Guidelines for Allowable Petty Cash Transactions

Accounting offices review Petty Cash reimbursement requests for:
  1. Proper signatures
  2. Original receipts
  3. Appropriate Index and Account Code usage
  4. Limit of $100 per vendor per day
  5. Allowability of expenditures
Expenditures unallowable on Petty Cash include, but are not limited to:
  1. Salary payments
  2. Travel costs
  3. Personal advances, loans, or IOU’s
  4. Cashing personal checks
  5. Gifts
  6. Reimbursement for stolen or damaged personal items
  7. Prepayments
  8. Outside services
  9. Fed-Ex, UPS, DHL, etc., mailing out (use P-card)
  10. Photographic service other than basic photo developing and digital prints
  11. Printing services other than basic photocopying
  12. Tax on goods
  13. Keys (UNM Lock Shop should be used for all keys, including file cabinet)
  14. Video rentals
  15. Vehicle fuel (except for UNM vehicles).
Specific allowable reimbursements (provided there is a valid UNM business purpose) include:
  1. Goods
  2. Payment to U.S. Post Office:
    • Stamps for appropriate special purposes such as fund raising.
    • Mailing of items when time is critical.
    • Air cargo for athletic game videotapes.
  3. Federal Express and UPS C.O.D. payments
  4. Basic photo developing and creation of basic digital prints
  5. Basic photocopying
  6. Meals, including tax and tip, although the request must adhere to the general UNM policies for entertainment (Click here for more information):
    • Function must be a hospitality event that includes both University employees and invited guests of the University, or
    • Meals for search committee members and candidates.
    • For guests numbering 20 or less, a list of attendees (name and affiliation) is required.
    • For guests numbering more than 20, a description of the function and general description of the guests invited is required.

Due to tax reporting requirements, under NO circumstances will payments to individuals for any of the approved services mentioned above be allowed on Petty Cash.  All services should be paid via Purchase Requisition, or by P-card when allowable.

Click here to access the Petty Cash form.  You will be required to login with your UNM net ID and password.

If you have questions regarding processing or required documentation, please call:

Unrestricted Accounting – Main Campus 277-2018
Contracts and Grants – Main Campus 277-4721
Unrestricted Accounting – HSC 272-6266
Contracts and Grants – HSC 272-9383.