookstore are not reimbursable and must be made via internal billing (contact the business office for instructions). Equipment such as computers, field gear, etc. that are reimbursed with University funds become the property of the University of Arizona. To avoid taxation, receipts must be received and processed within 90 days. UA Financial Services will not reimburse employees for alcohol and business expenses paid on behalf of non-employee foreign individuals. To prevent any delays, check with the Business Center prior to making your purchase.
NOTE: Use of a purchasing card is preferred over employee reimbursements.
If you plan on inviting a guest (Guest Speaker, Visiting Scholar, consultant, etc) and plan to provide any kind of reimbursement, please contact the Business Center prior to issuing any kind of commitment to ensure reimbursement is allowable under University of Arizona policy. Send an email to halvarez@arizona.edu(link sends e-mail).