The MIT VIP Card


The MIT VIP Card is a Visa credit card issued to MIT employees or graduate student for making small-dollar purchases on behalf of the Institute. Authorized goods and services may be purchased directly from any vendor who accepts the Visa card as a form of payment. The current limit is $2499 per transaction.

The Card is meant to be the primary method of purchasing goods and services that are not available from MIT vendor partners through ECAT. Its use will simplify the purchasing process; reduce the need for requisitions, purchase orders, blanket orders, request for payment forms, petty cash transactions, and invoices; expedite payments; and reduce the costs of purchasing to the Institute. A department can request Cards as needed.

The procedure for purchasing with the Card is to:

  1. Visit or call the selected vendor;
  2. Identify yourself as an MIT employee;
  3. Ask about educational discounts;
  4. Give MIT’s tax-exempt number (printed on the Card);
  5. Ask for an itemized receipt; and
  6. Give accurate and complete shipping instructions, including the proper loading dock address and your building and room number.
Each individual academic or administrative department is responsible for managing its Cardholder accounts. Two different staff members play a role in each VIP Card purchase: Cardholder and Verifier. The Cardholder is the Institute employee whose name appears on the VIP Card. That person is accountable for all charges made with the Card. The Verifier makes sure that all charges against the Cardholder’s cost object (account) are accurate, appropriate, and have supporting documentation. A Cardholder may also be a Verifier, but may not act as his/her own verifier.

The bank will electronically forward a daily transaction file to MIT. These card transactions will be parked in SAP and the Verifier will be sent an email message notifying them of pending VIP charges. On average, it takes 4 – 6 days for a Cardholder’s purchase to appear in the daily transaction file. Once the charge is parked in SAP, the Verifier will have 21 days to reallocate the charges to any cost object(s) against which he/she is authorized to post.

The paper record (packing slip, cash register receipt, sales receipt or non-charge invoice) should be forwarded to the Verifier when received. These receipts now become the sole record in support of VIP Card charges and are considered official Institute records. Each receipt must be maintained in good order in accordance with the Institute record retention policies. Federal sponsors only allow reimbursements for those transactions supported by original source documents. All charges made with the VIP Card must meet the allowability standards of the Institute and external sponsors.

There are some restrictions on the goods and services that may be purchased with the VIP Card. A list of these items may be found in the "MIT VIP Card User’s Guide" that is distributed to all Cardholders.

Any improper use of the VIP Card may result in the loss of credit card privileges and further disciplinary action.

MIT VIP Card application forms are available from your School Coordinators or directly from the MIT VIP Administrator, Stephanie Bromander, E19-370. The completed application must be approved by the Administrative Officer and then forwarded to the VIP Administrator. Processing takes approximately two weeks. In order to receive the credit card, the prospective cardholder(s) and Verifier(s) must attend a brief training seminar.

For further information about the VIP Card, please contact the VIP Card administrator, at x3-8366 or vipcard@mit.edu.