University Credit Cards
The university maintains a robust credit card program that has various card products to meet specific needs. Please review the following list to apply for the appropriate credit card for your needs.
Travel and Corporate Cards
The following credit card options are for university employees that have the need to travel. Employees through consultation with their controller should select the card option that best suits their job responsibilities. Employees are eligible to have either a travel card or corporate card but not both.
- Travel Card – Issued to an employee that travels or hosts university guests at least once a year. Travel cards are open to use with travel merchants (airlines, car rental companies, hotels, restaurants, and conference fees). Travel cards can also be used to make small-dollar purchases at non-travel merchants (i.e. bookstores, grocery and department stores, etc.) while in travel status.
- Corporate Card - Issued to an employee that both travels and frequently purchases commodities for their department. The corporate card is open to both travel and non-travel merchants.
- Apply now for a Travel or Corporate card.
Purchasing and Procurement Cards
The following card options are available for university approved purchases. These cards are not accepted by airline, car rental, or hotel vendors.
- Department Purchasing Card - Issued in the name of a department and assigned to a card custodian that manages the card. The custodian makes department purchases with the card. The custodian may also check out the card to employees or students that need to make a department purchase. The custodian should maintain a checkout log in such cases a suggested log is found at the bottom of this webpage. People checking out the department purchasing card are authorized to only make purchases while the card is in their possession and should not store the card in online website user profiles.
- Procurement Card - Issued only to a restricted list of employees: Purchasing office sourcing personnel or employees in authorized campus units to fulfill purchase orders or procure inventory. Currently use of this card is only authorized in Purchasing & Travel, OIT Material Management, and Chem Stores.
- Apply now for a Department Purchasing or Procurement card.
Fleet Cards
Fleet cards are issued to a card custodian and assigned to a university vehicle. Gasoline or maintenance purchases for that vehicle are made on the fleet card. Fleet cards are only accepted at gasoline stations or select vehicle repair/maintenance shops.
What is Next?
After completing the online application, it will route for approval. It generally takes 7-10 days to receive your credit card once the application is approved and submitted to the bank. Rush processing is available for a fee of $25 billed to the card.
Campus Cards
Campus card are issued through Financial Services and are available to BYU departments to make purchases at campus locations such as the BYU Store, Dining Services locations, Print & Copy Centers and other campus locations that accept Cougar Cash. These purchases will load into Chrome River to attach to an expense report just like bank credit card transactions. Click here for more information.
University Credit Card Procedures
All credit card transactions are loaded into Chrome River for cardholders or their delegates to complete expense reports, attach electronic copies of receipts and submit to their designated approver(s) for review and approval. Receipts of less than $50 while traveling are recommended but not required. Receipts are required for all purchasing card transactions regardless of the amount. Receipts should contain the vendor's name, purchase date, detailed description of items purchased, the amount paid, and the form of payment. For reoccurring subscription services documentation of the amount of the monthly subscription fee received at the time of enrollment should be attached to each monthly transaction charge.
Y-Marketplace catalog orders are the preferred method for purchasing commodities as these items are available at negotiated university discounted rates. Purchasing or Corporate Cards are the preferred methods of payment for purchases and payments under $3,500 for commodities that are not available in the Y-Marketplace catalog.
The purchasing card is to be used only for valid, authorized, and necessary university expenditures. Use of the purchasing card for the following items is prohibited:
- Personal purchases--Any employee misuse or embezzlement of items purchased with the card may result in disciplinary actions and personal liability for the offender and may be grounds for termination or possible criminal prosecution.
- Gift cards, gift certificates or any other cash equivalent
- Transactions exceeding the authorized transaction limit. You should never split the cost of a single transaction between two or more sales receipts to avoid transaction limits.
- Independent contractor payments or wages
- Hazardous materials
- International purchases of software, copyrights, licenses, subscriptions, or royalties. For additional information visit Financial Services website.
All university credit cards are restricted for use at high-risk vendors which include vendors registered as precious stones/jewelry stores, coin-stores, pawnshops, and cash product vendors (for example Western Union).
University credit cards are paid in full at the end of each month. Cardholders are responsible for having expenses reported in a Chrome River Expense Report within 30 calendar days of return from trip or transaction date whichever is later. If an employee does not account for expenses within 60 days or trip return date, the University may suspend card privileges and report the expenses as taxable income to the employee. Suspended cards can only be reactivated after approval is received from the campus controller over the employee's department.
University employees should not use their university-issued credit cards for personal purchases. They must surrender their card upon terminating employment. If the card becomes lost or stolen, the cardholder should contact Purchasing and Travel at 801-422-3872 or JPMorgan at 1-800-316-6056 to report the incident.
Employees that are not assigned a university credit card should check out a department purchasing or campus card. It is not appropriate for employees to use personal funds (including credit cards) to make purchases on behalf of the university. In the rare case that there are extenuating circumstances in which an employee was unable to obtain a university credit card to make a purchase, they should provide an explanation in their Chrome River reimbursement request describing why a university credit card was not available. Any lack of explanation on these expense reports will be reported to their controller.
Last updated: November 5, 2024
Listed below are links to the full cardholder agreements that cardholders agree to abide by and a recommended department purchasing credit card check out log.
Agreement for Department Purchasing and Fleet Cards
Agreement for Purchasing, Travel, or Corporate Cards
Department Purchasing Card Log