Gift Cards and Gift Certificates
Gift cards and/or gift certificates (“Gift Card(s)”) are considered cash equivalents and require careful oversight, documentation and approval. Because Gift Cards fall under the Hospitality Policy, a completed Hospitality Justification Request form is required for all purchases and distributions.
Purchases from Campus Merchants (Follet or Cal Poly Partners)
- Gift Cards must be purchased via CSUBUY.
- Recipient requirements are based on the Gift Card value:
- Under $50, recipient names are not required; department should retain names in case of audit
- $50 or more, must name recipient(s) in requisition.
For large-scale events, such as Move-In or Commencement, recipient names may be provided after purchase and submitted along with the invoice.
Purchases from All Other Merchants
- Gift Cards may only be purchased using a ProCard.
- Prior to purchase, a Card Service Request must be submitted and approved in Concur. See Gift Card Guide for details.
- Recipient names must be documented on the ProCard statement (as Attendees in Concur)
- Individual Gift Card face values may not exceed $25*, except retirement which can be up to $100.
*Employees who receive Gift Cards totaling $100 or more, regardless of individual face value, must report the amount to Payroll as taxable income.
For detailed instructions please see the Gift Cards and Gift Certificates Guide
Gift Cards related to research can be found on the Human Subjects Research Gift Card site.