Purchasing Card Cardholder Handbook

Purchasing Card Cardholder Handbook Purchasing Card Program 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, Alberta, CANADA T2N 1N4 Telephone: (403) 220-5611 Email: cardhelp@ucalgary.ca Web: http://www.ucalgary.ca/finance AMERICAN EXPRESS Customer Service Available 24/7 1-800-716-6661 (This number is conveniently located on the back of your card) 1 REVISED October 2013

Lost or Stolen Card If your card is lost or stolen, it is important to report it lost or stolen immediately to prevent misuse. Please call American Express at: (800) 716-6661 Customer Service Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After notifying American Express, the Cardholder should report the missing card to the University Credit Card Program. A replacement card will be issued after taking these steps. Customer Service The American Express Customer Service team provides account information to cardholders and handles a variety of other tasks. Service is available 24/7 at: 1-800-716-6661 (This number is also on the back of your card.) Available Services: Account balance and status; Spending limit availability; Dispute status; Card activation; File lost or stolen card report. For additional details, please visit: http://www.ucalgary.ca/finance or contact cardhelp@ucalgary.ca 2 REVISED October 2013

Contents AMERICAN EXPRESS Customer Service... 1 Lost or Stolen Card... 2 Introduction... 4 Overview... 4 Getting a Purchasing Card... 4 Should I have a Purchasing Card?... 4 How do I get a Purchasing Card?... 4 Research Accounts... 4 Liability... 5 How will I receive my card?... 5 Using a Purchasing Card... 5 How do I use the Purchasing Card?... 5 What are my duties?... 5 What are the Reconciliation Procedures?... 6 Can I have someone else complete my reconciliation?... 7 How does the card get paid?... 7 Appropriate Card Uses and Restrictions... 8 Acceptable Uses (examples)... 8 Unacceptable Uses... 8 Cardholder Responsibilities... 9 What happens if I do not use the card according to my obligations of card ownership?... 9 Other... 9 Spending Limit... 9 Refunds... 9 Disputing a Charge... 9 Declined Card... 9 Maintenance... 10 3 REVISED October 2013

Introduction Overview The University of Calgary s Purchasing Card (PCard) program empowers university employees to make small dollar purchases. This simplifies the purchasing process and reduces the cost of administration. The Purchasing Card is the University s primary tool for making small dollar supply purchases. Getting a Purchasing Card Should I have a Purchasing Card? Supply Chain Management recommends a Purchasing Card for any University Employee that makes purchases under $5,000 for their Faculty or Department. This includes Operating, Academic, and Research staff. Note: Travel is not permitted on a Purchasing Card. Please See the T&E Card Program. How do I get a Purchasing Card? Employees may apply for a Purchasing Card by completing the Cardholder Agreement which is available on the Finance website: http://www.ucalgary.ca/finance/ Complete the agreement, obtain the approval of your Dean, Director, or Department Head (Research Project PI s may approve for their staff), and submit to: Attn: University Credit Card Program Administrator Supply Chain Management Email: cardhelp@ucalgary.ca Research Accounts The PCard is available for use with Research Accounts. Each Cardholder is responsible for ensuring that all purchases on the PCard are in compliance with: The Granting Agency s requirements for the use of the funds; The University of Calgary Policies If you have questions about eligible purchases for Research, Please contact Research Accounting. 4 REVISED October 2013

Liability The PCard program is governed by an agreement between the Credit Card provider and the University of Calgary. Cards issued to employees are used under this agreement and do not reflect on the personal liability or credit rating of the individual Employee. How will I receive my card? The Card Program Administrator will contact you when your Card arrives. You will attend a valuable information session which includes a review of appropriate card usage, the reconciliation process, and all associated policies and procedures. Your card will be available for use following this session. Using a Purchasing Card How do I use the Purchasing Card? The Purchasing Card process is similar to using a personal credit card. Purchases can be made in person, by phone, or online. For prompt delivery of products purchased by phone or online, ensure that the supplier has all of the appropriate contact information, including name, department, and location on campus. For on-line orders be sure to print the confirmation showing the transaction details and total transaction amount. For phone, email or fax orders, be sure to ask the supplier to email or fax the invoice copy directly to you so ensure you have it in time for reconciliation at the end of the cycle. To qualify for any educational discounts, the Cardholder must indicate that it is a University purchase; Most purchases made in Canada will include GST. GST rebates are claimed by the University and will be reflected once they are posted to your Account or Project. To ensure the security of online purchases, exercise caution and use common sense. Only order from trusted websites and those that offer secure transactions (i.e. SSL: look for website addresses that start with https); Transmitting a PCard number by fax or e-mail is not secure and may result in your card being compromised. Advise the supplier that you will provide the card number over the telephone only. What are my duties? The Cardholder is accountable for: Keeping the PCard current by adhering to all reconciliation and submission deadlines; Maintaining copies of the receipts and documentation submitted by PCard envelope; Adhering to all PCard compliance guidelines and take responsibility for appropriate card usage; Being vigilant about card security to prevent unauthorized charges; Obtaining an original receipt at point-of-purchase and verify its accuracy. 5 REVISED October 2013

Immediately notifying the Card Program Administrator using the Purchasing Card Maintenance Request Form with regards to changes involving default account, name, address, and any other contact or employment status; Voluntarily surrendering the PCard to the Card Program Administrator immediately upon a change of position, conclusion of employment, or request by the Card Program Administrator; Communicating purchase details of desirable assets to Asset Management (http://www.ucalgary.ca/financial/controller/asset_management) at time of purchase and receipt of goods. What are the Reconciliation Procedures? Ensure the completion of the monthly online reconciliation procedure: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 [ ] On the 1 st of the month, log into the American Express website and download the previous month statement. Match the receipts/invoices to the transactions listed and contact the vendor for a duplicate copy if missing. [ ] By the 7 th these transactions are uploaded into PeopleSoft for reconciliation by the Cardholder or their reconciler; [ ] The reconciliation of the transactions in PeopleSoft and submission of all required paperwork must be completed by the 15th of the month; Paperwork required to be submitted in the PCard reconciliation envelope: American Express Statement PeopleSoft Reconciliation Report Original Receipts Place the PCard envelope into Campus Mail and it will be delivered to the appropriate location without further addressing. If you wish to hand deliver, the following locations apply: Main Campus: Finance 4 th floor MacKimmie Tower; Foothills Campus: 5 th floor TRW Building. Reconciliation is an important step to ensure transactions are approved and charged to the correct project, account, or department. Refer to the University s training website for the Reconciling PCard Transactions job aid. http://www.ucalgary.ca/enablement/training/job-aids Contact the Coordinator for all other inquiries at cardhelp@ucalgary.ca. 6 REVISED October 2013

Can I have someone else complete my reconciliation? A Cardholder may appoint a Reconciler (a role that is optional within the program) to perform the online reconciliation process. The responsibility to ensure compliance with the procedures and guidelines remains with the Cardholder. A Reconciler can be appointed during the application process, or later by submitting a Cardholder Maintenance Request form. For Fund 60 projects, Research Accounting can assist in the reconciliation process. Refer to the PCARD envelope for details on how to avail of this service. How does the card get paid? Cardholders are not responsible for the payment of the University PCards as they are paid on a monthly basis by the University. 7 REVISED October 2013

Appropriate Card Uses and Restrictions Acceptable Uses (examples) Advertising Books, reprints Copy and mail services Safety and lab supplies BioBars Computer software, accessories, hardware, peripherals under $2,500 Catering on campus - including Chartwells 1 Gas for University vehicles or local rental vehicles Subscriptions, membership dues Courier services Alberta Health Services/ Calgary Lab Services invoices Conference and event planning/deposits 2 Unacceptable Uses PER account purchases Personal purchases Travel including airfare, hotel, meals, and entertainment expenses Conference registration Capital expenditures Radioactive, hazardous materials, fridges, and freezers Live animals Vehicle leases and rentals Alcohol Customs and Duty clearance/charges Fines, penalties, interest charges (these should never occur, however should you see them on your account, please contact the Card Program Administrators at cardhelp@ucalgary.ca) 1 All meeting and hospitality charges, including catering, that are to be charged to research projects require justification and one-up approval. It is important that any catering or meeting charges on your Pcard are submitted with the following: 1. the date(s) of the event(s); 2. number of participants; 3. purpose of the event; 4. counter signature by the department head or dean for hospitality expenses claimed by the grantee. 2 Please contact Supply Chain Management before entering into a contract for a conferences or events off campus. Conferences and events typically require a signed contract. All contracts are reviewed and signed through Supply Chain Management as individual employees are not authorized to sign on behalf of the university. 8 REVISED October 2013

Cardholder Responsibilities What happens if I do not use the card according to my obligations of card ownership? Unauthorized or improper transactions made by the Cardholder may result in action being taken by the Director, Supply Chain Management. Regular non-compliance with the Cardholder responsibilities may result in Card suspension, or in severe cases, long-term or permanent loss of Cardholder privileges. In the event that such an instance occurs, both the Cardholder and their Approver will be notified of the incident, and will be given an opportunity to provide an explanation for the infraction. Any resulting action will be at the discretion of the Director, Supply Chain Management. Other Spending Limit The maximum single transaction made by a Cardholder is set at a default amount of $2,500. This applies to one item or multiple items purchased in a single transaction with a supplier, including shipping, tax and exchange rate. Do not split up a purchase to bypass the single transaction limit. The maximum a Cardholder can spend within a monthly cycle period is set at a default amount of $10,000. This amount is automatically replenished the day after the cycle end date. Requests for one-time or permanent limit changes may be submitted to cardhelp@ucalgary.ca using a Cardholder Account Maintenance Request Form. Refunds No form of refund (cash or cheque) pertaining to a PCard transaction can be accepted by a cardholder. In all cases, suppliers must apply credits directly to the PCard. Disputing a Charge You can dispute an unauthorized charge posted on your Monthly Reconciliation Report by first contacting the supplier directly. If the dispute cannot be resolved with the supplier, contact the tollfree telephone number on the back of the PCard for assistance and later follow up with the Card Program Administrator in writing to advise of the situation. Declined Card Contact the toll-free telephone number on the back of the PCard; 1-800-716-6661 to determine the reason, or contact the Card Program Administrator for additional details. 9 REVISED October 2013

Maintenance Card and Travel Management will regularly monitor monthly transactions to ensure compliance with PCard procedures, as well as: Monthly audits to review Reconciliation Reports and receipts; Enforcement of the reconciliation process; Escalation of Cardholder issues to the Director, Supply Chain Management. 10 REVISED October 2013