Government purchase card prohibited items list

This section identifies prohibited transactions. CHs should first contact local authorities (e.g., Legal, RM, Level 3 or Level 4 A/OPC) prior to purchasing any items that seem questionable or may have the appearance of being inappropriate. Contact the Level 2 A/OPC through the ASAALT central mailbox for further guidance if necessary. The following list, which is not all-inclusive, identifies some services and supplies that are prohibited from purchase with the GPC (this list also applies to convenience checks):

a. Items purchased for other than official Government use.

b. Making purchases and returning them to the merchant for cash or merchant credit slips.

c. Use of the GPC as a procurement method above the micro-purchase threshold is prohibited; however, use of the GPC as the payment method after the contract is procured is permissible.

d. Cash advances, including money orders and travelers’ checks.

e. Gift certificates and gift cards are also considered to be cash advances and will not be purchased with the GPC, even to obtain items from merchants that do not accept the GPC.

f. Long-term lease of land and buildings: Use of the GPC to lease real property (i.e., land and/or buildings) for a term longer than 30 days is prohibited.

g. Repair of leased GSA vehicles.

h. Vehicle-related expenses: Vehicle-related expenses are to be paid with the travel or fleet cards (as appropriate).

i. Telecommunication systems: The purchase of major telecommunications systems, such as the Federal Telecommunications System or DSN system, is prohibited.

j. Fines: Use of the GPC to settle a commercial or governmental fine is prohibited.

k. Auto Insurance: Use of the GPC to purchase auto insurance for government-owned vehicles is prohibited. Government-owned vehicles are insured by the government.

l. Aircraft fuel and oil.

m. Vehicle fuel is prohibited; however, the following exceptions apply: (1) the purchase card may be used for fuel for special purpose vehicles (i.e. fork lift, tractor, lawn mower) and vehicles rented 30 days or less for official purposes.

n. Wire transfers.

o. Training Vouchers for Prepayment of Training (charging the GPC to reserve training slots prior to establishing the legitimate government need and requirement).

p. Food or refreshments; however, exceptions below apply: Organizations are highly encouraged to check with their local servicing JAG or attorney’s office, before purchasing food, or applying the exceptions listed below. Your agency’s guidance may be more restrictive than this provision. An event may qualify for appropriated funding if certain requirements are satisfied and documented. The justification for use of the purchase card under one of these exceptions must be authorized in an MFR and signed by an activity director (O-6 or above) or civilian equivalent. Include a copy of this in the cardholders purchase files. If you are authorized to use appropriated funds to purchase food, the disposable serving materials are authorized. Fine china and other luxury materials are not authorized and are considered wasteful and abusive.

Appendix C: Prohibited Purchases (continued)

(1) Light Refreshments at Conferences. Sponsoring Agency/Conference proponent may use its purchase card to purchase light refreshments on breaks at Government sponsored conferences only for Government employees on travel orders (TDY status). The purchase card may not be used to purchase refreshments for non-Government employees, or for Government employees who are not on travel orders.

(2) Meals at Formal Meetings or Conferences. Sponsoring agency may provide a meal at a formal meeting or conference when: 1) the meal would be incidental to the meeting; 2) attendance by employees at the meal is necessary to full participation in the conference or meeting and 3) employees may not take meals elsewhere without being absent from an essential part of the meeting. This exception is limited to formal meetings or conferences, typically organized or sponsored externally, which cover topical matters of general interest to both Government and Non-Government employees. This exception does not apply to purely internal business meetings.

(3) Training. Sponsoring agency may serve refreshments/meals at training where the food is necessary to achieve the objectives of the training program. The food must be incidental to the training session, i.e., don’t conduct training for the purpose of serving a meal. Actual training must be conducted, not just discussions or open forums relating to problems and day-to-day operations of the agency. Attendees would fail to complete the training if they miss the meal.

(4) Award Ceremonies. Sponsoring agency may serve light refreshments at award ceremonies honoring individuals recognized under your Civilian Employee Incentive Award Program. CHs are prohibited from using purchase cards for refreshments at events such as retirement, promotion, PCS and longevity ceremonies. To avoid any confusion in addition to the above, graduations, recurring quarterly recognitions, and commanders’ call are also not award ceremonies for serving of refreshments using appropriated funds.

(5) Formal Ethnic Awareness Program Sponsored by your EEO Office where food samples relating to the particular ethnicity are served as part of an education program.

(6) Food and/or refreshments served using Official Representational Funds (ORF) in accordance with AR 37-47 or appropriate agency regulations. Note: Card must be dedicated solely for use of ORF expenditures for this exception to apply.

q. Savings bonds.

p. Foreign currency.

Appendix C: Prohibited Purchases (continued)

q. Coins not in compliance with DA Memo 600-70. Coins may be procured with operating funds and presented pursuant to the following authorities: Recognition foraccomplishments, award of trophies (10 USC 1125), and Agency Awards (5 USC 4503).

r. Dating and escortservices.

s. Betting, casino gaming chips, and off-track betting.

t. Court costs, alimony, and child support.

u. Bail and bond payments.

v. Tax payments. i.e.personal taxes

w. Payment of salaries and wages.

x. Airline, bus, or travel-related expenses. Exception 1: the GPC may be used for Electronic Toll Collection (i.e. toll roads, bridges, tunnels using EZPass) for official business in government vehicles. The GPC shall not be used to pay for tolls while on Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY). The Government Travel Card is still the appropriate vehicle for paying tolls accrued during TDY. Exception 2: Lodging is allowable when purchased by Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (CMAOC) or by a Casualty Assistance Center (CAC) for a family member entitled to invitational travel to a funeral, the bedside of an injured soldier, a unit memorial event, or to attend the dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base when the following conditions are met:

(1)The persons for whom lodging is procured are eligible for the travel benefit as defined in JFTR, Vol. 1, Para. U5242 and 5246.

(2)The CMAOC or CAC has issued Invitational Travel Authorizations to those persons for whom lodging is procured.)

y. Travel advances.

z. Payment of travel claim.

aa. Purchases of Explosives, Munitions, Toxins, and Firearms. This specifically includes weapons (and parts), small arms, and ammunition. (Exception: PEO-Ammunition; Aberdeen Test Center , U.S. Army Accessions Support Brigade (for non-combat weapons under micropurchase threshold in support of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit IAW 710-2), NAFI MWR activities at Fort Benning, Fort Campbell, Fort Knox, Fort Stewart, Fort Jackson, Fort Gordon, and Redstone Arsenal; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Lab (USCIL); U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USSOCOM); and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (ARDEC), have been granted a waiver to purchase small quantities of commercial off-the-shelf non-standard ammunition.)

bb. Purchases from contractors or contractor agents who are military personnel or civilian employees of the Government.

cc. Non-rotation of sources by making repetitive purchases with the same merchant or contractor when other sources are available. This is not applicable to mandatory sources such as installation AbilityOne Base Supply Centers that replaced legacy SSSCs.

dd. Split purchases (FAR 13.003(c) (1)). The requirement is the quantity known at the time of the buy. If an individual purchases as [s]he becomes aware of a requirement, the

Appendix C: Prohibited Purchases (continued)

requirement is each. If the person consolidates purchases and buys once a day, the requirement becomes what was received during the day. Splitting is the intentional breaking down of a known requirement to stay within a cardholders single purchase limit to avoid other procurement methods or competition requirements. Examples of split purchases or split requirements include the following:

(1) A single CH making multiple purchases from the same merchant on the same day, the total of which exceeds the single purchase limit and the total requirement was known at the time of the first purchase.

(2) A single CH purchasing the same/similar item(s) from multiple merchants on the same day, the total of which exceeds the single purchase limit and the total was known at the time of the first purchase.

(3) A single CH making multiple purchases of similar items from the same or multiple merchants over a period of time when the total requirement was known at time of the first purchase and the value exceeds the single purchase limit.

(4) Multiple CHs under the same supervision or BO purchasing the same/similar item(s) the same day or in a compressed timeframe when the total requirement is known at a given time and exceeds the single purchase limit.

(5) Requirements exceeding the micro-purchase threshold. (i.e. yearly requirement where the monthly recurring services are less than the micro-purchase threshold but the known yearly total exceed the micro-purchase threshold.)