PURCHASING
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Central Receiving |
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Convenience Copy Center |
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Equipment Purchases and Sales |
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P-Card Policies and Procedures |
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Purchasing Policy and Procedures |
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University Surplus Property |
P-CARD POLICIES and PROCEDURES
Contents of this page:
A. Purpose
B. Definitions
C. Receiving the P-Card
D. Authorized Card Use
E. Using the P-Card
F. Using the P-Card for Travel
G. Non-Departmental Account Charges
H. Merchandise Returns and Exchanges
I. Record Retention
J. Cardholder Verification of Charges
K. Cardholder Charge Dispute Resolution
L. Audit of Cardholder Transactions
M. P-Card Security
N. Lost, Stolen or Damaged Card
O. Cardholder Separation from the University
P. P-Card Cancellation
The P-Card program has been established to provide a convenient means with which to make purchases and at the same time reduce the costs associated with initiating and paying for these purchases. The Purchasing Office is responsible for managing the program and each academic department or administrative office is responsible for managing its cardholder accounts. Other forms of payment including invoice billing, check requests and petty cash transactions should be used only when payment by a P-Card is not accepted by the vendor. The University has partnered with JP Morgan Chase Bank to issue the purchasing card and with Paymentnet, a subsidiary of Chase Bank, for web site maintenance.
Purchasing Card (P-Card) - A Visa card issued to an employee of the University for the purpose of making authorized purchase of supplies and services on the University's behalf including travel arrangements and/or entertainment expenditures. The University will process a monthly payment for all P-Card charges directly to Chase Bank.
Cardholder - University employee whose name appears on the P-Card and is accountable for all charges made with the card.
Contract Administrator - The Purchasing Office employee(s) responsible for administering the P-Card program for the University and acting as the main contact between the University and the bank.
Transaction Limit - A dollar limit assigned to the P-Card for each purchase made. A single purchase/transaction may include multiple items but the total cannot exceed the transaction limit. The transaction limit is established on a per cardholder basis by the appropriate vice-president.
Monthly Statement - A listing of transactions (purchases) posted to the cardholders account during the month.
Purchasing Card Documentation Envelope - An envelope used by the cardholder to hold all P-Card documents including the monthly statement. Each cardholder must have one envelope per month signed and approved by the chair/director or by the appropriate vice-president (if required). An envelope is not required for a month in which no transactions were posted to the cardholder's account.
Default Department Account Number - The University budget account number and object code assigned to the cardholder's P-Card. Only one budget account number and one object code can be assigned to a card.
Post Date - Date transaction is posted to the cardholder's P-Card account on Paymentnet.
Month-end Close - The last day in which a cardholder can change the account number and/or object code of a transaction on-line (.https://www.paymentnet.com/redir.asp). The month-end close usually occurs at the end of the work day on the second-work day of the month (except in January and June)
Each prospective cardholder must complete a Trinity University P-Card Application, signed by the department/office chair or director and their vice-president. All prospective cardholders must attend a policy and procedure session prior to receiving the P-Card.
Cardholders are authorized to use the P-Card to purchase merchandise or services and for travel related expenses required as a function of their duties at the University. A cash advance feature is not an option with the P-Card.
The P-Card must never be used to purchase items for personal use or for non-University purposes even if the cardholder intends to reimburse the University.
A cardholder who makes unauthorized purchases with the P-Card or uses the card in an inappropriate manner will be subject to disciplinary action by the University.
When making a P-Card transaction a card holder should check as many sources as reasonable to assure best price, quality, and delivery.
Confirm the vendor accepts Visa, if not, choose another vendor or process a departmental purchase order ensuring University purchasing policies and procedures are followed.
When making a purchase in person, make sure the merchandise total does not exceed $1,000.00 or the purchase will be declined at the point of sale. Inform the salesperson that Trinity University is tax-exempt. Keep all receipts for month-end reconciliation. Receipts must contain relevant details for each item purchased including quantities, description of the items(s) purchased, the price of each item, total charge amount and the vendor's name.
When making a purchase by phone or fax, the vendor will request your Visa account number and expiration date (some vendors may require you to give them the three-digit security code number located on the back of the card). Request that the vendor mail, or include with the order, a paid invoice/receipt for your documentation.
When making a purchase via the internet, you will need to document the items(s) purchased and the final cost. You may print the screen at the end of the transaction or if the vendor sends you a detailed confirmation email you may use it in lieu of a receipt or invoice for documentation purposes.
It is the cardholder's responsibility to ensure he/she has a receipt or paid invoice for each transaction on his/her P-Card.
Cardholders must instruct the vendor to ship the merchandise to Central Receiving. Central Receiving will accept delivery but the cardholder or his/her designee is responsible for inspecting all packages to determine if the order is correct and bring any discrepancies to the attention of the vendor. The ship to address is as follows:
Trinity University
Central Receiving
607 Kings Court
San Antonio, TX 78212
Cardholders may use the P-Card for travel related expenses including airfare, registration, car rental and hotel expenses but all University travel policies must be adhered to.
Upon completion of a trip, list all expenses on the University Reimbursement envelope (as required by University travel policy) including expenses made with the P-Card. Keep the P-Card receipts with your documentation envelope and only include the out of pocket receipts in the travel reimbursement envelope that is sent to the Business Office.
For proper accounting purposes, notify the program administrator of any travel transactions that post to your account in the current fiscal year but the travel begins or ends in the new fiscal year.
The cardholder or designee must change the object code to the travel object code (54300) before month-end close.
Non-Departmental Account Charges
If transactions are to be charged to another department's University budget account, the cardholder must obtain permission from that department's head before incurring the charge.
When using the P-Card for employment recruitment expenses (airfare, hotel, entertainment, etc.) Human Resources (staff) or Academic Affairs (faculty) must be notified.
Merchandise Returns and Exchanges
The cardholder is responsible for contacting the vendor when merchandise purchased with the P-Card is not acceptable (incorrect, damaged, defective, etc.) and arrange a return for credit or exchange.
The cardholder is responsible for obtaining a credit receipt from the vendor for merchandise returned or exchanged and retaining the receipt with the support documentation for that purchase. Receiving cash or check to resolve a credit is not allowed.
The cardholder is responsible for making arrangements to return merchandise to the vendor for exchange and obtain the replacement. Documentation supporting the proper resolution of the exchange is to be retained with the original documentation for the purchase.
The cardholder is responsible for obtaining documentation from the vendor (paid invoices, receipts, detailed emails, etc.) to support all purchases made with the P-Card.
It is highly recommended that the cardholder record the details of each purchase in a transaction log.
Signed documentation envelopes are kept in the department/office until the end of the current fiscal year.
Cardholders (or designee) obligations;
Weekly: Log in to Paymentnet, review transactions and make any necessary changes to account number and/or object codes.
Monthly: Reconcile statement with receipts and include in signed documentation envelope and forward signed envelope to department chair or office director for his/her approval. (In the event that the cardholder is the department chair or office director, the envelope must be signed by the appropriate vice-president.) Please note: Statements will show only transactions that posted on Paymentnet the previous month. For instance; if a purchase is made late in October, the transaction may not post in Paymentnet until November and will appear in the November statement, so the documentation must be included in the November documentation envelope.
Yearly: Send all documentation envelopes to the Purchasing Office by the end of July of the new fiscal year. One envelope per cardholder per month is required. Do not combine months or cardholder receipts/statements in one envelope. If no transaction posted to the cardholder's account in a single month, no envelope is required for that month. A cardholder that does not comply with this request may be subjected to his/her P-Card being suspended or cancelled.
Department chair/office director and vice-president's (or designee) obligations;
Monthly: Review cardholder's transactions for appropriateness and sign documentation envelope. Return to cardholder.
Cardholder Verification of Charges
Cardholders are accountable for all charges made with their P-Card and are responsible for checking all transactions against the corresponding documentation (sales receipt, packing lists, order forms, etc.) to verify accuracy and propriety. On-line reconciliation must be made at least once a week and before month-end close.
Verification of charges and changes to account number or object code must be made by the cardholder or designee before Paymentnet month-end close. Usually, Paymentnet month-end close is on the second workday of the new month except in January and June. Cardholders will be notified via email in the event a close is to be delayed.
Changes not made before Paymentnet month-end close require a journal entry to make the correction to the department's University budget. To request a journal entry, email a request to the Purchasing Office with the following information: Post date, vendor, amount, account number and object code to be credited and account number and object code of account to be debited. A $10.00 fee is assessed and charged to the requesting department/office budget.
If a credit does not appear on your P-Card account within sixty (60) days after issuance of credit by the vendor, the cardholder must notify the Purchasing Office.
If a charge is disputed, the nature of the dispute and final resolution must be documented.
Cardholder Charge Dispute Resolution
In the case of a disputed charge, the cardholder must try to resolve the dispute directly with the vendor. If a resolution cannot be reached, the cardholder can file a dispute by filling out a Dispute Form (on-line in Paymentnet). The dispute form must be processed within sixty (60) days from the transaction post date.
Audit of Cardholder Transactions
On a random basis, the contract administrator or the internal auditor may perform an audit of a cardholder's records to ensure proper procedures are being followed.
It is the cardholder's responsibility to safeguard the P-Card and card account number at all times.
Cardholder's must not allow non-university or unauthorized personnel to use their P-Card or account number.
If a P-Card is lost or stolen, notify Paymentnet immediately at 1-800--270-7760. Representatives are available 24/7.
Cardholder's must also notify the contract administrator the same day or the next workday if the loss is during non-working hours.
The cardholder will receive a replacement card (with a new Visa account number) within three (3) working days.
A P-Card found after being reported lost or stolen must be cut in half and forward to the contract administrator.
Cardholder Separation from the University
Prior to separation from the University, the cardholder must surrender the P-Card and any documentation envelopes accumulated to date to the contract administrator.
The P-Card may be cancelled at the request of the cardholder, chair, or an administrative officer of the University.
For further information, please call (210) 999-7306, or write to:
Trinity University
Office of Finance & Administration
One Trinity Place
San Antonio, TX 78212-7200
This page is provided to you for informational purposes. Trinity University does not assume liability for omissions, typographical errors, or policy changes that are not updated immediately on this or other official university web pages.
This page was last modified on June 25, 2012.