The following table lists various commodities, products, and services procured regularly by the university.
| Restriction Level or Criteria | Visual Indicator |
|---|---|
| Items that may be paid for using the FlexCard with no restrictions other than observing the $5,000 per-transaction limit. | Green Shading |
| Items that may be paid for using the FlexCard if certain conditions are met (for example, retirement gifts or flowers for bereavement). | Tan Shading |
| Items that may not be paid for using the FlexCard are left unshaded. The correct method of procurement or payment is provided, including policy references where applicable. | Bold Italics text |
| Items that may not be paid for using university funds under any circumstances. | BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS text |
| Commodity | FlexCard Eligible? | Correct Process, Form, or Method | Policy Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Contractors for Services | No | Per California law, likely an employee. Check with HR or contact contracts@bfs.ucsb.edu. | AB5 |
| Covered Services: janitorial, groundskeeping, security services, laundry of UC-owned items, billing and coding, transportation and parking services, sterile processing, hospital or nursing assistant services, and medical imaging or other medical technician services. | No | Per Regents Policy 5402, employees must perform this work. Check with HR or contact contracts@bfs.ucsb.edu. | 5402 |
| Advertisements (Newspaper, Magazine, Radio, Internet) | Yes | ||
| Airfare | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| Alcohol (Ethyl) | Yes | Requires Gateway purchase order. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. | |
| Alcohol (Spirits) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS-79 |
| Amazon Prime Membership | No | Use Gateway PunchOut. | |
| Animals | Yes | Purchasing Department (Vivarium approval). Gateway purchase order required. Use FlexCard Authorization form and choose "Restricted" commodity. | |
| Artwork (Public and Reception Areas only) | Yes | ||
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: ARTWORK (EMPLOYEE'S WORK SPACE) | NO | NOT ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES | |
| Athletic Supplies and Apparel | Yes | ||
| Audio and Visual Equipment | Yes | ||
| Automatic External Defibrillator | Yes | Purchasing Department (Environmental Health and Safety approval). Use FlexCard Authorization form through Gateway and choose "Restricted" commodity. | |
| Awards | Yes | $400 maximum. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | BUS G-41 BUS G-42 |
| Books | Yes | ||
| Bottled Water | Yes | ||
| Business Cards | Yes | ||
| Cable and Satellite Television Services | Yes | ||
| Carpet Cleaning | No | Facilities Management. | |
| Carpets and Floor Coverings | No | Design and Construction Services. | |
| Cash Advances | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| Catering Services | No | UCEN Dining Services or Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) catering guidelines. | |
| Cell Phones and Cellular Services | Yes | ||
| Charters (Boats, Bus, Air, Limo, Shuttle, etc.) | No | Gateway. | |
| Chemicals (Hazardous) | Yes | Purchasing Department (Environmental Health and Safety approval) required. Use FlexCard Authorization form and choose "Restricted." | |
| Chemicals (Non-Hazardous) | Yes | ||
| Classroom Supplies and Equipment | Yes | ||
| Cleaning Supplies and Equipment | Yes | ||
| Controlled Substances | Yes | Purchasing Department (Environmental Health and Safety approval) required. Use FlexCard Authorization form and choose "Restricted." | |
| Copiers (Purchase and Monthly Maintenance Charges) | Yes | Gateway purchase order required. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. | |
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: DONATIONS | NO | EXCEPT FOR BEREAVEMENT: SEE "SYMPATHY" BELOW | |
| eBay | Yes | (Buy It Now function only; no bidding or auctions without prior Purchasing Department approval). "Buyer Beware" - refunds may be difficult to obtain. | |
| Employment Services | Yes | Approved campus contract vendors only. | |
| Entertainment | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS-79 |
| Equipment (Non-Inventorial) | Yes | ||
| Equipment (Inventorial) | Yes | Gateway purchase order required. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. | |
| Event Rentals | Yes | ||
| Extermination Services | No | Facilities Management. | |
| Fabrication Items | Yes | ||
| Facility Repairs or Renovations (Carpentry, Painting, Electrical, etc.) | No | Facilities Management. | |
| Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives | Yes | Gateway purchase order required. Use FlexCard Authorization form in Gateway. | |
| Federally Funded Purchases | Maybe | Under $10,000 is acceptable, but orders over $10,000 must be placed on a regular Gateway order. | |
| Flowers (Bereavement or Recognition Gifts to Employees) | Yes | $75 maximum. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | |
| Flowers (Public, Reception, or Event Decorations) | Yes | ||
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: FLOWERS (EMPLOYEE'S WORK SPACE) | NO | NOT ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES | |
| Food, Beverages, and Snacks (Business Meetings or Receptions) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS-79 |
| Furniture | Yes | ||
| Gasoline (Travel-Related) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: GOODS, SERVICES, AND APPLIANCES FOR EMPLOYEE PERSONAL USE (COFFEE, COFFEE POTS, TOASTERS, REFRIGERATORS, MICROWAVES, ETC.) | NO | NOT ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES | |
| Hotels, Motels, and Lodgings | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS-79 |
| Insecticides, Pesticides, Fungicides, and Herbicides | No | Facilities Management. | |
| Insurance | Yes | Environmental Health and Safety or Risk Management approval required. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway and choose "Restricted." | |
| Janitorial Services | No | Facilities Management (also see covered services above). | |
| Lease of Equipment | Yes | Purchase order required. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. | |
| Meals | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| Memberships (Professional) | Yes | FlexCard Membership Approval Form required. | BUS G-43 |
| Moving Services (Office and Lab) | No | Gateway. | BUS-43 BUS G-13 |
| Moving Services (Household) | No | Relocation process. | BUS G-13 |
| Newspaper Delivery Service (Including Online) | Yes | ||
| Non-Controlled Substances | Yes | ||
| Office Supplies | Yes | ||
| Parking Expenses Related to Business Travel | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| Parking for Campus Visitors | No | Direct reimbursement to visitor. | BUS G-28 |
| PayPal | Yes | "Buyer Beware" - refunds may be difficult. | |
| Periodicals and Publications | Yes | ||
| Photographic Equipment, Processing, and Supplies | Yes | ||
| Plants (Public and Reception Areas only) | Yes | ||
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: PLANTS (EMPLOYEE'S WORK SPACE) | NO | NOT ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES | |
| Postage Stamps | Yes | ||
| Printers and Supplies | Yes | ||
| Printing Services | Yes | ||
| Propane Gas | Yes | Purchasing Department (Environmental Health and Safety approval). Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. | |
| Publications | Yes | ||
| Purchase Order (FlexCard - F000000NNNNN) | Yes | If purchase exceeds card per-transaction limit, use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway. Once PO number is assigned, card limit is temporarily increased. PO number must be entered into the Allocation Module. | |
| Purchase Order (Gateway - GW0000NNNNNN) | Yes | If wishing to pay "regular" Gateway purchase order (PO generated not using FlexCard Authorization Form), acceptable subject to following conditions: 1. No previous payments via check or direct deposit (all payments must be via FlexCard); 2. PO must be closed in Gateway via request sent to Helpdesk. |
|
| Purchases (Goods or Services) requiring a contract | Yes | The following conditions apply: 1. Contract must be completed and signed by the Contracts Office prior to payment. 2. Payments must be in accordance with contract terms and conditions. 3. PO must be closed in Gateway via request sent to Helpdesk. |
|
| Radioactive Materials | Yes | Purchasing Department (Environmental Health and Safety approval) required. Use FlexCard Authorization form and choose "Restricted." | BUS-43 |
| Recognition Gifts (Employees, including Student Workers) | Yes | $75 maximum. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | BUS G-41 |
| Recognition Gifts (Non-Employees) | Yes | $600 maximum. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | BUS G-42 |
| Registration Fees for Conferences or Seminars (Even if held in Santa Barbara or on-campus) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| Registration Fees for Webinars | Yes | Must not include any travel. | |
| Reprints of Journal Articles | Yes | ||
| Retirement Gifts | Yes | $400 maximum. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | BUS G-41 |
| Security and Surveillance Cameras | Yes | Gateway - be sure to Ad Hoc in Procurement; several departments have to approve these. | |
| Storage Containers or Units (On-Site) | Yes | Purchasing Department approval required. Use FlexCard Authorization Form in Gateway and choose "Restricted Commodity." | |
| Storage Unit Rentals (Off-Site) | Yes | ||
| Subscriptions | Yes | ||
| Sympathy Gifts (Employees and Non-Employees) | Yes | $75 maximum for employees; $200 maximum for non-employees; $200 maximum contribution to charity. FlexCard Non-Cash Awards Approval Form required. | BUS G-41 BUS G-42 |
| Teaching Supplies | Yes | ||
| BOLD ITALICS ALL CAPS: TRANSACTIONS WITH UC EMPLOYEES OR NEAR RELATIVES OF UC EMPLOYEES | NO | NOT ALLOWED: CONFLICT OF INTEREST | BUS-43 |
| Tickets (Entertainment or Business-Related Functions) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-41 BUS-79 |
| Travel Expenses | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS G-28 |
| UCEN Bookstore | No | ||
| Vehicle Rental (Business Travel or Field Trips) | No | Corporate Card Travel and Entertainment process. | BUS-79 |
| Waste Management Services | No | Facilities Management. | |
| Window Blinds, Drapes, or Roller Shades (New or Repairs) | No | Design and Construction Services. |