If gift cards are an allowable expense on your grant and are in your currently approved budget justification you may be able to purchase gift cards using grant funds. Please reach out to OSP for any questions or clarification.

Gift card logs must be submitted to OSP within 10 business days of purchasing gift cards (even if they are not completed). Completed gift card logs must be submitted within 30 days of issuing the gift card to recipient. Gift cards must be distributed to the participant before the end of the total project period (end of the project) or within 100 days of the study visit – whichever is sooner.

Gift cards over $74 must include a W9 or employee ID of the participant for tax purposes (this is an IRS rule).

Gift cards used for grants must be purchased using a Grant PCard (if you do not have one, talk to OSP before you need to purchase gift cards so we can get you one). Do not submit reimbursement requests for gift card purchases on grants.

Create a Gift Card Log containing the following information:

  • Date of gift card purchase
  • Serial/item/tracking number of the gift card
  • Amount of gift card
  • Vendor of gift card
  • Participant ID or name that received the gift card- if you use the participant ID it is understood that you have a “crosswalk” file in your records that ties the ID to the name of the participant
  • Visit date/Issuance date
  • Visit number (if more than one gift card will be given out during the study)

Once you have purchased the gift cards you will submit the log with the above information filled in along with the receipt to the Works system.

You will send the completed log to OSP@elon.edu within 60 days of purchasing the gift cards. If you will not use all of the gift cards within 60 days you should buy them in smaller batches that you will use within 60 days.

Gift cards must be dispersed or returned to the vendor for a refund within 60 days.
If you purchase more gift cards then you end up using, return the gift cards for a refund from the vendor. Request a receipt. In your gift card log write the date that you returned the gift card and note that it was returned to the vendor and not distributed to a participant. Upload the completed log and the return receipt to Works as the transaction documentation.

Gift card logs must be submitted to OSP within in 10 business days of purchasing gift cards (even if they are not completed). Completed gift card logs must be submitted within 30 days of issuing the gift card to recipient.