Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying October 2003

Transcription

1 Update Notice Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying October 2003 Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying, was last printed October To inform you of changes since that time, we periodically update this online edition of HBK AS-709. We use vertical bars (i.e., revision bars) in the margin to indicate text changed since October How to Use This Update Notice Use the table in this update notice to find out about changes published in the Postal Bulletin. Find the chapter, subchapter, part, or section in the first column and read across the other columns to find specific information about that revision. This online version of HBK AS-709, published October 2003, is updated through October 26, 2006, with the following Postal Bulletin articles: This chapter, subchapter, part, or section titled was updated to Chapter 3, Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures in Postal Bulletin issue number with an issue date of 32 Your Local Buying Authority revise local buying payment hierarchy Prohibited Purchases Subject to Statutory and Legislative Requirements allow use of I.M.P.A.C. Card to pay for short-duration vehicle renting Appendix A, Exhibits Exhibit 3-4 Prohibited Purchases With The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card (p. 1) revise item e and f to allow I.M.P.A.C. card use to pay for short-duration vehicle rental

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3 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Handbook AS-709 October 2003 Transmittal Letter A. Purpose. In the Postal Service s Transformation Plan, Supply Management is responsible for expanding the Postal Service s use of supply chain management practices. An important part of this strategy is to consolidate purchases for better quality and lower costs. When operational needs cannot be satisfied through ebuy or other consolidated payment processes approved by Finance, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card serves as the primary means of buying and paying for day-to-day operational needs. Handbook AS-709 explains the policies and procedures of the Postal Service/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program and is intended for Postal Service personnel designated as cardholders, credit card approving officials, and agency program coordinators. B. Content. This revision of Handbook AS-709 includes changes previously announced in the Postal Bulletin to both this handbook and the Administrative Support Manual (ASM). It mandates use of the I.M.P.A.C. card as the preferred local buying method after ebuy and the consolidated payment processes approved by Finance and permits utility payments. This revision also reflects the transition of Purchasing and Materials to the Supply Management organization, the implementation of ebuy, various address and telephone number changes, minor editorial changes, updated forms, and enhancements to existing policy. C. Distribution 1. Initial. This handbook will initially be distributed only to the Materials Distribution Center (MDC) in Topeka. 2. Copies. If you need copies, please use the following procedures: Touch Tone Order Entry (TTOE): Call , and chose option 2. Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call , choose option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registering before you place your first order. Complete PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition (manually or by F3Fill), and send it as an attachment to the address MDC Customer Service or to mustome@ .usps.gov.

4 Mail: Mail a completed PS Form 7380 to the MDC at the following address: SUPPLY REQUISITIONS MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR TOPEKA KS D. Online Availability. This handbook is also available on the PolicyNet Web site at click on HBKs. E. Comments and Questions. Comments and questions about the content of this document should be addressed to: SUPPLY MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPLY MANAGEMENT US POSTAL SERVICE 475 L ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 4130 WASHINGTON DC E. Supersession. This handbook supersedes the May 2003 edition of Handbook AS-709. F. Effective Date. This revision is effective October 31, Keith Strange Vice President Supply Management

5 Summary of Changes Summary of Changes Background This handbook has been updated primarily to reflect changes to both Handbook AS-709 and ASM 722 previously announced in the Postal Bulletin, to mandate use of the I.M.P.A.C. card as the preferred local buying method after ebuy and consolidated payment processes approved by Finance, and to permit utility payments with the EXPENSE card. This revision also reflects the transition of Purchasing and Materials to the Supply Management organization and the implementation of ebuy. In addition, minor editorial changes, name changes, form changes, and address and telephone number changes have been made, but are not included in this summary. Only material changes to the text or policy are described here. Changes Made Since the May 2003 Edition These changes will be marked with revision bars. Chapter Cardholder Procedures, Overview, was changed to clarify that cardholders have 5 working days to complete the reconciliation of the U.S. Bank Statement of Account with their purchases and to make it consistent with section 422.1, CCAO Procedures, Overview Waiver of Postmasters was changed to correct a misprint. Changes made in the May 2003 Edition The following changes were made in the May 2003 edition and are not marked with revision bars. Chapter The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card reflects the change in preference for credit card use and introduces five types of I.M.P.A.C. cards (the previous edition included only three types). 13 Oversight Reviews provides updates to reviewing organizations and available online tools. 141 The Face now includes information on the two other card types, the INVPARTS credit card (Topeka MDC inventory parts card) and the RD credit card (Merrifield Engineering research and development card). 15 Types of I.M.P.A.C. Credit Cards now includes references and accounting information for five cards. The additions include the INVPARTS credit card (section 154) and the RD credit card (section 155). 153 Capital Credit Card now includes a callout box reminding cardholders to follow supplementary policy issued by the Vice President/Controller.

6 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying 175 Supply Management reflects the following organizational changes: Purchasing and Materials has become Supply Management. The organization responsible for policy has changed from Purchasing Policies and Programs to Supply Management Infrastructure. The organization responsible for I.M.P.A.C. program management has changed from Purchasing Policies and Programs to National Supply Management Programs (identified as the primary APC). Establishing new APC accounts, previously handled by HQ and the PMSC APCs, is now handled by National Supply Management Programs. Listed duties are adjusted accordingly. 176 Agency Program Coordinators (APC) now includes changes in coordinator location due to the Supply Management restructuring. CCAO and cardholder accounts previously handled by the Purchasing and Materials Service Centers (PMSCs) and HQ are now handled by Topeka National Materials Customer Service. Listed duties are adjusted accordingly. 18 Controls now resets the cardholder 30-day spending limit (section 182.2) and the CCAO 30-day office limit (section 183) to the 19th of the month Single Transaction Limit now covers card use associated with postal contracts and authorizes splitting orders where the contract expressly authorizes use of the credit card for payment. 184 Merchant Activity Type Codes now includes updated sections covering the RD credit card (Section 184.3) and the INVPARTS credit card (section 184.4). Chapter How to Get an I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card now includes Topeka National Materials Customer Service due to the Supply Management Restructuring (previously handled by the Purchasing and Materials Service Centers [PMSCs] and Headquarters) and states that noncareer postmaster replacements may serve as cardholders if local management determines that this is necessary to support operations Overview now includes information on where the APC can obtain cardholder account setup forms Account Information now requires facsimile phone number and address information for cardholder setup Training now states that APCs may arrange and sometimes conduct training and adds that National Supply Management Programs is responsible for maintaining course numbers and alternate training approaches and providing training materials to APCs Delegation of Local Buying Authority now states that local buying authority may be redelegated as necessary in line with ASM policy General now includes Office of Government Ethics Internet address for regulations and phone number and address for Postal Service ethics inquiries.

7 Summary of Changes Overview includes information on where the APC can obtain CCAO account setup forms Account Information now requires facsimile phone number and address information for CCAO account setup Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service now includes information on how to handle recurring charges on a cardholder s account Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service now includes information on how to handle recurring charges on a cardholder s account Recordkeeping now states that records retained by the CCAOs may be hard copy or electronic, and CCAOs must retain U.S. Bank R090 reports. Also, a reference to section for document retention policy is included Recordkeeping now states that records retained by the APC may be hard copy or electronic and adds information on how long canceled CCAO and cardholder records forwarded to the APC must be retained U.S. Bank now instructs APCs not to follow up with paperwork to U.S. Bank when C.A.R.E. is used. Chapter Keep Your Credit Card Secure no longer includes the statement that you must carry the card with you only when making a purchase, since maintaining card security may also require carrying the card Unauthorized Purchases has been updated to reflect the definition and policy outlined in Management Instruction AS , Unauthorized Contractual Commitments. This part previously contained policy related to Prohibited Purchases Prohibited Purchases now includes policy previously covered in 313.3, Unauthorized Purchases. 321 The Primary Local Buying Method has been updated to state that when operational needs cannot be satisfied through ebuy or other approved consolidated payment process, the I.M.P.A.C. card serves as the primary means for handling local buys. Other means of payment have also been updated, and a reference to Handbook F-1 has been added. This section was previously titled The Number 1 Local Buying Method. 322 Assistance has been updated to remove references to HQ and PMSC APCs and to add the Topeka National Materials Customer Service phone number Individual Purchase has been updated to mandate use of ebuy for online requisition and approvals when available and to use PS Form 7381 or a purchase request with key elements when it is not Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request has been updated to include use of ebuy for paperless requisitioning and approvals.

8 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Restricted Purchases includes the following changes: The section title (previously Special Management Approvals) has been changed. Training has been added to membership fees and dues. Utilities have been added as a new restricted purchase (previously a prohibited purchase). If utility payments are included as part of the approved budget, CAG H L postmasters are no longer required to obtain approved purchase requests. The policy covering payment of expenses related to employee personal events has been added as a new restricted purchase Prohibited Purchases Subject to Statutory and Legislative Requirements includes the following changes: For clarification purposes, the mail transportation services prohibition has been updated to include mail hauling vehicles. As announced in the Postal Bulletin, changes have been added covering the prohibitions for professional/technical, consultant, or personal services and the services of former Postal Service employees Prohibited Purchases Requiring Special Tracking and Reporting includes the following changes: The restriction on gasoline or oil for vehicles owned or leased by the Postal Service has been revised to read fuel or oil for Postal Service-owned or -leased vehicles and to refer to the U.S. Bank/Voyager fleet card for these purchases. The provision covering travel expenses has been clarified to cover travel expenses for Postal Service employees. Under Advance Payments, the discussion regarding training payments now refers to ELM, chapter Policy has been updated so that the section covering priority sources now includes additional coverage on servicewide contracts and ebuy and directs questions to the servicing PSC/MSC or Customer Service at the Topeka MDC Exceptions to Policy has been updated to add that for mandatory postal contracts, exceptions to use other sources are generally not allowed unless so specified in the contract JWOD Products has been updated to reflect ebuy implementation and now states that if JWOD products are not included as part of ebuy catalogs, purchase card users may use the various options listed to purchase from JWOD GSA Customer Supply Centers has been updated to reflect ebuy implementation Assistance has been updated to include the VISA Sourcing Tool.

9 Summary of Changes Environmental has been updated to remove the tools no longer accessible at the Web site and to add a new contact (the Environmental and MRO CMC in Dallas, TX) State and Local Tax Exemptions has been revised to more accurately reflect actual tax exemption policies and to provide the GSA Web site address for state tax letters Merchant Return Policy has been revised to lift the blanket prohibition on doing business with merchants who give store credit for returned merchandise; cardholders are now told to avoid these merchants. This revision better aligns policy with the standard merchant practice of providing only store credit Telephone and Internet Purchases has been updated to include Internet purchases and now states that you may need to provide your CCAO ZIP code for verification purposes Mail Order and Purchases by Facsimile has been updated to include facsimile purchases Delivery Address has been updated to include how to obtain delivery documentation Mailable Merchandise has been updated to state that permit or penalty labels may be used if authorized by Corporate Accounting, Finance, and that shipments should come via Standard Mail unless the cardholder approves using other methods Required Purchase Documentation has been updated to include use of the ebuy online requisition and approval feature The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log has been revised to list key information for logs created in off-the-shelf software applications and advises that use of the ebuy credit card log is an acceptable alternative Delivery Documentation has been updated to cover delivery documentation for services. 337 Verify Payment Accuracy now includes a reminder that separate local payments must never be made to U.S. Bank. Chapter Other Management Reports has been updated to reflect current report sources Credit Card Payment Report has been revised to replace the 25th of the month with the 26th of the month. The 25th was a typographical error Statement Not Issued has been revised to replace the 23rd of the month with the end of the month, based on input from U.S. Bank and actual statement delivery dates Overview has been revised to replace specific calendar date references with the end of the month to coincide with actual statement and report delivery dates. Also, a recommendation for CCAO to perform

10 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying reconciliation even if only one of the two required reports is received was added Documentation Retention Period has been revised to expand the definition of assigned cardholders to cover both current and closed accounts Waiver for Postmasters has been changed to require cardholder documentation review during site visits versus quarterly site visits. Depending on the number of assigned postmasters, quarterly visits are not always feasible. Appendix A, Exhibits Exhibit 1-1, Agency Program Coordinators and Cosponsor Contacts, has been updated to reflect contact changes due to the change of organization from Purchasing and Materials to Supply Management. Exhibit 2-2, Ethics Liaisons, has been updated to incorporate contact changes. Exhibit 3-1, Purchase Request for an Individual Purchase, has been changed to include the latest version of PS Form 7381 and a current local buy example. Exhibit 3-2, Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request, has been changed to include the latest version of PS Form Exhibit 3-3, Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval, has been updated to reflect the revisions discussed in section and now includes that purchase of electrically operated convenience items can only be made when necessary to satisfy day-to-day operational needs. Exhibit 3-4, Prohibited Purchases with the I.M.P.A.C. Card, has been updated to reflect the revisions discussed in sections and Exhibit 3-5, Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet Buyer Inquiry, has been updated to include system revisions. Exhibit 4-1a, Cardholder Statement of Account (front), has been updated to include a current local buy example. Exhibit 4-4a, Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report, has been updated to include a current local buy example. Exhibit 4-5, San Mateo Credit Card Payment Report, has been updated to include a current local buy example. Tear Out Reproducible Forms The Quick Reference Sheet has been changed.

11 Contents Contents 1 Introduction Overview About This Handbook Scope Content Summary Callouts The USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Benefits of Using the Credit Card Oversight Reviews What the Credit Card Looks Like The Face The Back Types of I.M.P.A.C. Credit Cards VEHPARTS Credit Card EXPENSE Credit Card CAPITAL Credit Card INVPARTS Credit Card RD Credit Card Program Structure Responsibilities U.S. Bank GSA Finance San Mateo Accounting Service Center Supply Management/Primary Agency Program Coordinator Agency Program Coordinators Credit Card Approving Official Cardholder Controls Overview Cardholder Spending Limits Single Transaction Limit Day Cardholder Spending Limit Day Office Spending Limit Merchant Activity Type Codes Code for Type of Merchant October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26, 2006 ix

12 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Code for VEHPARTS Credit Cards Code for EXPENSE, CAPITAL and RD Credit Cards Code for INVPARTS Credit Cards Acronyms Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update Account Setup How to Get an I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Cardholder Account Overview Account Information Buying for More Than One Finance Number Account Without Plastic Card Training Delegation of Local Buying Authority Standards of Ethical Conduct General Acknowledgment of Standards U.S. Bank Issuance of Credit Card Cardholder Acknowledgement of Credit Card Receipt CCAO Account Overview Account Information U.S. Bank Establishes the CCAO Account Updating the Account Overview Responsibilities Cardholder Change in Name, Address, or Telephone Number Change in Spending Limits Replacement Card Transfer to Another CCAO Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service CCAO Responsibilities Concerning Cardholders Account Information Changes Transfer From Another CCAO Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service Responsibilities Concerning CCAO s Own Account Change in Name, Address, Telephone Number, or 30-Day Limit x Handbook AS-709

13 Contents Replacement by Another CCAO Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service Recordkeeping APC Responsibilities Concerning Cardholder Account Information Changes Canceled Account Transfer to Another CCAO Responsibilities Concerning CCAO Account Information Changes Account Transfer Between CCAOs Recordkeeping U.S. Bank Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures Your Responsibility Follow Policies and Procedures Keep Your Credit Card Secure Use Your Credit Card Properly Ethics and Business Practices Credit Card Misuse Unauthorized Purchases Prohibited Purchases Maintain Accurate Records Reconcile Your Monthly Statement Your Local Buying Authority The Primary Local Buying Method Assistance The Six Steps of Local Buying Overview Review Your Purchase Request Approvals Individual Purchase Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request Restricted Purchases Prohibited Purchases Prohibited Purchases Subject to Statutory and Legislative Requirements Prohibited Purchases Requiring Special Tracking and Reporting Spending Limits Your Dollar Limits October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26, 2006 xi

14 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exception to Exceed Spending Limits Choosing a Supplier Priority Sources Policy Exceptions to Policy JWOD Products GSA Customer Supply Centers Small, Minority, and Woman-Owned Businesses Policy Assistance Environmental Implication Competition Best Value Ordering Goods and Services Suppliers Accepting VISAR Suppliers Not Accepting VISAR Alternatives U.S. Bank Help Benefits to the Supplier State and Local Tax Exemptions Merchant Return Policy Ordering Methods Over-the-Counter Telephone and Internet Purchases Mail Order Purchases and Purchases by Facsimile Delivery Address I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log Avoid Backorders and Partial Shipments Shipping Charges Mailable Merchandise Nonmailable Merchandise Documenting Your Purchase Required Purchase Documentation The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchases Capital Property PS Form Where to Send PS Form Receiving Goods and Services Delivery Documentation Damaged, Defective, or Wrong Goods and Services xii Handbook AS-709

15 Contents Returned Merchandise Verifying Payment Accuracy Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures Responsibilities Cardholder and CCAO U.S. Bank Consolidated Invoice CCAO R090 Report Statement of Account Disputed Transaction Status Report Other Management Reports Billing Cycle Date San Mateo ASC Payment Credit Card Payment Report Online Access to I.M.P.A.C. Master File Reconciliation Procedures Cardholder Procedures Overview Statements of Account Multiple Accounts Statement Not Issued Front Side of Statement Reverse Side of Statement Incorrect Finance Number Disputed Transaction Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item Disputes That Can Be Reported Disputes That Cannot Be Reported Requesting Copy of Sales Draft CSQI Supporting Documentation Where to Send CSQI Form Notification From U.S. Bank Credit on Statement of Account Disputes That Cannot Be Resolved Purchase Documentation Forwarding Cardholder Postmasters Documentation Retention Period October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26, 2006 xiii

16 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying 422 CCAO Procedures Overview U.S. Bank R090 Report San Mateo ASC Credit Card Payment Report Payment Verification Purchase Verification Purchase Review Questionable Purchases Intentional Credit Card Misuse Returning Documentation to the Cardholder Documentation Retention Period Waiver for Postmasters Lost or Stolen Credit Card Responsibilities Cardholder Notifications When a Lost or Stolen Credit Card Is Found U.S. Bank Postal Service Liability Appendix A Exhibits Tear-out Reproducible Documents I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program Cardholder Accountability Acknowledgment I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program Approving Official Accountability Acknowledgment I.M.P.A.C. Government Services USPS Cardholder Account Update I.M.P.A.C. Government Services USPS Approving Official (CCAO) Account Update Capital Property Record I.M.P.A.C. EXPENSE Credit Card Buying Log I.M.P.A.C. CAPITAL Credit Card Buying Log I.M.P.A.C. VEHPARTS Credit Card Buying Log Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item USPS/GSA/SmartPay Purchase Card (I.M.P.A.C.) Policies and Procedures Quick Reference Sheet xiv Handbook AS-709

17 Exhibits Exhibits Exhibit 1-1 Agency Program Coordinators and Cosponsor Contacts Exhibit Principles of Ethical Conduct Exhibit 2-2 Ethics Liaisons Exhibit 3-1 Purchase Request for an Individual Purchase Exhibit 3-2 Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request Exhibit 3-3 Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval Exhibit 3-4 Prohibited Purchases With the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Exhibit 3-5 Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet (SADI) Buyer Inquiry (p. 1) Exhibit 3-5 Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet (SADI) Buyer Inquiry (p. 2) Exhibit 4-1a Cardholder Statement of Account (Front) Exhibit 4-1b Cardholder Statement of Account (back) Exhibit 4-2 Disputes Reportable to U.S. Bank Exhibit 4-3 Report F108, Disputed Transaction Status Report by Cardholder Exhibit 4-4a Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report Exhibit 4-4b Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report Exhibit 4-5 San Mateo Credit Card Payment Report October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26, 2006 xv

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19 Introduction Introduction 11 Overview CHAPTER 1 Overview Benefits of Using the Credit Card Oversight Reviews What the Credit Card Looks Like Types of I.M.P.A.C. Credit Cards Program Structure Responsibilities Controls Acronyms 111 About This Handbook Scope This handbook explains the policies and procedures of the USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program. It is intended for Postal Service employees designated as cardholders, credit card approving officials (CCAOs), and agency program coordinators (APCs) Content Summary Chapter 1 provides a management-level introduction to the program, describing its benefits and controls. Chapter 2 describes how the APC sets up and updates the cardholder and CCAO accounts. Chapter 3 details local buying procedures with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card. Chapter 4 addresses payment reconciliation and the cardholder s and CCAO s review and verification responsibilities. Chapter 5 provides procedures for lost or stolen credit cards. The chapters are followed by an appendix, which contains exhibits and a section of tear-out reproducible documents, including a quick reference sheet on the key I.M.P.A.C. credit card policies and procedures. Abbreviated listings of chapter contents are shown on the first page of the chapter in the margin Callouts To call attention to significant points, including policy and other requirements, they are restated in brief callouts in the margin. 112 The USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program If you want to set up an I.M.P.A.C. credit card account, see Chapter 2. In November 1991, the Postal Service joined the Governmentwide Commercial Credit Card Program under the General Services Administration (GSA). The contractor for this program is U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, MN, and the card company is VISA. The program within the Postal Service is called October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

20 113 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying the USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program. It is cosponsored by Supply Management and Finance. The Postal Service pays no administrative fees for the services U.S. Bank provides and earns refunds based on the aggregate volume of Postal Service transactions. 113 The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card When operational needs cannot be satisfied through ebuy or other consolidated payment process, use the I.M.P.A.C. card. The official name of the VISA credit card is the International Merchant Purchase Authorization Card (I.M.P.A.C.). When operational needs cannot be satisfied through ebuy or other consolidated payment processes approved by Finance, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card is the primary means of using delegated local buying authority (the authority to buy and pay for day-to-day operational needs). A single I.M.P.A.C. credit card transaction may not be greater than $10,000. Five types of I.M.P.A.C. credit cards are currently issued to Postal Service personnel: a. Cards to purchase expense items. b. Cards to purchase capital property. c. Cards issued only to vehicle maintenance facilities (VMFs) for the purchase of vehicle parts. d. Cards issued only to select Topeka MDC employees for the purchase of inventory parts. e. Cards issued only to select Engineering employees for the purchase of research and development equipment and supplies. 12 Benefits of Using the Credit Card Benefits User convenience Process simplification Local buying visibility Consolidated payments Better cash management Refunds When compared with traditional Postal Service buying and paying methods, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card program has numerous benefits. It expedites purchases, reduces paperwork and administrative costs, and provides reports on local buying activity. Credit card usage dramatically reduces invoices and the cost of issuing checks for hundreds of thousands of suppliers. There are no interest penalties, and all credit card charges throughout the Postal Service are paid for with a single monthly check that provides a day float until payment is made to U.S. Bank. This is important because it allows the Postal Service to keep the funds available for investment until the credit card invoice is paid. The Postal Service also earns cash refunds based on credit card charge volume. The refunds will be deposited and posted as general postal revenue contributions and will not be reallocated to individual cardholder finance numbers. 13 Oversight Reviews See for the goods and services you cannot purchase with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card. The USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program is subject to oversight review by the Office of the Inspector General, Finance, and Supply Management. In addition, I.M.P.A.C. APCs are encouraged to monitor card use within their areas of responsibility. 2 Handbook AS-709

21 Introduction 142 Oversight tools include the U.S. Bank Customer Automation and Reporting Environment (C.A.R.E.), the Postal Service s Financial Data Mart (FDM), and the Supply Management Data Warehouse. These systems provide access to review credit card charges online. 14 What the Credit Card Looks Like 141 The Face Printed on the face of the I.M.P.A.C. credit card are the VISA logo, the Great Seal of the United States, the GSA SmartPay logo, and the words United States Of America, For Official US Government Purchases Only, US Government Tax Exempt. The expense credit card is embossed with the word EXPENSE or E followed by a finance number, the capital credit card with the word CAPITAL or C followed by a finance number, and the VMF repair parts card with VEHPARTS. Cards with limited use are embossed with INVPARTS (Topeka MDC inventory parts card) and RD (Merrifield Engineering research and development card). The 16-digit I.M.P.A.C. account number, the name of the authorized cardholder, the card expiration date, and the Postal Service EI/Tax identification number are also embossed on the face of the card (see Figure 141). Figure 141 I.M.P.A.C. EXPENSE Credit Card (front) Only the person whose name is on the card may use it and only for official Postal Service purchases. 142 The Back The back of the card includes the U.S. Bank I.M.P.A.C. logo, a space for the cardholder s signature, and a toll-free number that may be called 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to reach I.M.P.A.C. customer service (see Figure 142). October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

22 15 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Figure 142 I.M.P.A.C. EXPENSE Credit Card (back) 15 Types of I.M.P.A.C. Credit Cards Types of Cards EXPENSE CAPITAL VEH PARTS INVPARTS RD What account will be charged? Card Acct PSFR VEHPARTS CH set-up VEHPARTS H EXPENSE CH set-up EXPENSE Varies 31, 32, based 34, 36, on SIC 37, 39, code; 42, 44, Subac- 45, 46 count 3B,.998 3E, for 3K, all ac- or 3U counts other than CAPITAL CH set-up CAPITAL , (6X) CAPITAL* *Reversed, upon submission of Form INVPARTS RD B 151 VEHPARTS Credit Card The VEHPARTS credit card is issued only to personnel in VMFs and can be used only for the purchase of vehicle repair parts (see also Exhibit 3-4, page 2, paragraph c). All purchases made with this card will be temporarily posted to vehicle inventory account number These costs will appear on line 3H, account number 52150, of the Postal Service Financial Report (PSFR) when issued via the Vehicle Management Accounting System (VMAS). 152 EXPENSE Credit Card The EXPENSE credit card is the Postal Service s preferred method of payment for expense items. Every major Postal Service organization and Post Office should use the card as their primary means of local buying when needs cannot be satisfied by ebuy or other consolidated payment process approved by Finance. Purchases made with the EXPENSE credit card will be charged to expense account number After payment, the San Mateo Accounting Service Center will automatically transfer the monthly charges to selected general ledger accounts based on the merchant s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. Most charges will still remain in line 31, account number When charges are transferred to PSFR lines 32, 34, 36, 37, 39, 42, 44, 45, 46, 3B, 3E, 3K, or 3U, the applicable general ledger account will include the unique 3-digit subaccount.998, identifying the charges as EXPENSE credit card charges transferred from line 31, account number CAPITAL Credit Card The CAPITAL credit card is the only local means of buying capital equipment (equipment with a service life of more than 1 year and costing $3,000 or 4 Handbook AS-709

23 Introduction 16 Check for supplemental capital commitment policies issued by the vice president/controller before using your CAPITAL credit card. more). Officers, vice presidents, plant managers, district managers, and those reporting directly to them (if delegated in writing as the local capital buying authority) are the only employees authorized to approve issuance of CAPITAL credit cards to offices whose finance number has a capital budget. Capital property purchases that involve trade-ins or add-ons to existing equipment should not be purchased with this card. Requests for this type of purchase are to be sent to the responsible Purchasing Service Center (PSC) or appropriate Supply Category Management Center (CMC). Purchases made with the CAPITAL credit card will appear on PSFR line 68, sub-line 6X, under commitment account number in the accounting period of the billing cycle. At the same time, the full amount of the purchase will be temporarily posted to line 44 under expense account number When the St. Louis Accounting Service Center receives PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record, from the cardholder, the charge to account number will be reversed (credited) and the equipment will be capitalized (posted to the appropriate asset account: 17201, 17401, or 17501). 154 INVPARTS Credit Card The INVPARTS credit card is issued only to select Topeka MDC employees for the purchase of inventory parts. All purchases made with this card will be posted to account number and will appear on the PSFR line 73. When the MDC receives the inventory parts, the amount of the purchase will be posted to account number Issues from MDC are charged to account number 52120, which appears on PSFR line RD Credit Card The RD credit card is issued only to select Merrifield Engineering employees for the purchase of research and development equipment and supplies. All purchases made with this card will be posted to account number These costs will appear on line 3B of the PSFR. 16 Program Structure The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program is based on a multiple level system. The various levels provide a solid system of checks, balances, and audit controls from the lowest to the highest level. Figure 16 is a graphic illustration of the structure. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

24 17 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Figure 16 I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program Structure Reports U.S. Bank Invoice GSA Supply Management USPS, Finance Agency Program Coordinators San Mateo ASC Credit Card Approving Officials Report Cardholders 17 Responsibilities 171 U.S. Bank U.S. Bank is the contractor responsible for operating the program. U.S. Bank s major responsibilities include account setup and update, card distribution, replacement of lost or stolen cards, card reissue, transaction data capture, transaction posting, report generation and distribution, and customer service. 172 GSA GSA is responsible for both administering the contract with U.S. Bank and dealing with the day-to-day operations of the program. The GSA contracting officer is the only individual authorized to alter the terms and conditions of this contract. 173 Finance Headquarters Finance is the designated billing office for the USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program. This organization determines what form 6 Handbook AS-709

25 Introduction 176 of media will be used for receipt of invoices and payment, formulates procedures outlining use of the chosen media, and establishes billing discrepancy procedures. Headquarters Finance also determines the thresholds for requirements approval authority. See Exhibit 1-1 for the contacts in Finance. 174 San Mateo Accounting Service Center San Mateo Accounting Service Center (ASC) is responsible for receiving and making payments against the monthly invoice from U.S. Bank. San Mateo ASC sends a payment report to the CCAO monthly. The ASC also has online access to U.S. Bank s I.M.P.A.C. master file for the purpose of correcting invalid finance or general ledger account numbers. National Supply Management Programs administers the USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program. 175 Supply Management/Primary Agency Program Coordinator Supply Management Infrastructure, under the vice president of Supply Management, maintains Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying. National Supply Management Programs, also under Supply Management, is responsible for administering the USPS/GSA SmartPay Purchase Card Program nationwide. (See Exhibit 1-1 for contacts.) National Supply Management Programs does the following: a. Serves as the primary APC and liaison between the Postal Service and U.S. Bank and the GSA contracting officer. b. Provides necessary guidance and communications to other postal APCs, maintains the Postal Service APC listing, establishes new APC accounts, and assists with APC account maintenance. c. Recommends credit card policy changes (and changes to this handbook) to Supply Management Infrastructure. d. Coordinates training with U.S. Bank for APCs and provides training tools for CCAOs and cardholders. e. Provides assistance on requests to deviate from the policies set forth in this handbook. Requests for deviations from the policy stated in this handbook must be submitted to the manager of Supply Management Infrastructure (see Exhibit 1-1 for address). 176 Agency Program Coordinators APCs are responsible for managing the I.M.P.A.C. credit card program for their assigned areas. There are coordinators at Topeka National Materials Customer Service and at various other organizations in the field (e.g., district). An assistant APC may be designated to assist and serve as backup. (See Exhibit 1-1 for contacts.) APCs have the following responsibilities: a. Overseeing management of the credit card program for their area of responsibility. b. Training successor APCs and performing necessary account maintenance. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

26 177 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying c. Setting up and updating cardholder and CCAO accounts. d. Ensuring that accounts are canceled for separated and transferred cardholders and CCAOs. e. Providing training and/or appropriate training tools to cardholders and CCAOs. f. Resolving disputes escalated to the APC. g. Authorizing one-time exemptions to established 30-day cardholder and office spending limits. h. Maintaining account setup documentation. 177 Credit Card Approving Official The CCAO s function is different from the requirements approving official s function. The CCAO is responsible for managing and monitoring the credit card activity of a group of cardholders. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the card is not misused and that the appropriate payment was made to U.S. Bank. The responsibilities may not be redelegated except to another trained CCAO. Periods of redelegation may not exceed 90 days. After 90 days, cardholders must be assigned to a new CCAO. Any redelegation must be in writing, with copies retained in applicable CCAO and cardholder files. The CCAO does the following: a. Verifies the accuracy of San Mateo ASC s payment to U.S. Bank with cardholder statements and U.S. Bank reports. b. Certifies U.S. Bank monthly cardholder statements. c. Challenges questionable purchases. d. Provides guidance to cardholders and assists with dispute resolution. e. Notifies the APC of account update information. f. Maintains a listing of assigned cardholders and U.S. Bank R090 Reports. 178 Cardholder A cardholder may be designated as a CCAO, but never for his or her own credit card. The cardholder is a person for whom a credit card account has been established. A cardholder may have more than one type of credit card or multiple credit card accounts of the same type. A cardholder may also be designated as a CCAO, but never for his or her own credit card. The cardholder is responsible for the proper use of the I.M.P.A.C. credit card account and for disputing any improper charges. The cardholder does the following: a. Follows local buying policies and procedures. b. Keeps the credit card secure. c. Uses the credit card properly. d. Maintains accurate records of all transactions. The functions of the CCAO and the requirements approving official are not the same. The CCAO s authority applies only to managing and monitoring cardholder accounts, while the requirements approving official s applies to the approval of purchase request (e.g., PS Form 7381). For the requirement s approval authority, see Handbook F-1. 8 Handbook AS-709

27 Introduction e. Reconciles U.S. Bank monthly statement. 18 Controls Controls Cardholder s reconciliation CCAO s verification Dollar spending limits: Single transaction Cardholder 30-day Office 30-day Merchant activity type code 181 Overview Besides the cardholder s reconciliation of U.S. Bank monthly statement and the CCAO s verification of payment accuracy, many unique controls have been established to ensure proper use of the I.M.P.A.C. credit cards for example, dollar spending limits and merchant activity type codes. VISA regulations require a merchant to obtain authorization. The authorization request is sent electronically to U.S. Bank through the VISA telecommunications network. U.S. Bank verifies the cardholder account and determines whether the purchase is within assigned dollar limits and for the proper type of merchant. A response approval, decline, or referral is transmitted back to the merchant. If the purchase is not within assigned dollar limits or for the proper type of code, the merchant will not be authorized to accept the credit card. Other types of local buying payment methods have no such controls. 182 Cardholder Spending Limits You may not split requirements to circumvent your assigned single transaction limit. The CCAO can request the APC to raise or lower the assigned spending limits to comply with budget changes Single Transaction Limit Each cardholder is assigned a single transaction limit for each credit card. A single transaction limit restricts the amount of any single purchase made by the cardholder. A single transaction may comprise multiple items and is the total of those items purchased at one time from a particular merchant. The total amount of the transaction may not exceed the cardholder s assigned limit. This limit is determined by local management and assigned to each cardholder at the time the cardholder s account is set up. It should equal the amount of local buying authority, not to exceed $10,000. Note: Charge transactions must not be split to remain under the delegated local buying authority unless the card is being used for payment pursuant to the authority of a postal contract (the contract expressly authorizes local ordering and use of the credit card for payment). When a charge transaction exceeds delegated authority, it must be processed by a cardholder with higher local buying authority (not to exceed $10,000) or by the servicing Supply Management purchasing office Day Cardholder Spending Limit Each cardholder is assigned a 30-day dollar limit for each credit card. The cardholder limit determines the maximum dollar amount that will be authorized for a cardholder within a 30-day period. It is determined by local management and assigned to each cardholder when the cardholder s account is set up. This limit should be set at the amount of money reasonably expected to be spent in 30 days. Since the Postal Service billing cycle ends October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

28 183 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying on the 18th of the month, cardholder 30-day limits are reset on the 19th of the month. When approved by local management, the CCAO can request that the APC raise or lower the assigned 30-day spending limit to comply with organizational needs or budget changes Day Office Spending Limit A 30-day office limit is established at the CCAO level. This limit represents the maximum dollar amount that may be spent by the combined purchasing activity of all the cardholders who report to a particular CCAO within a 30-day period. When the 30-day office limit for a particular CCAO has been reached, no more credit card transactions will be authorized, even though an individual cardholder may not have reached his or her assigned 30-day cardholder limit. This limit is provided to assist in controlling budget or other office spending restrictions. It is determined by local management and assigned to the CCAO when the account is set up. When approved by local management, the CCAO can request that the APC raise or lower the assigned office spending limits to comply with organizational needs or budget changes. Office limits are reset on the 19th of the month. 184 Merchant Activity Type Codes Code for Type of Merchant Another unique purchase control of the I.M.P.A.C. credit card program is its ability to restrict use of the card by type of merchant. This is accomplished through the use of the merchant activity type code. This code identifies the category or type of goods and services sold by the merchant. It is assigned to each cardholder when his or her account is up Code for VEHPARTS Credit Cards For VEHPARTS credit cards, the Postal Service uses the merchant activity type code to block merchants not selling vehicle repair parts. The merchant activity type code for VEHPARTS credit cards is Code for EXPENSE, CAPITAL and RD Credit Cards For EXPENSE, CAPITAL and RD credit cards, the Postal Service uses the merchant activity type code to block merchants designated as airlines or airports. The merchant activity type code for EXPENSE, CAPITAL, and RD credit cards is Code for INVPARTS Credit Cards For INVPARTS credit cards, the Postal Service uses the merchant activity type code to block merchants not selling inventory parts. The merchant activity type code for INVPARTS credit cards is Handbook AS-709

29 Introduction Acronyms APC Agency Program Coordinator (shown as A/OPC on U.S. Bank documents) ASC Accounting Service Center ASM Administrative Support Manual C.A.R.E. Customer Automation and Reporting Environment CCAO Credit Card Approving Official (sometimes shown as AO or A/O on U.S. Bank documents) CMC Category Management Center (Supply Management purchasing office) CSQI Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item ebuy Postal Service electronic Web purchasing system accessible via Intranet ebuy Help Desk can be reached at USPS-HELP (options 1,2,8) GSA General Services Administration HQ Headquarters I.M.P.A.C. International Merchant Purchase Authorization Card MAO Material Accountability Officer MDC Materials Distribution Center (Topeka, KS) NMCS National Materials Customer Service (Topeka, KS) PSC Purchasing Service Center (previously part of PMSC Purchasing and Materials Service Center) PSFR SADI SIC VMAS VMF Postal Service Financial Report Supplier Automated Database on the Internet Standard Industrial Classification Vehicle Management Accounting System Vehicle Maintenance Facility October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

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31 Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update 21 Account Setup Chapter 2 Account Setup Updating the Account Cardholders and CCAOs must be career Postal Service employees. You may not use your I.M.P.A.C. credit card unless you have been trained and delegated local buying authority in writing. 211 How to Get an I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Contact the district administrative services office, the local agency program coordinator (APC), or National Materials Customer Service (NMCS) in Topeka, KS (see Exhibit 1-1), to set up an I.M.P.A.C. credit card account. Setting up a cardholder account requires setting up a credit card approving official (CCAO) account, if one has not been previously established (see 213). Both the cardholder and the CCAO must be career Postal Service employees. Noncareer postmaster replacements may also serve as cardholders if local management determines that this is necessary to support operations. 212 Cardholder Account Overview The APC will request specific information necessary to arrange training and establish an account. The APC is the only person authorized to complete the setup form and send it to U.S. Bank. (A Postal Service-unique cardholder setup form is provided to the APCs and can be accessed by the APCs at the U.S. Bank Web site.) U.S. Bank will send the card directly to the cardholder unless otherwise requested on the setup form. Upon receiving the card, the cardholder must immediately acknowledge receipt. The cardholder may not use the card until he or she is delegated local buying authority in writing (in accordance with ASM 722) and has received training. Note: Prospective cardholders will not receive any literature from U.S. Bank, nor will there be any check of their personal credit history. Furthermore, in accordance with VISA regulations, merchants normally may not require cardholders to provide any personal information such as a home phone number, address, driver s license number, or photocopy of a driver s license. The merchant may not make a photocopy of the October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

32 212.2 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying I.M.P.A.C. credit card under any circumstances. If merchants have questions, refer them to their merchant bank Account Information To set up a cardholder account, the APC needs the following cardholder information: a. Complete name. b. Complete mailing and addresses. c. Telephone and facsimile numbers. d. CCAO s complete name. e. CCAO s I.M.P.A.C. account number. (See ) f. Finance number or numbers. (See ) g. Type of cards required. (See ) h. Dollar amount of the single transaction limit up to $10,000 in increments of $50 (not to exceed local buying authority). i. Dollar amount of the 30-day spending limit in increments of $100. j. Name and title of the person who has delegated local buying authority and who approved issuance of the I.M.P.A.C. credit card Buying for More Than One Finance Number If a cardholder needs multiple EXPENSE or CAPITAL credit cards because he or she has purchase responsibility for more than one finance number, a card will be issued for each finance number, with E###### instead of EXPENSE embossed on the expense card and C###### instead of CAPITAL on the capital card, where # is the applicable finance number (e.g., E104230). A separate account setup form is required for each type of card and different finance number Account Without Plastic Card When the cardholder account is set up, the cardholder or CCAO may request U.S. Bank to provide an account number but not to issue a plastic card. When the cardholder makes only local buys by telephone or mail, only a credit card account number is necessary. Not having a credit card relieves the cardholder of ensuring that the card is secure Training The prospective cardholder and CCAO must receive training before the credit card may be used. Training is arranged and sometimes conducted by the APC and includes a discussion on: a. Handbook AS-709 credit card policy. b. Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. c. Local buying procedures for the I.M.P.A.C. credit card. d. Payment reconciliation process. 14 Handbook AS-709

33 Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update The I.M.P.A.C. credit card program office, National Supply Management Programs, is responsible for maintaining course numbers and alternate training approaches (e.g., video, Web-based applications) and provides various training materials to the APCs Delegation of Local Buying Authority ASM 722 defines the delegations of local buying authority, which are restated in Figure 212.6, and may be redelegated as necessary. Each cardholder s authority is based on written delegation. A cardholder s single transaction limit may not exceed the amount of his or her delegated local buying authority. Figure Delegations of Local Buying Authority Amount Position Commodity $10K Officers/VPs Supplies/Services, Capital Equipment $10K Plant Managers P&D Supplies/Services, Capital Equipment $10K District Managers Customer Services Supplies/Services, Capital Equipment $10K PCES Postmasters Supplies/Services $10K Inspectors-in-Charge Supplies/Services $ 2K Postmasters, CAG A J Supplies/Services VMF Managers $ 1K Postmasters, CAG K L Supplies/Services Standards of Ethical Conduct General The ethical standards published in Part 2635 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and restated in the booklet, Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, apply to all employees of the Postal Service. (This booklet is available from Human Resources offices and Law Department offices, and on the Internet at Exhibit 21 is an excerpt from it.) These standards are meant to ensure that all dealings of Postal Service employees with the public meet the highest standards of propriety and reflect the trust placed in the Postal Service by the American people. It is critical that employees understand that these standards address actual conduct as well as how the conduct appears to others. A summary of the standards, prepared by the Office of Government Ethics, has been distributed to the APCs and may be reproduced locally. Exhibit 22 is a listing of the ethics liaisons. The APC or designated liaison can respond to questions about these standards or the ethics of a particular situation. Ethics advice may be obtained by calling the Law Department s Ethics Helpline at or sending an message to GC ETHICS INQUIRY (internal) or gethics@ .usps.gov (external). October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

34 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Acknowledgment of Standards The cardholder and the CCAO are responsible for the proper use of the credit card, and they must sign an acknowledgment of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Reproducible copies of the acknowledgment are provided at the end of this handbook U.S. Bank Issuance of Credit Card Within 5 working days after receipt of the Cardholder Account Set-Up form, U.S. Bank will mail the card to the cardholder or to the APC as indicated on the setup form Cardholder Acknowledgement of Credit Card Receipt Upon receipt of the card, the cardholder immediately verifies the information for accuracy, signs the back, and calls U.S. Bank Customer Service to have the account activated. If no plastic card is issued, the cardholder calls U.S. Bank upon receipt of notification that an account has been established to have the account activated. U.S. Bank will ask questions about specific information from the account setup form. No merchant will be authorized by U.S. Bank to process a credit card purchase unless the account is first activated. 213 CCAO Account The recommended number of cardholders per CCAO is Overview If a current CCAO is not designated when a cardholder account is set up, a new CCAO must be assigned by local management. At least one cardholder account should be set up at the same time a CCAO account is set up. Additional cardholder accounts may be added, not to exceed the recommended limitation of 25 cardholders per CCAO. After the prospective CCAO is identified, the APC will inform the CCAO what information is necessary to establish an account and schedule training (see 212.5). The APC is the only person authorized to complete the account setup form and send it to U.S. Bank Customer Service. (A Postal Service-unique CCAO setup form is provided to the APCs and can be accessed by the APCs at the U.S. Bank Web site.) Account Information To set up a CCAO account, the APC needs the following information on the CCAO: a. Complete name. b. Complete mailing and addresses. c. Telephone and facsimile numbers. d. Dollar amount of the 30-day office spending limit in increments of $100 up to $9,999, Handbook AS-709

35 Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update U.S. Bank Establishes the CCAO Account 22 Updating the Account Within 5 business days after receiving the Approving Official Account Set-Up form, U.S. Bank will notify the CCAO of his or her account number. The CCAO account number cannot be used to purchase goods or services. It is merely an office identifier for a group of cardholders. 221 Overview If information provided on the initial cardholder or CCAO account setup form changes or an account must be canceled, update forms must be sent to U.S. Bank. The cardholder must report all changes to the CCAO and the CCAO must report all changes and cancellations to the APC in writing. The APC is the only person authorized to notify U.S. Bank on the appropriate account update forms. Reproducible copies of these forms are provided at the end of this handbook. 222 Responsibilities Cardholders must report to their CCAO all changes to the information on the account setup form Cardholder Change in Name, Address, or Telephone Number Notify the CCAO immediately of any legal change in name (e.g., because of marriage or divorce), office address, or telephone number Change in Spending Limits Notify the CCAO immediately if local management decides to increase or decrease your spending limits (e.g., to comply with budget changes) Replacement Card Notify the CCAO if you need a replacement card due to an incorrectly spelled name, a name change, damaged card, or other reasons not associated with the loss or theft of the card. (If your card is lost or stolen, follow the directions in chapter 5.) When you receive the replacement card, cut the old card in half and send it to the CCAO Transfer to Another CCAO If you are transferred to a different CCAO, make sure the new CCAO notifies the APC, who in turn will notify U.S. Bank on the Cardholder Account Update form. This change will be effective on the day following the end of the billing cycle. This means that transactions will continue to be billed under the old CCAO for the remainder of the billing cycle and then change to the new CCAO with the next billing. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

36 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service Upon transfer to another office or separation from the Postal Service, notify the CCAO immediately and request that your account be canceled. Give the CCAO your credit card purchase documentation (see 335.1) and the credit card that has been cut in half. If your account has recurring monthly charges (e.g., paging services), notify the merchant to discontinue the service or work with the CCAO to identify another cardholder account for the merchant to bill against CCAO CCAOs must report to their APC all changes to the information on the account setup form Responsibilities Concerning Cardholders Account Information Changes Within 5 working days of being notified by your cardholder, inform the APC of the changes in the cardholder s account information, and, if applicable, the need for a replacement card. If you receive a credit card that has been cut in half, forward the two halves of the card to the APC Transfer From Another CCAO If a cardholder is transferred to you from another CCAO, provide the APC in writing with the cardholder s name and account number and your account number. (The APC will notify U.S. Bank on the Cardholder Account Update form. This change will be completed only by U.S. Bank on the day following the end of the billing cycle.) Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service If a cardholder transfers to another office or separates from the Postal Service: a. Ensure that the cardholder gives you the I.M.P.A.C. credit card purchase documentation (see 335.1), any recurring monthly charges have been discontinued or transferred to another cardholder, and the credit card that has been cut in half. b. Make arrangements with the cardholder to forward any subsequent U.S. Bank Statement of Account to you. c. Reconcile and certify the Statement of Account. d. Provide the cardholder s name and account number to the APC and request that the account be canceled. e. Forward the two halves of the card to the APC. f. Provide the APC with account setup information for a prospective cardholder if local management wants to continue to use a credit card for local buys. Note: Do not retain the previous cardholder s account number, and do not request that the name on the account be changed to the prospective cardholder s name. A new cardholder account must be set up (see 212). 18 Handbook AS-709

37 Cardholder and Approving Official Account Setup and Update When replacing a CCAO, do not cancel the CCAO s account. Doing so will cancel all cardholders under that CCAO. Change only the name on the account Responsibilities Concerning CCAO s Own Account Change in Name, Address, Telephone Number, or 30-Day Limit Notify your APC within 5 working days if: a. You legally change your name (e.g., because of marriage or divorce). b. Your telephone number or office address has changed. c. There is any change in the 30-day office limit Replacement by Another CCAO If you will be replaced by another CCAO, notify the APC immediately. The APC will need to know: a. Your name and account number. b. The replacement CCAO s name and account number or the prospective CCAO s name, address, and telephone number. c. Whether there is any change in the 30-day office spending limit Transfer to Another Office or Separation From the Postal Service Upon transfer to another office or separation from the Postal Service, immediately request that your account be transferred to another CCAO. Follow the replacement procedures listed in Recordkeeping APC Maintain a listing of cardholders and U.S. Bank R090 Reports (hard copy or electronic). See for document retention policy Responsibilities Concerning Cardholder Account Information Changes Within 5 working days of receiving written notification from the CCAO of changes in the cardholder s account information or a request for a replacement card, complete the Cardholder Account Update form and forward it to U.S. Bank Canceled Account Within 5 working days of receiving written notification from the CCAO to cancel a cardholder s account, dispose of the credit card, record the date of final destruction, and complete a Cardholder Account Update form and forward it to U.S. Bank Transfer to Another CCAO Within 5 working days of receiving the cardholder s or CCAO s written memo with the account number of the CCAO to whom the cardholder is being transferred, complete the Cardholder Account Update form and forward it to U.S. Bank. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

38 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Responsibilities Concerning CCAO Account Information Changes Within 5 working days of receiving written notification from the CCAO of account information changes, complete the Approving Official Account Update form and forward it to U.S. Bank Account Transfer Between CCAOs When a CCAO leaves or transfers his or her account to another CCAO: a. Ensure that a new CCAO is designated and properly trained in time to review and sign the cardholder s monthly statement of account. b. Complete an Approving Official Account Update form that reflects only a change of name and address (if required) from the old CCAO to the new CCAO and forward it to U.S. Bank Customer Service. c. Notify in writing each affected cardholder of the name and address of the new CCAO. Note: When replacing a CCAO, do not cancel the old CCAO s account, because doing so will also cancel all of the cardholders under that CCAO. Account setup and update forms must be kept until the account is canceled Recordkeeping Retain copies (hard copy or electronic) of the account setup forms, update forms, acknowledgment forms, and documentation on lost or stolen credit cards until the account is canceled. Individual CCAO and cardholder records forwarded to you when an account is canceled and there is no successor to retain records must be retained for 2 years from date of account closing U.S. Bank All changes and cancellations will be processed at U.S. Bank within 1 business day of receipt of account update forms. If a replacement card is requested, it will be mailed within 2 business days. When the Customer Automation and Reporting Environment (C.A.R.E.) is used to make changes and cancellations, the account will be updated immediately (in real time). Do not follow up with paperwork to U.S. Bank when C.A.R.E. is used. 20 Handbook AS-709

39 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures 31 Your Responsibility Chapter 3 Your Responsibility Your Local Buying Authority The Six Steps of Local Buying The I.M.P.A.C. credit card may be used only by the designated cardholder and must be used only for official postal business. 311 Follow Policies and Procedures You are responsible for complying with the policies and procedures contained in this guide. The I.M.P.A.C. credit card bears your name and signature and can be used only by you. No other person can be authorized to use your card or credit card account number to make a purchase. Your I.M.P.A.C. credit card is for official Postal Service purchases only and may not be used for personal purchases, identification, or personal gain (e.g., VISA rewards such as travel credits or other promotions). You must stay within your assigned dollar limits and may not split requirements to circumvent your assigned single transaction limit. 312 Keep Your Credit Card Secure You are responsible for safeguarding your credit card and account number at all times and must not allow anyone to use them. Keep your card in a secure location. Take the same precautions as you would with your own personal credit cards to prevent loss or theft. 313 Use Your Credit Card Properly Ethics and Business Practices ASM requires you to adhere to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 CFR As an employee who has been delegated local buying authority, you should consult with local management or a Postal Service ethics official when questions regarding these standards arise. See Exhibit 2-2 for a list of ethics liaisons. Keep in mind that you may not make a local buy from any of the following: a. A Postal Service employee. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

40 313.2 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying b. The immediate family of a Postal Service employee. c. A business organization substantially owned or controlled by a Postal Service employee or his or her immediate family. As defined in ASM , Postal Service employees means all postal officers and employees, whether in full-time, part-time, career or noncareer positions, including specifically persons in temporary positions such as postmaster replacements and rural carrier reliefs. Immediate family members means spouse, minor child or children, and individuals related to an employee by blood who are residents of the employee s household. Intentional misuse may warrant disciplinary action, immediate card cancellation, and purchase repayment Credit Card Misuse Remember that intentional misuse of the I.M.P.A.C. credit card for any purpose other than official Postal Service business is considered fraud. When fraud occurs, the Office of the Inspector General will be notified immediately, the credit card account will be canceled, and the cardholder will be liable for the total dollar amount of purchases made in connection with the misuse. Additionally, disciplinary action in accordance with the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) may result Unauthorized Purchases Unauthorized purchases occur when a Postal Service employee who has not been delegated local buying authority, or who exceeds such authority, by his or her actions causes another party to deliver or provide goods or services. Unauthorized purchases and ratification authority are discussed further in Management Instruction AS , Unauthorized Contractual Commitments. See for goods and services you may not purchase with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card Prohibited Purchases If you are requested to make a purchase that would violate statutory and legislative requirements or would require special tracking and reporting (see 332.2), promptly return the request with an explanation of why the purchase cannot be made with the card. If you are unsure whether the purchase is authorized, seek the advice of your CCAO or APC. 314 Maintain Accurate Records You are responsible for maintaining accurate and complete records of all credit card transactions for 2 years. The importance of maintaining adequate and accurate documentation of credit card purchases cannot be overemphasized. Your documentation must provide a clear audit trail to ensure the proper use of Postal Service funds and to provide a basis of support for any disputed charges. 315 Reconcile Your Monthly Statement Credit card statements are generated for you each month on the cycle date established for the Postal Service. These statements detail your credit card spending activity. You must reconcile your statement upon receipt and certify 22 Handbook AS-709

41 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures 331 that the transactions are valid and for official use. This reconciliation is extremely critical, as it ensures that the correct amount has been paid. Certified statements are then forwarded to your CCAO for verification and another level of certification. See chapter 4 for information on how to review and reconcile your statement. 32 Your Local Buying Authority When ebuy and consolidated payment processes are not available, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card is your primary means of buying and paying for day-to-day operational needs. Payment Hierarchy ebuy Consolidated Invoices I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card ASC Payment via PS Form 8230 No Fee Money Orders (one-time emergency only, up to $500) Cash (one-time emergency only, up to $100) Imprest Fund Check 321 The Primary Local Buying Method When operational needs cannot be satisfied through ebuy or other consolidated payment processes approved by Finance, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card serves as the primary means of paying for day-to-day expenses under your delegated local buying authority. (See for delegation of local buying authority.) ASM 722 promulgates the basis for local buying authority. Key points from ASM 722 are restated throughout this chapter. Other means of paying for local buys include submitting an invoice with PS Form 8230, Authorization for Payment, no-fee money orders (one-time emergency only, up to $500), cash (one-time emergency only, up to $100), and imprest fund checks. For more information on these means of payment see Handbook F-1 and other related Finance policies and procedures. Use these other means of payment only in instances where there is no VISA -capable merchant or the I.M.P.A.C. credit card is not authorized for use (e.g., special tracking and reporting requirements). Do not use local buying authority when sound fiscal management principles make another form of purchasing more advantageous to the Postal Service. 322 Assistance If you have any questions about local buying authority or the I.M.P.A.C. credit card local buying procedures seek assistance from your CCAO, APC, or the Topeka NMCS at The Six Steps of Local Buying Six Steps of Local Buying Review Purchase Request (332) Decide on a Supplier (333) Order Goods and Services (334) Document Your Purchase (335) Receive Goods and Services (336) Verify Payment Accuracy (337/chapter 4) 331 Overview Local buying with your credit card involves the following six steps: a. Review the purchase request. b. Decide on a supplier to satisfy the requirement. c. Order the goods/services. d. Document the purchase. e. Receive the goods/services. f. Verify that payment was accurate. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

42 332 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Your CCAO shares some responsibility in the last step by verifying that the charges made to your finance number by San Mateo matches those you verify on your monthly statement. 332 Review Your Purchase Request Approvals Considerations When Reviewing a Purchase Request Purchase Request Approvals Special Management Approvals Statutes and Legislation Special Tracking and Reporting Spending Limits See Exhibit 3-3 for guidelines on restricted items requiring special management approvals Individual Purchase Before making a credit card purchase, review all purchase requests for completeness and appropriate approvals. You (cardholder) may not approve your own purchase request. Notes: 1. Requisitions for all authorized users that have access to the Intranet must be created through ebuy s online requisition and approval feature. When ebuy is not available, a purchase request may be processed on a PS Form 7381 or other hard copy or electronic documentation as long as the key elements are addressed (i.e., item description, estimated cost, requester name and telephone number, finance number, account number, and approvals). See Exhibit 3-1 for an example of a PS Form 7381, Requisition for Supplies, Services, or Equipment, prepared for an individual purchase. 2. To reduce paperwork and administrative costs, ebuy paperless requisitioning or bulk-funded procedures are preferred for the credit card program Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request Bulk-funded and approved purchase requests provide a method of funding and approving purchases in advance. They reduce the paperwork and time required for the approval process and simplify the use of the credit card because no approval is required for subsequent purchases. When you use this method, a specific amount of funding is approved in advance on PS Form 7381 or via the ebuy online requisitioning and approval feature and set aside for you to make credit card purchases. Your bulk-funded purchase request must indicate a specific expiration date (not to exceed the current fiscal year), on which any remaining funds will expire. At that time, you will have to prepare a new bulk-funded purchase request and have it approved before you can make any additional purchases. If your purchases are bulk-funded, you are responsible for maintaining a current balance of declining funds on the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log or ebuy Credit Card Log. See Exhibit 3-2 for an example of a PS Form 7381 for bulk-funded purchase request for a specific cardholder Restricted Purchases Purchase of some goods and services is restricted by specific functional areas. Buying such items with your I.M.P.A.C. credit card may require prior management approvals. These restrictions are listed in manuals, handbooks, management instructions, and memoranda. Seek the advice of the specific 24 Handbook AS-709

43 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures functional area for details. Carefully review requests for restricted purchases to ensure that if applicable, appropriate management approvals have been obtained and other policy and procedural issues are addressed. Examples of restricted purchases and required management approvals are listed in Figure This list is not all inclusive but provides some guidelines. Exhibit 3-3 provides more explanation. Figure Examples of Restricted Items and Approvals Restricted Item Hazardous waste cleanup and disposal services Supplies containing hazardous substances Utility Purchases Management Approval Environmental Management Policy Environmental Management Policy Finance and Environmental Management Policy Computer hardware and software Information Technology Training, membership fees, and dues Human Resources Employee awards Human Resources Meals and refreshments Finance Employee personal events Finance Electrically operated convenience Maintenance or Building Services items Printing and copying (See ASM 37) Publications Headquarters Library Tools or hardware supplies Maintenance or Building Services See Exhibit 3-4 for more details about goods/ services listed in that may not be purchased with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card Prohibited Purchases Prohibited Purchases Subject to Statutory and Legislative Requirements Ensure that your purchases do not violate, either intentionally or unintentionally, the requirements of key laws and Postal Service purchasing policy. For details about these laws and exceptions, or for information on how to acquire and pay for the goods and services listed below, contact Administrative Services, your servicing PSC, or the applicable Supply Management Category Management Center. Exhibit 3-4 provides additional information on the following items that you may not purchase with your I.M.P.A.C. credit card because of various statutory and legislative requirements: a. Building or land rental, lease, or purchase. b. Construction services, including facility repairs and alterations valued at over $2,000. c. Services covered by the Service Contract Act when the requirement exceeds $2,500 per one-time expenditure or when an office estimates that a particular service provided by the same supplier will exceed $2,500 per year. d. Medical services. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

44 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying e. Mail transportation services. f. Services or products for which more formal contracting procedures apply. g. Professional/technical, consultant, or personal services. h. The services of former Postal Service employees Prohibited Purchases Requiring Special Tracking and Reporting Some goods and services require a unique account number or require special tracking and reporting. For information on how to acquire and pay for these goods and services, contact Finance, Administrative Services, your servicing PSC, or the applicable Supply Management Category Management Center. These items may not be obtained with your I.M.P.A.C. credit card and are listed below (see Exhibit 3-4 for details and exceptions): a. Advance payments. b. Cash advances. c. Fuel or oil for Postal Service-owned or -leased vehicles (refer to the U.S. Bank/Voyager Fleet Card). d. Travel expenses for Postal Service employees. e. Vehicle repair parts (except for VMF personnel with the VEHPARTS credit card) Spending Limits Your Dollar Limits Requests for items over your assigned dollar limits can be handled either by another local buying payment method (when under $10,000 and you have authority to use that means of local buying) or by promptly returning the request with an explanation of why the purchase may not be made with the card Exception to Exceed Spending Limits In some critical need situations, you may find it necessary to exceed the single transaction limit or the 30-day limit or both. In these situations, you can request a one-time exemption from your APC. The CCAO will notify the APC, who will authorize U.S. Bank to raise the limit temporarily. This can be done only if the requested increased threshold does not exceed your delegated local buying authority or you have received approval to increase your local buying limit temporarily (not to exceed $10,000). 333 Choosing a Supplier Priority Sources Policy According to ASM 722, local buying authority should not be used when the items are available from existing Postal Service assets (e.g., excess, the MDC, the mail equipment shops) or from servicewide or area contracts and ordering agreements. Many of these contracts are included in ebuy and use 26 Handbook AS-709

45 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures is mandatory. This policy is in place to make sure Postal Service personnel use existing Postal Service assets and take advantage of volume discounts. To learn more about servicewide and area contracts, visit the Supply Management home page accessible from the USPS Intranet, and to learn more about ebuy, visit the ebuy homepage ( Questions regarding servicewide and area contracts can be directed to your servicing PSC/MSC or the Topeka NMCS ( ). Considerations When Choosing a Supplier Existing postal assets Servicewide or area contracts/agreements and ebuy JWOD Products GSA Small, Minority, Woman Owned Suppliers Environmental Implications Best Value Note: When it is so stated in the terms of a contract or ordering agreement and you follow all credit card policies, procedures, and local buying limits, you may use the I.M.P.A.C. credit card for orders against established contracts and agreements, such as GSA Federal Supply Schedules and Postal Service indefinite delivery contracts Exceptions to Policy Exceptions to the priority source policy are permitted if a source cannot meet the required delivery time and quantity or if the price is excessive. For sources falling under a mandatory postal contract, exceptions are generally not allowed unless so specified in the contract. Document the justification for exceptions (e.g., on the purchase request or credit card buying log) JWOD Products The Javits-Wagner-O Day (JWOD) Act (41 U.S.C c) requires that federal agencies, including the Postal Service, purchase certain supplies and services from qualified workshops employing people who are blind or severely disabled. Each use of the purchase card for a JWOD item generates employment and training opportunities for individuals who are blind or have other severe disabilities. In partnership with National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (an organization serving people with a range of severe disabilities), JWOD items are furnished under federal contracts awarded to a network of 600-plus state and local nonprofit organizations in all 50 states. When JWOD products are not included as part of ebuy catalogs, purchase card users may use one or more of the following options to identify and purchase JWOD supplies and services: GSA Advantage! online shopping service at JWOD office and general purpose supplies are marked JWOD/NIB/NISH. GSA telephone ordering. Place orders by calling GSA s toll-free number at from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. DLA Electronic Catalog (ECAT and Electronic Mall (EMALL). Military Base Supply Centers. FEDSTRIP, MILSTRIP, MUFFIN, and other federal requisition systems. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

46 333.3 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying For more information about the JWOD program, see the program s Web site at call or write to the following address: THE COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED 1215 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY STE 310 ARLINGTON VA GSA Customer Supply Centers After checking priority sources (including ebuy), you should always seek the most cost-effective sources of supply. This may include products provided by GSA. GSA Advantage! online shopping service and telephone ordering information is included in above. Note: GSA is not a mandatory source of supply Small, Minority, and Woman-Owned Businesses Policy The Postal Service ensures that all suppliers have the opportunity to compete for our contracts and local buying opportunities and that our policies support the local business community and encourage economic development of all diverse groups. Using local small businesses and minority and womanowned businesses is an important element of that policy. Providing opportunities to diverse suppliers is the responsibility of all Postal Service employees. Cardholders are encouraged to seek out and use local small, minority, and woman-owned firms when making credit card buys Assistance To identify local small businesses and minority and woman-owned business as potential suppliers, contact these resources: a. Internet tools: (1) VISA Sourcing Tool. The VISA Supplier Locator is available at Use this resource to identify and locate over 3.5 million merchants that welcome the I.M.P.A.C. VISA credit card. This tool provides the option to search for minority and veteran suppliers and suppliers registered with the Small Business Administration. (2) Supply Management Supplier Automated Database on the Internet (SADI). See Exhibit 3-5 for details on how to access SADI. (3) Supply Management home page. Follow the links under Sourcing Assistance. ( b. Postal contacts: (1) SCM Strategies, Supplier Diversity Team Members at and (2) The diversity development specialist for your area. c. Local and national non-postal Service contacts: 28 Handbook AS-709

47 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures (1) U.S. Small Business Administration. (2) Minority Business Development Agency, Department of Commerce. (3) Various trade/industry associations. (4) Your local chamber of commerce Environmental Implication Before making any local buy, always consider the environmental implications of your purchase, such as energy conservation, hazardous materials, recycling, etc. For more information, contact your servicing environmental coordinator and visit the environmental home page on the Postal Service Intranet ( You may also contact the Environmental & MRO Category Management Center by telephone at or by writing to the following address: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL AND MRO CMC 7800 N. STEMMONS FREEWAY STE 700 DALLAS TX Competition Competition (a contracting term) is required for purchases of $10,000 and greater. Since the maximum I.M.P.A.C. credit card single transaction cannot be greater than $10,000, you are not required to solicit competition for your purchases. However, you should seek the best value for the Postal Service and ensure that the price paid is fair and reasonable just as you would for your own personal credit card purchases Best Value Strive to obtain the best value for the Postal Service each time you make a purchase. Best value is obtained by evaluating the price, quality, and any other factor necessary to meet the requester s needs. When prices and other factors are equal, rotate your buys among different merchants when making recurring purchases. Considerations When Ordering Goods and Services Credit Card Acceptability Tax Exemption Return Policy Ordering Methods Shipping Charges 334 Ordering Goods and Services Suppliers Accepting VISA Your credit card can be used at any merchant accepting VISA cards for payment of purchases Suppliers Not Accepting VISA Alternatives Some merchants do not accept VISA cards. If a merchant does not accept VISA, work with the requisitioner to try to find one that does. If you can t find one, return the requisition and suggest that the requisitioner use another October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

48 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying means of local buying payment (e.g., San Mateo ASC with PS Form 8230, no-fee money order, cash, imprest fund) U.S. Bank Help If some of your current suppliers do not accept VISA cards as a method of payment, inform them that the credit card is the Postal Service s preferred method of payment. Refer them to their local bank or to U.S. Bank at (options 1, 3, and follow instructions to talk to a customer service representative) for information and assistance in getting set up and ready to accept your credit card. U.S. Bank can help establish them as VISA -capable merchants Benefits to the Supplier You can tell your suppliers about the three major benefits of accepting the I.M.P.A.C. credit card: a. They can do business with Postal Service cardholders. b. Full payment for I.M.P.A.C. purchases is electronically deposited in their business checking account within 3 business days. c. Overhead costs are reduced because automated payments eliminate the need to send invoices State and Local Tax Exemptions Purchases made with the credit card and billed to the Postal Service are entitled to any exemptions from state and local taxes otherwise available for purchases by the Federal government. It is therefore important that you advise the merchant of this before completing a purchase transaction. A notice of tax exemption is printed on the front of your I.M.P.A.C. credit card. The employer identification number (EIN) assigned by the Internal Revenue Service indicates our Federal government status. In many states, the I.M.P.A.C. credit card provides the evidence needed to claim an exemption; other states may require the merchant to record the Postal Service s EIN. The Postal Service s EIN for I.M.P.A.C. credit card purchases ( ) is embossed on the front of your card. Assistance in determining the exemption status of transactions in particular jurisdictions can be provided by your APC. Individual state letters are also available at the GSA Web site ( and may be provided to your merchants. Avoid merchants who improperly charge state or local taxes Merchant Return Policy Always check merchant return policies when ordering. Request issuance of a credit against your credit card. Avoid merchants who only give store credits for returned merchandise. 30 Handbook AS-709

49 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures Ordering Methods Sales Tax Back Orders Partial Shipments Store Credits Over-the-Counter To make a purchase with your I.M.P.A.C. credit card, simply follow the same general procedures used for any type of credit card purchase. For purchases made in person, the steps of a typical I.M.P.A.C. transaction include the following: a. You select merchandise and present it and the card to the merchant. b. The merchant totals the cost of the merchandise and requests authorization for the purchase. He or she either telephones the merchant s bank or runs the credit card through a point-of-sale terminal and enters the purchase amount. c. The authorization request is sent electronically to U.S. Bank through the VISA telecommunications network. U.S. Bank verifies your account and determines whether the purchase is within the various spending control limits established for you and your CCAO. A response (in the form of an approval, decline, or referral) is transmitted back to the merchant s bank and on to the merchant in an average of 10 seconds. (The most common causes for a decline message are restricted merchant type and exceeding spending limits.) d. The merchant will get a message that says Referral if a charge request exceeds pre-established daily transaction or purchase limits established by U.S. Bank. This referral requires the merchant to obtain identification from the cardholder before the transaction will be authorized. Many times the merchant does not understand the Referral message and thinks the purchase has been rejected. Make certain the merchant calls U.S. Bank. This is a safeguard against charges on a stolen or lost card. e. When an approval code is received, the credit card transaction is completed. The merchant requests you to sign the charge receipt. f. Verify that the dollar amount is correct and that no state or local tax has been included before signing the charge receipt. g. The merchant will give you the merchandise along with the card and one copy of the signed charge receipt. Retain this copy to reconcile your monthly Statement of Account from U.S. Bank. The remaining copies of the charge receipt are used by the merchant to receive payment from his or her bank and for internal recordkeeping. h. Complete your I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log as soon as you get back to your office Telephone and Internet Purchases You may place orders by telephone or the Internet. However, these purchases should be made only from reputable merchants and for items that can be clearly described so that there is no misunderstanding of what is being ordered or charged. For internet purchases, place orders only on a secure site. Look for the yellow pad lock or a site address that starts with Also, for credit card payments over the phone, you may be required to provide your CCAO ZIP code for verification. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

50 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Mail Order Purchases and Purchases by Facsimile You may order items by completing the merchant s order form and including your credit card account number and submitting it by either mail or facsimile. Use caution with this ordering method because of the potential for backorders, taxes being charged, delivery by commercial carriers, and the difficulty of determining when the transaction will be processed by the merchant Delivery Address It is very important that you give the merchant a complete delivery address. In order to validate delivery of ordered items promptly, you normally should request that goods be shipped to you, not to the requester. Regardless of where goods or services are delivered, you must obtain delivery documentation (e.g., packing slip or other documentation that verifies receipt, such as an message from the requester). VISA regulations require that merchandise be shipped before the merchant can process a credit card charge I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log When making a purchase by telephone or mail, it is important to complete the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log at the time you place the order. This will ensure that an accurate record of items, quantities, and prices (including any applicable shipping costs) is maintained Avoid Backorders and Partial Shipments Although VISA regulations require that requested merchandise be shipped before a credit card charge can be processed by the merchant, you should advise your supplier that billing must not occur until full shipment is made. To prevent billing problems and disputes, ask merchants not to back order any items and to make delivery only when the complete order can be shipped Shipping Charges Mailable Merchandise If an order meets Postal Service mailing requirements of 70 pounds or less in weight and 108 inches or less in length plus girth, request that it be sent via the Postal Service as Standard Mail, with the transportation charges included in the price of the order. Postal Service employees should not provide permit or penalty labels to Postal Service suppliers (unless authorized by Corporate Accounting, Finance). Suppliers should not send shipments via other mail services (e.g., Express, Priority or Registered) without prior approval from the cardholder Nonmailable Merchandise If the merchandise is not mailable and the supplier is not going to make delivery with its own personnel and equipment, the supplier may send shipments exceeding 70 pounds and less than 500 pounds by a surface carrier and add the freight charges to the order. When a single shipment is to be handled as air freight, or is expected to exceed 500 pounds, ask your material management specialist (located at the MSC and Headquarters) to 32 Handbook AS-709

51 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures recommend whether the supplier or the Postal Service should route and pay for the shipment. Required Purchase Documentation Purchase Requests Charge & Credit Receipts Buying Log & Bulk-Fund Declining Balance Capital Property Records Delivery Documentation 335 Documenting Your Purchase Required Purchase Documentation Maintain a file to document all purchases. This file must include the following documentation: a. Approved Purchase Requests. A properly approved and funded request for each purchase or your bulk-funded PS Form See and b. Charge and Credit Receipts. The type of documentation will vary by merchant. The critical issue is to have merchant-provided documentation in the file that shows what was ordered and the price paid. c. I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log. d. Delivery Documentation. This may be delivery tickets or any other evidence of receipt by the Postal Service. e. U.S. Bank Statement of Account. This statement is sent to you for reconciliation with your other purchase documentation (see 421.1). f. San Mateo ASC Credit Card Payment Report. This report is sent to the CCAO, who forwards it to you after the monthly reconciliation (see 422.3). g. Other Documentation. This may include PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record (see ), memoranda of telephone conversations, correspondence from merchants, and notes in support of disputed items, including your Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item forms (see 421.3). Note: When the ebuy online requisition and approval and payment update features are used, the cardholder is not required to maintain the hard-copy documentation required by paragraphs a and c above. However, the ebuy credit card log should be reviewed as part of the cardholder and CCAO reconciliation process covered in chapter The I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log You must enter each purchase on an I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log. The buying log is required for accountability, for ensuring the appropriate use of Postal Service funds, and for facilitating the resolution of disputed items. Should you have more than one card, keep a separate log for each. Reproducible copies of the logs are provided at the end of this handbook. You may also design and prepare your own log through use of off-the-shelf software applications (e.g., Quicken or EXCEL) as long as it contains the key information contained in the buying log samples (i.e., Goods/Services Ordered, Merchant Name, Total Price, Date Ordered and Received, Statement Date, declining balance if bulk funded, and PCN/Serial Number and date PS Form 8162 to St. Louis ASC if capital). Inclusion of additional October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

52 335.3 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying pertinent information is encouraged. The ebuy credit card log is an acceptable alternative (see Note in above) Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchases If your purchases are bulk funded and approved, you are responsible for maintaining a current and accurate declining balance of funds on the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log. You must submit PS Form 8162 to St. Louis ASC and your MAO when you receive capital property purchased with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card Capital Property PS Form 8162 When you buy and receive capital property, you are responsible for completing PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record. A copy of this form, which may be reproduced locally, is provided at the end of this handbook Where to Send PS Form 8162 Within 5 working days after receipt of the capital property, submit the original PS Form 8162 to the St. Louis ASC and a copy to your local material accountability officer (MAO). Also, keep a copy and forward it to your CCAO at the end of the billing cycle with your reconciled Statement of Account and purchase documentation. 336 Receiving Goods and Services Delivery Documentation When you receive the merchandise, file the delivery documentation (e.g., delivery ticket) with the other related purchase documentation. Delivery documentation for services is also required. A charge receipt, delivery ticket, or any written or electronically transmitted ( ) documentation verifying receipt is sufficient Damaged, Defective, or Wrong Goods and Services If you receive the wrong item or it is damaged or defective, contact the merchant immediately and request a replacement, substitution, or credit. If a merchant refuses to replace the item or give you credit on your account, the purchase is considered to be in dispute and can be reported to U.S. Bank. (See for details on handling disputes.) Things to Consider When Verifying Payment Accuracy Follow process in chapter4. One consolidated monthly electronic invoice to San Mateo Returned Merchandise Obtain a credit receipt when returning an item for credit. Merchandise that is returned by mail must be sent by certificate of mailing, insured, or by certified mail. If a merchant refuses to offer a credit, the purchase is considered to be in dispute and can be reported to U.S. Bank. See for details on handling disputes. Do not make local payments to U.S. Bank. 34 Handbook AS-709

53 Cardholder s Local Buying Procedures Verifying Payment Accuracy Your responsibility to local buying with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card is not complete until you have reconciled and certified your Statement of Account (see 421.1). Under the established electronic billing and paying procedures, U.S. Bank submits a consolidated monthly invoice for all Postal Service cardholder accounts that is paid by the San Mateo ASC. Therefore, separate local payments must never be made to U.S. Bank. Verification of that consolidated invoice is done through the individual account reconciliation, review, and certification process described in chapter If this process is not performed and there are billing errors, it is quite possible that U.S. Bank will be overpaid. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

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55 Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures 41 Responsibilities 411 Cardholder and CCAO The cardholder and CCAO verification process must be done. It is critical to the accuracy of the payment process. The cardholder and the credit card approving official (CCAO) play an important role in the payment process. On a monthly basis, the cardholder is responsible for reconciling a U.S. Bank statement with his or her credit card purchases. The CCAO is responsible for reconciling a San Mateo Accounting Service Center (ASC) report with a U.S. Bank report and the cardholder s statement. Both are responsible for certifying the statement. Certification is critical because the San Mateo ASC automatically pays U.S. Bank the total amount invoiced before any certification by the cardholder or CCAO. If the verification is not completed, billing errors will go undetected, the cardholder s finance number may be charged for goods and services not received, and U.S. Bank may be overpaid. Figure 411 illustrates the payment process. 412 U.S. Bank Do not send payments to U.S. Bank all monthly charges are paid via one consolidated electronic invoice Consolidated Invoice U.S. Bank pays the merchant within 3 business days after each charge transaction. Then, at the end of each billing cycle, U.S. Bank consolidates all Postal Service I.M.P.A.C. transactions and sends one electronic invoice to the San Mateo ASC. This invoice contains a record of all the cardholders transactions by finance number and credit card account number. Note: No payment by individual cardholders is required. Do not send money orders to U.S. Bank or to Finance at Headquarters. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

56 412.2 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Figure 411 I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Payment Process One payment for all transactions last 30 days. U.S. Bank Consolidated Invoice Statement of Questioned Item (if dispute) San Mateo ASC Statement of Account Cardholder Cardholder Reviews, Reconciles Statement Credit Card Purchases Documentation A/O Summary Credit Card Approving Official Credit Card Payment Report CCAO Verifies Payment, Certifies Statement CCAO R090 Report At the end of the billing cycle, U.S. Bank will mail report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, to each CCAO. This report lists the individual transactions of each cardholder assigned to that CCAO Statement of Account At the end of the billing cycle, U.S. Bank will mail each cardholder a Statement of Account reflecting that cardholder s transactions for the billing cycle. 38 Handbook AS-709

57 Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures Disputed Transaction Status Report U.S. Bank may also send a report F108, Disputed Transaction Status Report by Cardholder, to a cardholder. This report is generated at the end of the billing cycle and lists all outstanding disputes by cardholder number, name, transaction reference number, dispute reason, and amount. It also lists recently resolved disputes along with the resolution date and the status of the resolution. This report can be used for review and oversight of the dispute process Other Management Reports A variety of reports from U.S. Bank and its automatic C.A.R.E. system and internal Postal Service systems (electronic and hard copy) are available to participants in the I.M.P.A.C. program. To learn more about available reports, contact your APC. The Postal Service billing cycle is the 18th of the month Billing Cycle Date The Postal Service billing cycle date is the 18th of the month. This is the date on which U.S. Bank generates the Statement of Account, various reports, and the single invoice for the previous 30 days credit card transactions. If the 18th falls on a weekend or holiday, U.S. Bank generates the statements and invoice at the end of the preceding business day. 413 San Mateo ASC Payment San Mateo ASC is responsible for making timely payments to U.S. Bank Credit Card Payment Report After receiving U.S. Bank s invoice, San Mateo ASC will send each CCAO an I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Payment Report (around the 26th of each month). This report shows the amount the ASC paid to U.S. Bank by cardholder for the previous billing cycle and reallocates charges for EXPENSE cards in accordance with part 152 of this handbook Online Access to I.M.P.A.C. Master File San Mateo ASC has online access to U.S. Bank s I.M.P.A.C. master file for correcting invalid finance or general ledger account numbers. The ASC verifies the accuracy of the master accounting code with the appropriate APC. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

58 42 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying 42 Reconciliation Procedures If reconciliation is not completed, your finance number may be charged for goods and services not received and U.S. Bank may be overpaid. 421 Cardholder Procedures Overview As a cardholder, you are responsible for the monthly reconciliation of the U.S. Bank Statement of Account with your purchases. This verification is required to ensure the accuracy of the statement and to prevent payment errors. On the 18th of the month, U.S. Bank will send you a Statement of Account. Within 5 working days of receiving it, you must do the following: a. Review the statement for accuracy. b. Reconcile the statement with the purchase documentation for that billing cycle (e.g., charge and credit receipts and credit card buying log). c. Send to U.S. Bank a Statement of Questioned Item for any disputed transaction. d. Sign and date the certification statement on the reverse side of the Statement of Account. e. Attach credit card purchase documentation to the statement. f. Forward the statement with the documentation to your CCAO Statements of Account If no activity occurred in a cardholder s account during a billing cycle, no Statement of Account will be sent Multiple Accounts If you have more than one credit card account, U.S. Bank will mail you a separate Statement of Account at the end of the billing cycle for each account Statement Not Issued If you made no purchases during a billing cycle, you will not be sent a statement of account unless adjustments for previously billed transactions are processed during that billing cycle. If you made purchases during a billing cycle and you do not receive the statement by the end of the month, call the I.M.P.A.C. Customer Service at Front Side of Statement The front of the statement shows the following information (see Exhibit 4-1a): a. Your name, address, and account number. b. Your CCAO s name, address, and account number. c. Name and address of the Postal Service billing contact at Headquarters. d. Accounting code. The master accounting code was defined during your account setup and represents your finance number and the appropriate postal account number. e. Statement date. 40 Handbook AS-709

59 Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures f. Total dollar amount of transactions for that billing cycle (in two locations: top and bottom of form). g. Purchase date, processing date, and reference number. h. Merchant name, location, and SIC code. i. Amount of individual transaction. j. Optional area to write in the description of goods and services purchased Reverse Side of Statement The reverse side of the Statement of Account is a place for you to sign and certify that all purchases listed on the statement are correct and for official use. See Exhibit 4-1b Incorrect Finance Number If the statement has an incorrect finance number in the field labeled Accounting Code, notify your APC. Your APC will contact U.S. Bank and the San Mateo ASC to make the correction. You should reconcile the statement just as you would if it had the correct finance number. The statement you receive in the following billing cycle should have your correct finance number. Questions on how to report a dispute on the CSQI form should be directed to U.S. Bank at Disputes on sales tax and shipping/handling charges may not be reported to U.S. Bank. They must be resolved with the merchant Disputed Transaction Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item If there is an error on the Statement of Account or if you and the merchant cannot resolve a problem with merchandise or services billed to you, report it to U.S. Bank. A special form, Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item (CSQI), is provided by U.S. Bank for reporting your dispute. A reproducible copy of this form is at the end of this handbook. You must complete a CSQI form for each individual dispute and send it to U.S. Bank within 60 days of the time you received the Statement of Account in which the charge in question originally appeared. Problems or questions about this procedure should be directed to U.S. Bank Customer Service at Disputes That Can Be Reported Under VISA operating regulations, there are several reasons for which a particular charge may be reversed and a chargeback to the appropriate merchant processed. You may report disputes only for those reasons. Valid dispute reasons are listed on the CSQI form and explained in detail in Exhibit Disputes That Cannot Be Reported You cannot report any other type of dispute on the CSQI form. This includes disputes on sales tax and shipping and handling charges. You must resolve these types of disputes with the merchant by requesting a credit slip to your account Requesting Copy of Sales Draft In addition to using the CSQI form for billing disputes, you may use the form to request a copy of a particular sales draft (charge receipt) by checking October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

60 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying item 8, COPY REQUEST. This option can be useful if you have lost your copy of the draft or if you do not recognize a particular charge CSQI Supporting Documentation After determining the appropriate dispute or chargeback reason and completing the CSQI form, you may need to attach some supporting documentation to the form before sending it to U.S. Bank. Examples of supporting documentation include: a. Copy of the postal receipt (in the event of returned merchandise). b. Copy of the credit voucher from the merchant. c. Written documentation substantiating prior contact with the merchant Where to Send CSQI Form Timely submission of your dispute (within 60 days) is essential to ensure that the VISA chargeback rights do not expire. Send the CSQI form and a copy of any supporting documentation to: I.M.P.A.C. GOVERNMENT SERVICES PO BOX 6346 FARGO ND Purchase Documentation Statement of Account Purchase requests Charge/credit drafts Delivery documentation Credit card log Statement of Questioned Item PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record The cardholder retains all purchase documentation for 2 years Notification From U.S. Bank At statement billing cycle time, you will receive a Disputed Transaction Status Report by Cardholder by separate mail. This report acknowledges receipt of all your disputed transactions that U.S. Bank is currently working to resolve and those resolved recently. (See Exhibit 4-3 for an example of this report.) You will also receive notification from U.S. Bank when a dispute is resolved. This notification will reference the merchant name and the amount of the transaction previously disputed and the resolution obtained Credit on Statement of Account Once all necessary information (including supporting documentation from the merchant, when applicable) is received by U.S. Bank, if a chargeback is warranted, a credit will appear on your Statement of Account, and the amount of the chargeback will be included in that month s balance Disputes That Cannot Be Resolved If you cannot resolve a dispute, ask your CCAO or APC for assistance Purchase Documentation Forwarding Cardholder After completing the reconciliation process, sign and date the certification on the reverse side of the Statement of Account. Then, attach all credit card purchase documentation to your statement for that billing cycle and send it to your CCAO Postmasters Postmasters who are cardholders must follow the reconciliation procedures for cardholders. However, when a waiver is approved in writing by the CCAO 42 Handbook AS-709

61 Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures If reconciliation is not completed, the cardholder s finance number may be charged for goods and services not received and U.S. Bank may be overpaid. (who must be a higher level, e.g., postal operations manager), postmasters do not have to forward their Statement of Account and purchase documentation to the CCAO for monthly review. A copy of the waiver must be retained with the credit card documentation file. Also see Documentation Retention Period After your CCAO verifies the accuracy of the payment, he or she will return your Statement of Account with the purchase documentation along with a report from the San Mateo ASC for that billing period. Retain all purchase documentation for 2 years from the date of each statement. If your account is canceled, turn this documentation over to your CCAO. 422 CCAO Procedures Overview As the CCAO, you are responsible for the monthly reconciliation of the Credit Card Payment Report with each of your cardholders statements and your CCAO R090 Report. This verification is required to ensure that billing errors do not go undetected. Around the end of each month and for the same billing cycle, your cardholders will forward to you their U.S. Bank Statement of Account with supporting purchase documentation, the San Mateo ASC will send you Credit Card Payment Reports, and U.S. Bank will send you a CCAO R090 Report. If you do not receive them by the end of the month, call your cardholders, the San Mateo ASC, or U.S. Bank, as appropriate. You have 5 working days from receipt of these reports to review the documentation for accuracy and proper use of the credit card. Due to the limited time to dispute transactions, it is recommended that you do not hold up reconciliation if you have either the U.S. Bank CCAO R090 Report or the Credit Card Payment Report. When a missing report is received after you have completed your reconciliation, review for accuracy and handle as discussed in either (Credit Card Payment Report) or (Report R090) U.S. Bank R090 Report The R090 Report, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, provides you with information on which cardholders had purchase activity during the previous billing cycle, what that activity was, and which cardholders will be sending their reconciled and certified Statement of Account to you for verification. The R090 includes two report formats: a. Account Detail Report. This is a list that itemizes each transaction that appears on the cardholder s statement. A separate report is sent to you for each of your cardholders (see Exhibit 4-4a). b. Summary Report. This is a list of the total due for all cardholders under the CCAO (see Exhibit 4-4b). October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

62 422.3 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying San Mateo ASC Credit Card Payment Report The Credit Card Payment Report itemizes the amount paid to U.S. Bank by the San Mateo ASC for that billing cycle. A separate report is sent for each CCAO account. The report itemizes cardholder transactions (i.e., date, merchant name, and dollar amount) and reallocates charges in accordance with part 152 of this handbook. If no purchases or adjustments were posted to an account during that billing cycle, you may not receive a payment report for that cardholder. However, when a CCAO has multiple cardholders, a cardholder with no transactions will be listed as No Activity (see Exhibit 4-5) Payment Verification You must reconcile the amount shown on the cardholder s statement with the amount shown as being paid to U.S. Bank on the payment report. If the amounts are not the same and you cannot reconcile the difference, consult your APC for guidance Purchase Verification Purchase Review Besides verifying the accuracy of the payment process, you are responsible for reviewing the cardholder s statement of account to ensure that all purchases are for official use and local buying procedures were followed Questionable Purchases If a purchase is questionable for any reason, you must discuss the purchase with the cardholder. If the cardholder cannot show that the purchase was authorized and for official use, you must notify the Office of Inspector General and take other appropriate action as may be warranted. Contact your Human Resources office for guidance. Depending on the severity of the infraction, it may warrant disciplinary action, immediate cancellation of the credit card account, repayment of the purchase, or all three Intentional Credit Card Misuse Within 2 working days of notifying the Office of Inspector General of a cardholder s intentional misuse of the credit card, send a brief written report to your APC. Provide an explanation of the misuse, the date you notified the Office of Inspector General, and any administrative actions that have been taken or are contemplated Returning Documentation to the Cardholder After completing the review and reconciliation procedure, sign and date the certification on the reverse side of the Statement of Account. Attach the Credit Card Payment Report to the cardholder s statement with the purchase documentation and return it to the cardholder for retention. 44 Handbook AS-709

63 Cardholder and CCAO Reconciliation Procedures Documentation Retention Period Keep the R090 Report for 2 years from the date of each report. If a cardholder s account is canceled, obtain his or her credit card purchase documentation and retain it for 2 years from the date of the last statement of account. If your account is canceled, turn over all CCAO documentation and any cardholder documentation to the new CCAO for retention; or, if there is no new CCAO, turn over to your APC for the remainder of the retention period. The CCAO is also required to maintain a listing of assigned cardholders (current and accounts closed within 2 years). See Waiver for Postmasters The cardholder is responsible for reconciling the Statement of Account on a monthly basis. However, for a cardholder who is a postmaster, you may waive the requirement that he or she send you his or her Statement of Account and supporting documentation. The waiver must be in writing and a copy must be retained with the postmaster s credit card documentation file. You are still responsible for reviewing copies of the monthly Business Account Summary and the Credit Card Payment Report, for forwarding the payment report to the cardholder, for retaining copies of the account summaries, and for reviewing cardholder s purchase documentation during site visits. (Also see ) October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

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65 Lost or Stolen Credit Card Lost or Stolen Credit Card 51 Responsibilities 511 Cardholder Lost or stolen credit card immediately notify U.S. Bank at Notifications If your I.M.P.A.C. credit card is lost or stolen, make the following notifications: a. Immediately notify U.S. Bank at This number is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you contact U.S. Bank, the following information will be requested: (1) Your complete name. (2) I.M.P.A.C. account number. (3) Circumstance surrounding the loss of the card. (4) Date reported to police (if stolen). (5) Any purchases made on the day the card was lost or stolen. (6) Details of the last purchase amount and location. b. Notify your credit card approving official (CCAO) as follows: (1) Call within 1 working day after discovering that the card is missing. (2) Submit a written report regarding the lost or stolen card within 5 working days. In addition to the information provided to U.S. Bank, this report must also include the date and time U.S. Bank was notified, the new account number assigned by U.S. Bank, and any other information you feel is pertinent. c. Send a copy of the above written report to your agency program coordinator (APC) When a Lost or Stolen Credit Card Is Found Should the lost or stolen card be located, cut it in half and send it to your CCAO with a memo explaining the circumstances. Send a copy of the memo to your APC. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

66 512 Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying 512 U.S. Bank U.S. Bank will mail the cardholder a new card with a new account number within 2 workdays after notification. To facilitate billing account reconciliation, purchases made prior to the loss date will be automatically billed under the cardholder s new account number. Note: Internal security procedures at U.S. Bank provide for the review of suspicious transactions to prevent them from appearing on the next Statement of Account. Nevertheless, the cardholder should carefully review his or her statement and report any incorrect billings to U.S. Bank immediately. 52 Postal Service Liability The Postal Service is not liable for any unauthorized use of a credit card. Unauthorized use of a credit card is the use of the card by a person other than the cardholder and from which the Postal Service receives no benefit. 48 Handbook AS-709

67 Exhibits Appendix A Appendix A Exhibits Exhibit 1-1 Exhibit 2-1 Exhibit 2-2 Exhibit 3-1 Exhibit 3-2 Exhibit 3-3 Exhibit 3-4 Exhibit 3-5 Exhibit 4-1a Exhibit 4-1b Exhibit 4-2 Exhibit 4-3 Exhibit 4-4a Exhibit 4-4b Exhibit 4-5 Agency Program Coordinators and Cosponsor Contacts 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct Ethics Liaisons Purchase Request for an Individual Purchase Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval Prohibited Purchases With the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet Buyer Inquiry Cardholder Statement of Account (front) Cardholder Statement of Account (back) Disputes Reportable to U.S. Bank Report F108, Disputed Transaction Status Report by Cardholder Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Summary Report San Mateo Credit Card Payment Report October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

68 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 1-1 Agency Program Coordinators and Cosponsor Contacts APCs Managing Cardholder and CCAO Accounts COSPONSOR CONTACTS A complete listing of APCs managing I.M.P.A.C. cardholder and CCAO accounts is located at the Postal Service Intranet Supply Management home page, purchase/ and is accessible under the Credit Card User tab, under Credit Card Coordinators. PRIMARY APC: SUPPLY MANAGEMENT NATIONAL SUPPLY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS 475 L ENFANT PLAZA SW WASHINTON DC Minerva (Mini) Moy (202) Shelita V. Taylor (202) Note: Topeka NMCS ( ) serves as APC for cardholder and CCAO accounts previously managed by APCs at the PMSCs and Headquarters. If you do not have Intranet access, please contact your servicing District Finance or Administrative Services Office or contact Topeka NMCS at DESIGNATED BILLING OFFICE: FINANCE NATIONAL ACCOUNTING 475 L ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 8831 WASHINGTON DC Ravi Aharam (202) Mary Klein (202) Phyllis Johnston (202) Handbook AS-709 Policy Deviation Requests SUPPLY MANAGEMENT MANAGER, SUPPLY MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE C/O MARIE K MARTINEZ (202) L ENFANT PLZ SW WASHINGTON DC SUBMISSION OF REQUESTS PREFERRED 50 Handbook AS-709

69 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit Principles of Ethical Conduct This is an excerpt from Subpart A of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 CFR Public service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws and ethical principles above private gain. 2. Employees shall not hold financial interests that conflict with the conscientious performance of duty. 3. Employees shall not engage in financial transactions using nonpublic Government information or allow the improper use of such information to further any private interest. 4. An employee shall not, except as permitted by subpart B of this part, solicit or accept any gift or other item of monetary value from any person or entity seeking official action from, doing business with, or conducting activities regulated by the employee s agency, or whose interests may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee s duties. 5. Employees shall put forth honest effort in the performance of their duties. 6. Employees shall not knowingly make unauthorized commitments or promises of any kind purporting to bind the Government. 7. Employees shall not use public office for private gain. 8. Employees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual. 9. Employees shall protect and conserve Federal property and shall not use it for other than authorized activities. 10. Employees shall not engage in outside employment or activities, including seeking or negotiating for employment, that conflict with official Government duties and responsibilities. 11. Employees shall disclose waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption to appropriate authorities. 12. Employees shall satisfy in good faith their obligations as citizens, including all just financial obligations, especially those such as Federal, State or local taxes that are imposed by law. 13. Employees shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap. 14. Employees shall endeavor to avoid any actions creating the appearance that they are violating the law or the ethical standards set forth in this part. Whether particular circumstances create an appearance that the law or these standards have been violated shall be determined from the perspective of a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts. Note: For a more detailed understanding of the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct, see the booklet Standards of Ethical Conduct. It is available from Human Resources offices, the Law Department, and Employee Relations. Additional ethics information is available on the Postal Service Intranet at October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

70 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 2-2 Ethics Liaisons (p.1) HEADQUARTERS Organization Contact Phone Room CHIEF COUNSEL Wendy Hocking ETHICS AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS 475 L ENFANT PLZ SW WASHINGTON DC Ethics Helpline: (202) (answered by ethics staff members) Ethics addresses: GC ETHICS INQUIRY (internal) or gethics@ .usps.gov FIELD Please direct your ethics inquiry to the Managing Counsel listed across from the PERFORMANCE CLUSTER or AREA OFFICE in which your workplace is located. Managing Counsel/Law Office: Performance Cluster/Area: Thomas J. Marshall Managing Counsel Capital Metro Law Office 400 VIRGINIA AVE SW STE 650 WASHINGTON DC Ph: (202) Yolanda M. Pizarro Managing Counsel Eastern Law Office 615 CHESTNUT STREET, PO BOX PHILADELPHIA PA Ph: (215) Gregg R. Sackrider Managing Counsel Great Lakes Law Office 222 S RIVERSIDE PLAZA STE 1200 CHICAGO IL Ph: (312) Stephen A. Moe Managing Counsel New York Metro Law Office 380 W 33RD STREET RM 4516 NEW YORK NY Ph: (646) James A. Friedman Managing Counsel Northeast Law Office 8 GRIFFIN ROAD NORTH WINDSOR CT Ph: (860) (Baltimore, Capital Metro, Northern Virginia, Richmond) (Akron, Appalachian, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Erie, Greater South Carolina, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Kentuckiana, Lancaster, Mid-Carolina [Charlotte], Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, South Jersey, Eastern Area Office) (Central Illinois, Chicago, Detroit, Gateway, Greater Indiana, Greater Michigan, Lakeland, Northern Illinois, Royal Oak, Great Lakes Area Office) (New York, Triboro, Long Island, Westchester, Northern New Jersey, Central New Jersey, Caribbean, New York Metro Area Office) (Albany, Boston, Connecticut, Maine, Middlesex-Central, New Hampshire, Southeast New England, Springfield, Western New York, Northeast Area Office) 52 Handbook AS-709

71 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 2-2 Ethics Liaisons (p.2) Managing Counsel/Law Office: Anthony W. DuComb Managing Counsel Pacific Law Office 390 MAIN STREET STE 740 SAN FRANCISCO CA Ph: (415) Thomas J. Blum Deputy Managing Counsel Southeast Law Office/Atlanta 3980 DEKALB TECHNOLOGY PARKWAY STE 840 ATLANTA GA Ph: (770) W. Howard Brown Managing Counsel Southeast Law Office/Memphis 225 N HUMPHREYS BLVD 1ST FLOOR MEMPHIS TN Ph: (901) Doris Godinez-Phillips Managing Counsel Southwest Law Office PO BOX DALLAS TX Ph: (214) Harold J. Hughes Managing Counsel Western Law Office 9350 SOUTH 150 EAST STE 800 SANDY UT Ph: (801) Performance Cluster/Area: (Honolulu, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Van Nuys, Pacific Area Office) (Atlanta, Central Florida, North Florida, South Florida, South Georgia, Suncoast, Southeast Area Office) (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee) (Arkansas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Rio Grande, Southwest Area Law Office) (Alaska, Albuquerque, Billings, Central Plains, Dakotas, Denver, Hawkeye, Las Vegas, Mid-America, Northland, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Spokane, Western Area Office) October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

72 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 3-1 Purchase Request for an Individual Purchase 54 Handbook AS-709

73 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 3-2 Bulk-Funded and Approved Purchase Request October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

74 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 3-3 Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval (p. 1) Some goods and services are controlled by specific functional areas and may require prior special management approvals before they can be bought with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card. These controls are communicated in manuals, handbooks, management instructions, and memoranda. Carefully review requests for restricted purchases to ensure that if applicable, appropriate management approvals have been obtained and that other policy and procedural issues have been addressed. The list below is not all-inclusive but provides some guidelines. Seek the advice of the specific functional areas indicated for details. a. Hazardous waste clean-up and disposal services. Functional area: Environmental Management Policy You may obtain these services using local buying authority only under one of the following circumstances: (1) Use of local buying has been approved by the area or district environmental coordinator in writing. (2) Use of the Postal Service purchase card is an authorized means of placing delivery orders under a contract or agreement issued by a Supply Management organization. These records must be retained in accordance with Federal regulations or contract requirements, whichever is longer. For additional information and guidance, contact the Environmental & MRO Category Management Center by telephone at or write to the following address: ENVIRONMENTAL & MRO CMC 7800 N. STEMMONS FREEWAY STE 700 DALLAS TX b. Supplies containing hazardous substances. Functional area: Environmental Management Policy You may purchase these as approved in Handbook AS-553, Hazardous Waste Management. c. Utility Purchases. Functional area: Finance and Environmental Management Policy Until September 2002, utilities were considered a prohibited purchase with the I.M.P.A.C. card program. Utilities are defined as electricity, gas, oil, metered fuel, water, and sewer services and may be purchased with the card. Telecommunications services (i.e., phone, pagers and cellular phones) can also be purchased with the I.M.P.A.C. card and are not considered utilities. If utility payments are included as part of the approved budget, CAG H L postmasters are not required to obtain individual or bulk-funded and approved purchase requests as outlined in sections and of this handbook (e.g., PS Form 7381 is not required). Utility payments should be made without signing a service agreement with the servicing provider. Some utility companies may want the cardholder to sign a one-year or multiyear service agreement before allowing payment via credit card. This could adversely affect future competitive purchases. When a supplier requires execution of a service agreement, contact the Utilities CMC by phone at or by writing to the following address: UTILITIES CMC 8 GRIFFIN ROAD NORTH WINDSOR, CT Handbook AS-709

75 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 3-3 Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval (p. 2) Also, if the utility company proposes to debit your account automatically each month, the cardholder must insist on obtaining an invoice or statement with which to reconcile the U.S. Bank monthly Statement of Account and to obtain usage information to meet Postal Service environmental reporting requirements. You may also be contacted by the Utilities CMC for usage information as it works toward consolidation and future competitive purchases. While most suppliers do not charge fees for credit card acceptance, a few of our utility suppliers do. Our policy is that we must not pay exorbitant fees when using the I.M.P.A.C. VISA purchase card to make payments. U.S. Bank (our credit card provider) and VISA authorize third-party card processors to charge what is referred to as a convenience fee for use of technology to accept charge card transactions. This convenience fee is a standard flat fee that the supplier establishes and passes on to the customer with each charge transaction. Since some of our suppliers (particularly utility suppliers) use these third-party processors, you may pay reasonable flat fees when you use your card to make payments. For charges of $800 or less, the fee must not exceed $8.00 per charge transaction. For charges greater than $800, the fee is limited to 1 percent of the total, not to exceed $20 per charge transaction. You should always opt to use suppliers that offer the best value to the Postal Service, and processing fees must always be considered when selecting your providers. You may also run across suppliers that attempt to charge a percentage of the dollar amount of the transaction as a fee or charge fees on a sliding scale (i.e., fee increases as billed amount increases). If this occurs, please notify U.S. Bank via at [email protected] with the name, city, and state of the supplier and an explanation of the fee schedule being charged. In addition, suppliers who process their own credit card transactions (versus a third party as described below) and have different pricing for cash payments than for credit card payments (i.e., a higher price for services charged on a VISA account than for those paid for by cash), should be reported immediately to U.S. Bank at the address provided above. For these suppliers, if the fee falls within the policy guidelines above, you may use the card, but you should still report to U.S. Bank to seek resolution. If the fee is greater than permitted by this policy and another supplier is not available, you should pay by money order, cash, or by submitting an invoice to the San Mateo ASC with PS Form 8230 (available May 2003). The check-writing feature of the I.M.P.A.C. card program may be available in the future. If this feature is activated, it will be offered to Postmasters at CAG H L offices. The checks will be imprinted with the words FOR UTILITIES ONLY and will be posted to the cardholder s regular EXPENSE I.M.P.A.C. account statement like a regular charge card transaction. Postmasters may request the check feature only when utility suppliers are not capable of accepting a VISA card and reasonable alternate sources are not available. If this feature is activated it will be announced in the Postal Bulletin and you will be directed to contact your servicing APC to see if this feature is right for you. APCs will be provided with specific information and guidelines for setting up the utilities check features. d. Computer hardware and software. Functional area: Information Technology You may purchase computer hardware and software using local buying authority, but you must check with Information Technology regarding servicewide or area contracts and/or local policy governing the items being purchased. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

76 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 3-3 Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval (p. 3) e. Training, membership fees, and dues. Functional area: Human Resources You may buy and pay for these using local buying authority, subject to the requirements of Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) chapter 7. f. Employee awards. Functional area: Human Resources You may buy and pay for these using local buying authority, subject to the requirements of Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) section 470. Also see Management Instruction FM , Employer Tax Reporting Responsibilities Conference, Meeting, and Training Session Mementos or Gifts. g. Meals and refreshments. Functional area: Finance You may purchase these using local buying authority, subject to the guidelines in Management Instruction FM , Payment for Meals and Refreshments. h. Employee Personal Events. Function Areas: Finance The purchase and payment of flowers, gifts, cards, food/refreshments, and other related items for the purpose of celebrating personal events, retirements, changes in work assignments, and holiday gatherings is generally prohibited. In most instances, these events are not considered to be official Postal Service functions. Limited exceptions to this policy are covered in Management Instruction FM , Payment for Meals and Refreshments. Any other requests for exceptions not covered by this policy must be approved by the responsible requesting officer with concurrence from the VP/Controller or from the Postmaster General, Deputy Postmaster General, or Chief Operating Officer. i. Electrically operated convenience items. Functional area: Maintenance or Building Services Check with your Maintenance or Building Services personnel before buying or using electrically operated convenience items. Purchases may be made when necessary to satisfy day-to-day operational needs and specific electrical and wiring codes and safety standards are met. Some of these items may include heaters, fans, water coolers, smoke control devices, televisions, clocks, desk and accent lamps, microwave ovens, and refrigerators. j. Printing and copying. Functional Area: Supply Management Printing and copying policies and procedures are covered in the Administrative Support Manual (ASM), section 37. Before buying these types of products and services, be sure that all policies in this section of the ASM are followed. k. Publications. Functional area: Headquarters Library At Headquarters, requisitions for publications (all media) require prior approval from the Library. Publications include books, reports, and periodical subscriptions. 58 Handbook AS-709

77 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 3-3 Restricted Items That May Require Special Management Approval (p. 4) l. Tools or hardware supplies. Functional area: Maintenance or Building Services Check with Maintenance or Building Services and/or your local supply room before buying these items. Examples are light bulbs, small hand tools, locks, keys, door stops, desk and wall signs, paint, curtains, blinds, solar window coverings, carpets or floor mats, plants or plant-hanging devices. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

78 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 3-4 Prohibited Purchases With the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card (p. 1) Some goods and services may not be purchased with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card. These items are considered prohibited and must be obtained by another purchasing and payment method that varies depending on the type of goods and services. They have been grouped into two major categories: goods and services that fall under statutory and legislative requirements and those that require special tracking and reporting. Contact your administrative services office, APC, or National Supply Management Programs for details about these prohibited purchases, the exceptions, and information on how to acquire and pay for the goods and services listed below. Statutory and Legislative Requirements Cardholders must ensure that their purchases do not violate, intentionally or unintentionally, the requirements of key labor laws that are designed to ensure that employees are paid no less that the minimum wage. These labor laws are: Davis-Bacon Act. This act applies to new construction or repair and alteration work over $2,000. Service Contract Act. This act applies to purchases of services over $2,500 that are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. Local buying authority may not be used to obtain the following: a. Building or land rental, lease, or purchase. b. Construction services, including facility repairs and alterations (including repair of elevators, HVAC, switch gear, and other plant systems) valued at over $2,000. Contact Administrative Services in your district or the assigned Facilities Service Office (FSO) for assistance. c. Services covered by the Service Contract Act, when the requirement exceeds $2,500 per one-time expenditure or when an office estimates that the total amount spent on a particular service provided by a single supplier will exceed $2,500 per year. Examples are ash, trash, and rubbish removal; snow and ice removal; lawn and grounds maintenance; maintenance of elevators, HVAC, and switch gear; window cleaning; and cloth and laundry service. Certain types of maintenance, such as calibration and repair of automated data and word processing equipment and office business machines, which are exempt from the Service Contract Act, may be purchased from the manufacturer or supplier up to the limits of delegated buying authority. Contact the servicing Purchasing Service Center (PSC) for guidance. Note: Do not use Postal Service purchase credit cards to purchase vehicle washing, polishing, repair, or maintenance. (Use the U.S. Bank/Voyager Fleet Card instead. For more information, visit the Supply Management Web site, click on Credit Card User, and then click on efleet Card System. The URL is d. Medical services. Contact the area medical director. e. Mail transportation services. f. Services or products for which more formal contracting procedures apply. Contact the appropriate Supply Management organization for information concerning contract postal units (CPUs), food services, and vehicle leasing. For CPUs, contact the Category Management Center (CMC) in Denver. For food services, contact the Eastern Services Category Management Center in Memphis. For long-term (89 days or longer) leasing of delivery and PVS vehicles, contact the Philadelphia CMC. For policies concerning all short-duration (less than 90 days) vehicle rentals, long-term delivery and PVS vehicle leasing, and GSA vehicle leases, refer to: Note: Short-duration vehicle renting required for special events, administrative and delivery purposes, not exceeding 89 days in duration and under $10,000, is allowed under local buying authority, and use of the I.M.P.A.C. purchase expense credit card for payment is authorized. 60 Handbook AS-709

79 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 3-4 Prohibited Purchases With the I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card (p. 2) g. Professional/technical, consultant, or personal services (contact the appropriate PSC or the Professional Services Category Management Center (CMC) at Headquarters and see Purchasing Manual and 4.6.4). h. The services of former Postal Service employees (contact your Area Human Resources office, your servicing PSC, or the Professional Services CMC). Special Tracking and Reporting Some goods and services require a unique account number or require special tracking and reporting. For information on how to acquire and pay for these goods and services, contact Finance, Administrative Services, your assigned PSC, or the applicable Supply Management CMC. Items that require special tracking and reporting and cannot be purchased with the I.M.P.A.C. credit card are listed below: a. Advance payments. There are two exceptions where a cardholder may use the EXPENSE credit card to make advance payments (up to the designated single transaction limit): (1) For training subject to the requirements of Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Chapter 7. (2) Where it is a common trade practice to pay in advance. See Management Instruction FM , Advance Payments, for details. When paying by credit card, a properly approved ebuy online requisition, PS Form 7381, PS Form 1782, or other purchase request satisfies the management instruction s paragraph IV.A approval requirement. b. Cash advances. Cash advances are not permitted under any circumstances. c. Fuel or oil for Postal Service-owned or -leased vehicles (refer to the U.S. Bank/Voyager Fleet Card). However, VMF personnel may use the VEHPARTS credit card to purchase bulk (Postal Service-owned inventory) fuel or oil when a site does not meet Defense Fuel Supply Center (DFSC) requirements or to purchase bulk fuel from DFSC (see ASM 544) when the VMF determines it to be in the best interest of the Postal Service. (Consideration must be given to limits established within a VMF s delegated local buying authority.) d. Travel expenses for Postal Service employees. These include airline, bus, and train tickets, lodging, drink, and meal expenses for Postal Service employees. (The government travel credit card currently issued by Citibank should be used.) However, the I.M.P.A.C. EXPENSE credit card may be used for hotel-related expenses that are not related to employee travel, such as conference room and audiovisual equipment rental. e. Vehicle repair parts. The only exception: VMFs may use the VEHPARTS credit card to purchase vehicle repair parts. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

80 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 3-5 Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet (SADI) Buyer Inquiry (p. 1) This brief guide provides a step-by-step process for searching for suppliers in SADI. 1. On your browser, enter this URL: 2. Click on Search the Supplier Database By Commodity, Business Type and Location. 3. Click on the desired commodity category: Services, Supplies, or Transportation. For this exercise, click on Supplies. A list of major classifications of supplies appears. Click on Office Supplies, Equipment or Furniture. A list of types of office supplies, equipment, and furniture appears. Click on the radio button next to a type, and then click on the Add Selected Commodity bar. Repeat this for other items until you have selected all the types you want. Each type you select will be added to the area above the list you are choosing from. Click on the Continue bar. 4. You are now given the opportunity to define the type of supplier you are searching for. You have four selections of socioeconomic criteria to help you restrict or broaden your search. Leave the defaults on to search for suppliers to whom all 4 criteria apply. To restrict your search, remove the check marks by clicking any or all of the check boxes. For this exercise, click on Continue with the defaults left on. 5. You are now given the opportunity to define the geographical area where the commodity is needed. You have 4 selections to help you define the geographic area of your search. For this exercise, click on Continue with the default ( entire USA ) left on. The following search results will appear. 62 Handbook AS-709

81 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 3-5 Short Guide to Supplier Automated Database on the Internet (SADI) Buyer Inquiry (p. 2) Row# Supplier Name 1. Mayhand Industrial Sales Woman Owned Minority Code Small Business ZIP + 4 Primary Contact Phone Yes 1 Yes Linda Mayhand Karson Company Yes 1 Yes Gregory Jackson K&F ASSOCIATE Yes 0 Yes JAVED KHAN Pithy Communications, Inc. 5. SOTERIA DECO.CO&DISTRI BUTION Yes 5 Yes Yes 1 Yes LEFRANC INC Yes 2 Yes Jerald Goldstein THEA R. FOX THOMAS WILLINGHAM This list provides you with the basic contact information. Items on the list that are underlined and a color other than black indicate links to additional information. In this listing, you can click on the supplier name and the Supplier Profile screen will appear. The profile has a complete listing of that supplier s record. To view another supplier s profile, hit your browser s back button to return to the previous screen. Click on the supplier s name to view the profile. Also, from the Supplier Profile screen, you can scroll to the bottom and click on Return to Main Menu to begin a new search or to exit SADI. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

82 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 4-1a Cardholder Statement of Account (Front) STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT U.S. POSTAL SERVICE RAVI AHARAM FINANCE 475 L ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 8831 WASHINGTON DC USA CARDHOLDER: KATHY SMITH ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ROOM SOUTHLAWN DRIVE MEMPHIS TN USA ACCOUNTING CODE: CARDHOLDER S ksmith@ .usps.gov OFFICIALS creid@ .usps.gov MESSAGE: PAGE 1 C/H ACCOUNT A/O ACCOUNT STATEMENT DATE TOTAL APPROVING OFFICIAL: CHRISTY REID ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT 1212 SOUTHLAWN DRIVE MEMPHIS TN STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT U.S. GOVERNMENT BANKCARD ======================================================================================= PURCHASE DATE/PROCESSING DATE MERCHANT NAME AMOUNT REFERENCE NUMBER PURCHASE ID/CUSTOMER CODE CURRENCY CODE MERCHANT LOCATION/SIC CODE ORIGINAL AMOUNT CONV. RATE ======================================================================================= 11/27/02 XV 11/ / USD DESCRIPTION ACCTG. CODE HILLTOP GENERAL STORE TN TOTAL USER FIELD 2: E PURCH LIMIT: 2,000 TAX EXEMPT #: DAY LIMIT: 5,000 QUARTERLY LIMIT: 0.00 ANNUAL LIMIT: 0.00 QUARTERLY BAL: YTD BAL: I CERTIFY TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF, ALL OF MY STATEMENTS ARE TRUE, CORRECT, COMPLETE AND MADE IN GOOD FAITH, AND SUBJECT TO TITLE 18, US CODE, SECTION THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE IN ERROR AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THIS STMT. (insert signatures and dates Kathy Smith 1/2/03 Christy Reid 1/8/03) 1/2/03 1/8/03 CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE DATE APPROVING OFFICIAL DATE 64 Handbook AS-709

83 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 4-1b Cardholder Statement of Account (back) PURCHASES MADE WITH THE PURCHASE CARD ARE IN MOST INSTANCES EXEMPT FROM STATE AND LOCAL TAXES. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU ADVISE THE MERCHANT OF THIS BEFORE THE PURCHASE IS AUTHORIZED OR THE BILL IS PREPARED. INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISPUTING A SALES TRANSACTION 1. Attempt to resolve the dispute with the vendor. 2. Complete the Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item form. This form is available from your Approving Official or Agency Program Coordinator. 3. Pay particular attention to: describing the attempted vendor resolution. signing the form. providing your day time telephone number including area code. attaching any supporting documentation such as credit vouchers, return shipping documents such as postal receipts or UPS receipts, etc. 4. Return the original form to: I.M.P.A.C. CUSTOMER SERVICE PO BOX 6346 FARGO ND The Statement of Questioned Item must be returned to U.S. Bank no later than 60 days after the statement date on which the transaction appeared in order to preserve your rights to dispute the transaction. 6. Retain a copy for your files and forward a copy with your certified Statement of Account to your Approving Official or other routing as indicated by your office s internal procedures. If you have any questions concerning disputing a transaction, you are encouraged to call I.M.P.A.C. Customer Service at so that we might assist you. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

84 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 4-2 Disputes Reportable to U.S. Bank (p. 1) Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item Valid Reasons for Dispute Sometimes during the reconciliation process, you may dispute a particular transaction or specific information on the Statement of Account. Notify U.S. Bank of your dispute via a Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item within 60 days from the receipt of the statement in which the dispute originally appeared. Timely submission to U.S. Bank is essential to ensure that your chargeback rights do not expire. The Statement of Questioned Item form should be submitted for each individual dispute. Some disputes require supporting documentation. A list of valid reasons for dispute and the actions the cardholder must take to dispute them is on the form. More details are provided below: 1. Unauthorized Mail or Telephone Order A very high percentage of I.M.P.A.C. credit card transactions are conducted without the presence of either the card or the cardholder at the merchant location. If you have been billed by a merchant for goods or services you did not order, file a dispute to seek a reversal of the transaction. 2. Duplicate Processing A merchant may inadvertently process multiple billings for a single transaction. This will be apparent to you through the Statement of Account reconciliation process. You simply need to provide the date when the original transaction was billed. If any other circumstances are involved, provide a brief explanation. 3. Merchandise or Services Not Received If you have been charged by a merchant for something that you have not received, you must first contact the merchant to resolve the situation. You may find that the merchandise is in transit or was lost in transit, a service appointment was not kept, or that some other type of obstacle has occurred that the merchant was unaware of. The merchant and you should come to an agreement regarding a resolution; the merchant should either process a credit to the account or agree to initiate some other type of satisfactory resolution. If the merchant and you cannot arrive at a satisfactory resolution, you should file a dispute stating the details of the attempted resolution with the merchant. 4. Merchandise Returned In some instances, you may receive the goods from a merchant and return them even before you are billed. If you have returned the goods in person, you would have a credit voucher from the merchant to document the return. If you return the goods via a delivery service, the trucking company s shipping document can serve as documentation. If you return the goods via the Postal Service, use a service that will provide you a receipt identifying the merchant and address (e.g., certificate of mailing, insured, or certified mail). If the transaction appears on your Statement of Account and the merchant will not give you a credit, file a dispute. Substantiate the merchandise return with a copy of your proof from the delivery or mail service. 5. Credit Not Received When you receive a credit voucher from a merchant, you must reconcile this transaction with your Statement of Account, along with your charge transactions to ensure that you are actually credited for the return. If you have a credit voucher but don t see the credit appear on a subsequent statement, file a dispute, including a copy of the credit voucher. 6. Alteration of Amount Part of your reconciliation process should include verifying the amount to ensure that the amount charged to the account is the amount agreed upon and documented on the original charge slip. If these differ, file a dispute for the difference. Include a copy of the original sales slip as proof of the valid amount of the transaction. 66 Handbook AS-709

85 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 4-2 Disputes Reportable to U.S. Bank (p. 2) 7. Inadequate Description/Unrecognized Charge There might be occasions when you cannot recognize a charge that appears on your Statement of Account. Reconciling the charge slips with the statement by the merchant name, location, or dollar amount can clear up some questions. But if you cannot identify or validate a charge that appears on your statement, file a dispute. Select this dispute option if you would like a copy of a particular sales draft. Fulfilling this request usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. If you have a dispute with the transaction once you receive the sales draft, another Statement of Questioned Item form is required to identify the reason for the dispute and to allow U.S. Bank to take the necessary action. 8. Services Not Received You should file a dispute when you are charged for services that have not been provided. You may also discover during the reconciliation and statement process that you have been billed on your credit card for something that was paid by another means. If this happens, file a dispute that includes proof of the other form of payment. 9. Not As Described This can be used when you can verify that the goods or services received did not conform to what was agreed upon with the merchant. You must first make contact with the merchant to resolve the dispute by attempting to return the merchandise or seek other acceptable means of resolution. If no resolution can be achieved, file a dispute. 10. Other Disputes Sometimes an error of some kind has occurred on your account that cannot be defined under one of the reasons listed above. Examples are: a credit posted as a debit, a processing error, or a fraudulent charge. An explanation of any and all known information regarding these types of disputed charges should be included when you file the dispute. Invalid Dispute Reason Disputes over sales tax or shipping/handling charges are not a valid VISA chargeback reason. You must resolve these disputes directly with the merchant by requesting a credit to the account. October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

86 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 4-3 Report F108, Disputed Transaction Status Report by Cardholder 68 Handbook AS-709

87 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 4-4a Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

88 Appendix A Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying Exhibit 4-4b Report R090, I.M.P.A.C. Detail Invoice and A/O Summary, Account Detail Report RMBCS R090 PROC 4716 CTR 4716 I.M.P.A.C. DETAIL INVOICE AND DATE 12/18/02 PAGE JOB: T2CDVSDI PGM: PVT100 A/O SUMMARY RUN: 12/18/02-22:59 LEVEL 1: 4716 LEVEL 2: 09 LEVEL 3: 99 LEVEL 4: 9999 APPROVING OFFICIAL ACCOUNT NUMBER: OFFICE LIMIT: $5, OFFICE TOTALS WITH ALL FEES: TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCTS for CYCLE WITH ACTIVITY 1 TOTAL NUMBER OF ALL CARDHOLDER ACCOUNTS 1 TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASES FOR OFFICE 1 TOTAL AMOUNT OF PURCHASES FOR OFFICE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASH ADVANCES FOR OFFICE 0 TOTAL AMOUNT OF CASH ADVANCES FOR OFFICE 0.00 TOTAL NUMBER OF IMPAC Checks FOR OFFICE 0 TOTAL AMOUNT OF IMPAC Checks FOR OFFICE 0.00 TOTAL NUMBER OF CHECK FEES FOR OFFICE 0 TOTAL AMOUNT OF CHECK FEES FOR OFFICE 0.00 TOTAL NUMBER OF ADMIN. FEES FOR OFFICE 0 TOTAL AMOUNT OF ADMIN. FEES FOR OFFICE 0.00 TOTAL AMOUNT OF OTHER FEES FOR OFFICE 0.00 OFFICE TOTAL $84.46 (Following this section will be the next A/O account and address info (mailing page), followed by their cardholder name, accounting code, and purchase detail until all A/O s and their cardholders have been processed. Once all have been processed, the above level 4 summary page will appear. This process repeats itself until the level 3 breaks culminate in a level 2 break and so on.) 70 Handbook AS-709

89 Exhibits Appendix A Exhibit 4-5 San Mateo Credit Card Payment Report USPS SAN MATEO ASC REPORT ACX039P1 U S POSTAL SERVICE IMPAC CREDIT CARD PAYMENT REPORT (SUPPLIES/SERVICES) FOR BILLING PERIOD ENDING DATE: 12/30/02 PAGE 1 APPROVING OFFICIAL ACCOUNT #: CARDHOLDER ACCOUNT #: NAME: KATHY SMITH APPROVING OFFICIAL NAME: CHRISTY REID FINANCE NO: ACCOUNT NO: TRANSACTION TRANSACTION DATE MERCHANT NAME REFERENCE NUMBER AMOUNT 11/27/02 HILLTOP GENERAL STORE TOTAL October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

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91 Tear-out Reproducible Documents Tear-out Reproducible Documents Cardholder Accountability Acknowledgment Approving Official Accountability Acknowledgment USPS Cardholder Account Update USPS Approving Official (CCAO) Account Update PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record EXPENSE Credit Card Buying Log CAPITALCredit Card Buying Log VEHPARTS Credit Card Buying Log I.M.P.A.C. Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item USPS/GSA/SmartPay Purchase Card (I.M.P.A.C.) Policies and Procedures Quick Reference Sheet October 2003 Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through October 26,

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93 I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program Cardholder Accountability Acknowledgment I received training on the credit card program, ethical guidelines, and local buying procedures. Date: I received a copy of Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying. Date: I read the summary of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Date: I understand my responsibility to comply with these Standards. I received and filed the document delegating me local buying authority in writing from: Amount: $ print name print title Date: I understand (a) my responsibilities as a cardholder, (b) the procedures for local buying with an I.M.P.A.C. credit card, and (c) the importance of recordkeeping and reconciling the Statement of Account with the credit card documentation file. Signature: Date: (Please print) Name: Position Title: Organization: (Name/Address) Phone Number: Finance Number: Cardholder completes and sends original to the Agency Program Coordinator for retention before using his/her credit card. Cardholder maintains a copy in his/her file. 8/95

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95 I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Program Approving Official Accountability Acknowledgment I received training on the credit card program, ethical guidelines, and local buying procedures. Date: I received a copy of Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying. Date: I read the summary of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Date: I understand my responsibility to comply with these Standards. I understand (a) my responsibilities as a credit card approving official, (b) the procedures for local buying with an I.M.P.A.C. credit card, and (c) the importance of reviewing and reconciling each cardholder s Statement of Account with his/her credit card documentation file. Signature: Date: (Please print) Name: Position Title: Organization: (Name/Address) Phone Number: Finance Number: Credit Card Approving Official (CCAO) completes and sends original to the Agency Program Coordinator for retention within 20 calendar days after set-up. CCAO maintains a copy in his/her file. 8/95

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97 I.M.P.A.C. GOVERNMENT SERVICES USPS CARDHOLDER ACCOUNT UPDATE USE ONLY THE NUMBER OF SPACES PROVIDED. NO PUNCTUATION - PRINT OR TYPE CHECK APPLICABLE BOXES CHANGE CANCELLATION CARD DESTROYED (Do not return card to I.M.P.A.C.) FILE CODE 013 I.M.P.A.C. USE ONLY FILE CODE 038 I.M.P.A.C. USE ONLY FILE CODE 098 I.M.P.A.C. USE ONLY LEVEL 1: 4716 LEVEL 2: 09 LEVEL 3: LEVEL 4: CARDHOLDER (Print name exactly as it appears on the I.M.P.A.C. credit card) ACCOUNT NO. FILL IN ONLY THE INFORMATION BELOW THAT IS TO BE CHANGED CARDHOLDER INFORMATION TO BE CHANGED: (Be sure to follow USPS address format requirements when completing form.) OFFICE NAME (Max 22) CARDHOLDER NAME (Max 30) {First name (up to 12 char. max.), Middle Initial (1 char. max), Last Name (up to 17 char. max)} ADDRESS ONE (Max 30) ADDRESS TWO (Max 30) CITY (Max 20) STATE (Max 2) ZIP+4 - (Max 9) COUNTRY (Max 3) PHONE NO. (Max 21) EXTENSION (Max 5) FAX NUMBER (Max 21) ADDRESS (Max 50) CARDHOLDER CONTROLS TO BE CHANGED: SINGLE PURCHASE LIMIT $_0, Up to $10,000 in $50 increments. Zero fill to left. 30-DAY LIMIT $,, Up to $9,999,900 in $100 increments only. Zero fill to left. OTHER INFORMATION TO BE CHANGED: REISSUE CARD YES (New card will be sent if circled.) MASTER ACCOUNTING CODE Complete only if error at set-up. Example Only: Enter finance number in first six spaces; leave seventh space blank; indicate appropriate account number in last five spaces: for EXPENSE card, for CAPITAL card, or for VEHPARTS card (User Field 2 on set-up form). NEW APPROVING OFFICIAL ACCOUNT NO. CYCLE DATE 18 (Complete only if cardholder account is being transferred to a new approving official. The account will not be transferred until the beginning of the next cycle period.) FOR I.M.P.A.C. USE ONLY: REC D DATE INPUT DATE AUTHORIZED/SUBMITTED BY Agency Program Coordinator (APC): Signature: Date: Print Name: REJECT REASON REJECT DATE NEED A.O. ACCT # OR A.O. SET-UP NEED AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE MISSING INFORMATION Phone: APC sends this form to: (USPS 11/98) Fax: I.M.P.A.C. Government Services PO BOX 6346 ( ) FARGO ND (FAX ) If using C.A.R.E., please do not mail or fax form. U.S. BANK I.M.P.A.C. Government Services

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99 I.M.P.A.C. GOVERNMENT SERVICES USPS APPROVING OFFICIAL (CCAO) ACCOUNT UPDATE USE ONLY THE NUMBER OF SPACES PROVIDED. NO PUNCTUATION - PRINT OR TYPE CHECK APPLICABLE BOX CHANGE (FILE CODE 013) CANCEL (FILE CODE 098) LEVEL 1: 4716 LEVEL 2: 09 LEVEL 3: LEVEL 4: AO NAME (Print name exactly as it appears on the I.M.P.A.C. reports.) AO ACCOUNT NO. FILL IN ONLY THE INFORMATION BELOW THAT IS TO BE CHANGED APPROVING OFFICIAL INFORMATION TO BE CHANGED: (Be sure to follow USPS address format requirements when completing form.) OFFICE NAME (Max 30) APPROVING OFFICIAL NAME (Max 30) {First name (up to 12 char. max.), Middle Initial (1 char. max), Last Name (up to 17 char. max)} ADDRESS ONE (Max 30) ADDRESS TWO (Max 30) CITY (Max 20) STATE (Max 2) ZIP+4 - (Max 9) COUNTRY (Max 3) PHONE NO. (Max 21) EXTENSION (Max 5) FAX NUMBER (Max 21) ADDRESS (Max 50) OFFICE LIMIT $,, Up to $9,999,900 in $100 increments only. Zero fill to left. COMMENTS: FOR I.M.P.A.C. USE ONLY: REC D DATE INPUT DATE AUTHORIZED/SUBMITTED BY Agency Program Coordinator (APC): Signature: Date: Print Name: REJECT REASON REJECT DATE NEED A.O. ACCT # OR A.O. SET-UP NEED AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE MISSING INFORMATION Phone: APC sends this form to: (USPS 11/98) Fax: I.M.P.A.C. Government Services PO BOX 6346 ( ) FARGO ND (FAX ) If using C.A.R.E., please do not mail or fax form. U.S. BANK I.M.P.A.C. Government Services

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101 a

102 a

103 I.M.P.A.C. EXPENSE CREDIT CARD BUYING LOG Cardholder Name/Phone Finance Number Page Transaction Number Goods/Services Description Qty Merchant/Supplier Name/ Address/Phone Total Price Date Ordered Date Received Statement Date Comments/Credits Bulk Funding & Approval Declining Balance

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105 I.M.P.A.C. CAPITAL CREDIT CARD BUYING LOG Cardholder Name/Phone Finance Number Page Transaction Number Goods/Services Description Qty Merchant/Supplier Name/ Address/Phone Total Price Date Ordered Date Received Statement Date Comments/Credits PCN/Serial Number Date PS8162 Sent to StL

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107 I.M.P.A.C. VEHPARTS CREDIT CARD BUYING LOG Cardholder Name/Phone Finance Number Page Transaction Number Goods/Services Description Qty Merchant/Supplier Name/ Address/Phone Total Price Date Ordered Date Received Statement Date Comments/Credits Bulk Funding & Approval Declining Balance

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111 USPS/GSA/SmartPay Purchase Card (I.M.P.A.C.) Policies and Procedures Quick Reference Sheet $ Single Transaction Limit $ 30-Day Cardholder Limit USPS E.I. Tax Exemption # Notify CCAO: If name, phone, address, spending limits change. If credit card account needs to be canceled (transfer or separation from USPS). If assistance with unresolved disputes is needed. For stolen/lost credit card. To request one-time spending limit exemption U.S. Bank Customer Service Report Stolen/Lost Card Immediately Questions, Problems APC Name and Phone Number CCAO Name and Phone Number LOCAL BUYING PROCEDURES WITH I.M.P.A.C. CREDIT CARD 1. Things to consider when reviewing purchase requests: Purchase request approvals. Special management approvals (see Restricted Purchases). Items subject to statutes/legislative requirements (see Prohibited Purchases). Items requiring special tracking/reporting (see Prohibited Purchases). Spending limits. 2. Things to consider when choosing a supplier: Existing Postal Service assets (see Priority Sources). ebuy and Servicewide or area contracts and ordering agreements (see Priority Sources). JWOD and GSA products. Small, minority, and woman-owned suppliers. Environmental implications. Best value. 3. Things to consider when ordering goods and services: Credit card acceptability. Tax exemption. Merchant s return policy. Ordering methods. Avoid backorders and partial shipments. Shipping charges. 4. Required purchase documentation: Purchase requests. Charge/credit receipts. I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Buying Log. Bulk-fund declining balance. Capital Property Record to MAO and St. Louis ASC. Delivery documentation. 5. Things to consider when receiving goods and services: Delivery documentation. Damaged, defective, or wrong goods and services. Returned merchandise. 6. Things to consider when verifying payment accuracy: Error on Statement of Account (see Disputes reportable to U.S. Bank). Dispute with merchant or supplier (see Disputes reportable to U.S. Bank). Certify Statement of Account. Send statement with supporting documentation to CCAO (see Purchases Documentation). CCAO verifies payment, certifies and returns statement to cardholder. DO NOT MAKE LOCAL PAYMENTS TO U.S. BANK.

112 USPS/GSA/I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card Policies and Procedures Quick Reference Sheet Restricted Purchases ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ May Require Special Management Approvals (see Exhibit 3-3) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Restricted Item Management Approval ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Hazardous waste cleanup and ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Environmental Management disposal services Policy ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Supplies containing hazardous Environmental ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ substances ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Management Policy ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Utility purchases ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Finance and Environmental Management Policy ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Computer hardware and Information Technology ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ software ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Training, membership fees, and ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Human Resources dues ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Employee awards Human Resources ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Meals and refreshments ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Finance ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Employee personal events ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Finance ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Electrically operated ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Maintenance or Building convenience items ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Services Printing, copying, or duplicating ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ (see ASM 37) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Publications Headquarters Library ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Tools or hardware supplies ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Maintenance or Building ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Services ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Prohibited Purchases ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ May Not Purchase With I.M.P.A.C. Credit Card The services of former Postal Service employees. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Advance Payments. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Cash Advances. Fuel/Oil for Postal Service-owned or leased vehicles (use ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Voyager card). ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Travel Expenses for Postal Service employees. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Vehicle Repair Parts (Exception: VEHPARTS credit card) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Disputes Reportable to U.S. Bank ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Complete Statement of Questioned Item ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Unauthorized mail or telephone order. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Duplicate processing. Merchandise or service not received. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Merchandise returned. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Credit not received. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Alteration of amount. Inadequate description/unrecognized charge. Services not received. Not as described. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Other disputes (credit posted as a debit, processing error, fraudulent charge). ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Disputes on sales tax and shipping/handling charges are not to be reported to U.S. Bank. They must be resolved with the merchant. Goods/Services (See Exhibit 3-4) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Building or land rental, lease, or purchase. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Construction services, including facility repairs and ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ alterations (including repair of elevators, HVAC, switch ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ gear, and other plant systems) valued at $2,000 or more. Services covered by the Service Contract Act, when the ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ requirement exceeds $2,500 per one-time expenditure or ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ when an office estimates that a particular service provided by a single supplier will exceed $2,500 per year. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Medical services. Contact the area medical director. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Mail Transportation Services (includes mail hauling vehicles). ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Requirements for which formal contracting procedures apply. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Medical services. Contact the area medical director. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Professional/technical, consultant, or personal services. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ RETAIN ALL CREDIT CARD RECORDS 2 YEARS YOUR NOTES Purchases Documentation ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Statement of Account. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Purchase requests (e.g., PS Form 7381). ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Charge/credit receipts. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Delivery documentation. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Credit Card Log. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ PS Form 8162, Capital Property Record. San Mateo ASC Credit Card Payment Report. ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ Other Documentation (memoranda of phone ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ conversations, correspondence from merchants, ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ notes in support of disputed items) ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ