Choosing the right purchasing method – DMSE Finance

It’s not always easy to remember what the best way to purchase something is at MIT. With all of the confusing rules — it’s a lot. So we made a chart!

	Travel Card	P-card	Buy2Pay
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure	❌	❌	✅
Cash advances	See below (1)	❌	❌
Classroom supplies	See below (2)	✅	✅
Gifts or greeting cards for life events such as birthdays/retirement	❌	❌	✅
Gift Cards	❌	❌	❌
Living things (flowers, plants, live animals)	❌	❌	✅
Local trips in the Cambridge and Greater Boston area, including parking and entertainment	✅	❌	✅
Meals (no alcohol)	✅	✅	✅
Meals (with alcohol)	See below (3)	❌	✅
Memberships to organizations	✅	✅	✅
Software (except standard over-the-counter)	❌	❌	✅
Travel and entertainment (including airfare and flights, hotels, out of state conference registrations)	✅	❌	❌
Items for personal use	❌	❌	❌

1 - Cash advances for travel have a specific process that must be followed for approval.

2 - You may purchase office supplies on a travel card only if you’re currently traveling and need to purchase materials that support your trip (e.g., buying a poster or getting one printed).

3 - Alcohol purchases must be itemized out and must be charged to discretionary accounts.

Learn More

Commonly used GLs — Not just a GL list! This page also provides an overview of the most commonly purchased items on a p-card, through Buy2Pay, and by RFP. If you need more detail on what goes where, this is your one-stop-shop!

What kinds of things can’t I charge to a p-card? — Exactly what it sounds like on the tin.

How do I complete a travel expense report? — In addition to the details below, this page provides a little more detail on the difference between a “local trip,” and one including airfare and hotels.

Commonly confused GLs — It can be a guessing game to figure out the difference between 2 or more similar GLs. Here are a handful of the most confusing ones and when to use them! For all methods of purchase.