For purchases less than $10,000, where NDSU departments are authorized to directly purchase goods and services, departments are encouraged to use the University's Pcard to pay at the time of purchase.

In some cases, the supplier creates a charge account for NDSU departments and bills the departments for goods and services.  NDSU departments are generally encouraged to use the Pcard to pay the invoices.  If that is not possible, departments should enter the invoices directly to the Accounts Payable Voucher Entry screen in PeopleSoft to pay by check or direct deposit.

In some rare cases, the supplier provides a store card to NDSU departments for making local purchases at the supplier stores.  Hornbacher's Grocery Store in Fargo uses a store card.  Store cards are issued by the suppliers to NDSU departments and are to be properly controlled by the departments.  Departments are responsible to monitor the store card charge accounts and properly pay the charges to the store card supplier.  Typically, those charges cannot be paid using the University's Pcard so the Accounts Payable Voucher Entry screen is used to pay the charges by check or direct deposit.

The University's Pcard is encouraged over the store cards, but ultimately the store cards are allowed because the Pcard requires the cardholder's presence in the store.