Spending

Spending types

University credit card 

Available for budget and gift account purchases only (excludes revenue fund).

Item and food purchases must be sales tax exempt. CSI Finance may deny credit card purchases where tax exemption cannot be honored.

Can be used for some travel related purchases like lodging, rental car, etc. Speak with our finance staff before booking.

University check

Payments to individuals and businesses via check.

All payments to individuals for services must be by university check.

Payments to an international citizen will require additional processing by the university’s International Tax Specialist and may be subject to up to 30% tax withholding.

Payments for more than $5,000 to businesses must be paid with a university check.

Any payment to a single vendor for more than $10,000 requires a bid process. Expect lengthy processing times.

Airfare/Flight Booking

Airfare utilizing university funding must be purchased by CSI Finance.

Airfare purchases made by CSI Finance will be made through the university contracted travel agency, Christopherson Business Travel.

A $20 processing fee is charged per itinerary booked.

Marketplace 

Marketplace is CU’s purchasing and payment processing system.

Some purchases for items where the university has a standing contract with the vendor must be purchased through Marketplace, like these items

  • Furniture
  • Computers (Newegg, Dell, Apple)
  • Software (Zoom, Tableau, SalesForce)
  • Office supplies
  • Lab supplies
  • Medical supplies

Reimbursements for purchase 

Reimbursement requests require itemized receipts.

Non-travel reimbursements under $100 may be picked up in cash from the CSI Finance office.

Travel-related reimbursements of any amount, and any combined purchases over $100, will be processed as a check reimbursement.

Check reimbursements take approximately 7 to 15 business days to process and mail out.

Check reimbursements to international citizens may have tax implications. It is important to speak with CSI Finance prior to making any purchases.

Contracts 

Members who sign contracts may legally be held responsible.

All contracts must be signed by the university. Payment may be processed as a check or credit card.

Interdepartmental invoice (IN) 

Transfer funds from one account to another on campus.

Make payments to other departments on campus.

 

    A few things to keep in mind

Spending must comply with multiple policies, regulations and laws, including:

  • Funding source bylaws
  • Student fee regulations
  • University policy
  • Procurement procedures
  • Local, state and federal laws

For all approved budgets, student organizations are required to attend a pre-spending meeting with CSI Finance to learn about these policies and procedures and ensure compliance.

CSI Finance will only process spending requests entered into BuffConnect and will select the most appropriate spending method for each transaction consistent with policy and regulations. It is the responsibility of a signer to submit payment and withdrawal requests in BuffConnect for all transactions.

A post-spending report is required for all approved budgets from funding boards, including budgets where funding was not used due to cancellations. The post-spending report can be found under the Forms tab in your BuffConnect portal.