Gift Cards
Gift cards or gift certificates for general merchandise are considered cash equivalents regardless of dollar amount or funding source and may be reportable and taxable, therefore:
- Pre-approval from the University Controller is necessary when... 1) a gift card—or multiple gift cards/gifts totaling $100 or more per person—is given to the same individual for the same event; and/or 2) the total purchase of gift cards is $1,000 or more, regardless of the value of individual cards;
- Gift cards over $100 is considered taxable income to the recipient;
- Gift cards or certificates are allowable only when purchased on a Cal Poly ProCard and must follow Table 1 below;
- Reimbursement are not allowed for gift card purchases.
- Gift Card policy can be found in the Hospitality Policy
| Merchant (where to be used) | Do Not Exceed Amount |
|---|---|
| University Store | $100 |
| Nominal 3rd party (i.e. Starbucks, Amazon, Best Buy, etc.) | $ 25 |
| Any1 | $1002 |
1 Retirement only
2 Retirement gift or total of multiple gifts (including gift cards and/or merchandise) above $100 must be reported to Payroll 60 days before retirement date to allow for tax withholdings since this is considered taxable income.
How to Buy
Procurement Process
- Fill out Gift Card Request Form and Hospitality Justification Form
- Submit to procard@calpoly.edu
- ProCard administrator will contact USBank to unblock the merchant code to allow the purchase on the card; cards can only be held open for up to 10 days
- Cardholder can purchase gift cards per request form
Payment
Visit the ProCard webpage for information and application.