Last updated: April 2023
At UBC, all faculties, departments and units can choose from the following options for purchases of goods and/or services up to $3,500 Canadian Dollars in value inclusive of taxes per person:
- Supplier Catalogues - for purchases with included suppliers. For more information see Purchasing through Supplier Catalogues | UBC Finance
- Purchase Order - for more information see Purchase Order
- UBC VISA Card - this is restricted to the next two conditions:
- One-off / non-recurring purchases. Where the value of each purchase does not exceed $3,500 CAD inclusive of taxes.
- Multiple purchases with the same supplier/payee. Where the annual cumulative value of ALL purchases is not expected to exceed $3,500 CAD inclusive of taxes.
A Purchase Order is required if the annual cumulative spend with a given supplier is expected to exceed or has exceeded $3,500 Canadian Dollars within a year. Making multiple purchases over the year with the same supplier/payee where the individual value of each purchase is under $3,500, but the aggregate of the purchases exceeds the $3,500 threshold, is not in compliance with UBC policies.
Please contact your procurement team if you have a specific case where you believe this would not apply. We will evaluate individually and work with you to find the best solution while keeping faculties and units in compliance with UBC policies and minimizing risks.
If a supplier requires a Purchase Order (PO) number (or for PPE purchase orders under 3,500 that require a Purchase Order (PO) number), please follow procedures for creating a Purchase Order.