Gift cards are allowable under UW System Administrative Policy 330, “Prizes, Awards, and Gifts,” but with limitations
- Purpose: Gift cards are primarily for research subjects or as prizes for events/workshops/surveys, not as general gifts or employee compensation.
- Employee Restrictions: Gift cards should not be given to UW employees, except in rare cases where their participation is incidental to the reason for the gift card.
- Nonresident Alien Restrictions: Gift cards cannot be given to Nonresident Aliens (NRAs) due to tax regulations; payments must be processed through a Payment to Individual Report (PIR) or Direct Payment (DP)
- Purchase Limits: Gift card purchases on a PCard are limited to $50 or less per card. Larger amounts require a Workday Request by a SIR.
- Pre-Approval: Pre-approval is required for all gift card purchases, regardless of the funding source. This involves submitting a Spend Authorization with the business purpose of Gift Cards.
Determine Business Purpose & Documentation in Spend Authorizations - Documentation:Detailed documentation is required, including the Gift Card Recipient Log, vendor receipts, and spend authorizaiton attached to an expense report.
– Gift Card Recipient Log (if all cards have already been dispersed) found on the Workday Website Forms and Publications.– Pertaining documentation to justify purchasing of gift cards. The spend authorization must include: – Purpose of the gift card purchase – Explain how the distribution of gift cards will benefit the University – Vendor name – Quantity of cards requested – Dollar amount of each card
. - Purchasing Card Compliance Policy
Determine Business Purpose & Documentation in Spend Authorizations