Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I get a Purchasing Card?

1. Fill out the application online
2. Print the application
3. Sign it and get approval signatures
4. Fax it to (801)581-8609 in the Purchasing Department

2. How do I raise my current card limits?

1. Fill out the Update Form online
2. Get approval signature of the PI on the default chartfields  for that card
3. Fax it to (801)581-8609 in the Purchasing Department
4. Limit changes are subject to the approval of the Purchasing Department
5. Changes take approximately 48 hours to become effective

3. How do I change my default chartfields on my card or add alternate Chartfields?

1. Fill out the Update Form online
2. Get approval signature of the PI for the chartfield(s).
3. Fax to (801)581-8609

4. What kind of purchases are/are not allowed on the card?

1. See the Restricted List

5. Are travel-related purchases allowed on my card?

1. No. No airplane reservations, hotels, car rentals, or food including any type of deposit or holds.
2. Conference registrations ARE allowed for the attendance portion only.

6. What about Food Items and Business Meals?

1. Food items which are necessary for a business purpose are allowed on the card if they are reasonable, necessary and occasional. The purchase must meet the criteria set forth in the Expenditure Guidelines.
2. Business Meals which are, in general, meals procured at a
   restaurant are not allowed on the Purchasing Card. However exceptions have been granted in a very limited number of cases where there are documented needs demonstrating
   that such expenditures are reasonable, necessary and are for legitimate University business. In such cases, contact the purchasing card staff to inquire about an exception request form.

7. Why do I have to have my statement signed within 30 days?

1. The period of time you have to dispute erroneous or otherwise questioned items that have transacted on your card expires 30 days after the date of your hard-copy monthly statement.
2. The ability to find the documentation that supports each transaction on the statement severely diminishes if too long of a period of time passes.

8. What documentation is required for card transactions?

1. Only ONE of the following choices is necessary for Purchasing Card Audits.
2. First choice: the actual itemized receipt. NOT the charge receipt.
3. Acceptable alternatives:
   1. A vendor invoice or packing slip.
   2. A fax order form that was used with the fax confirmation if possible
   3. A screen print of an Internet order form or confirmation
   4. A copy of an order form that has been mailed
   5. A subscription order form
4. All documentation must contain the date, vendor, item(s)
   descriptions, total price
5. In case of a rare lost receipt or unavailable documentation, refer
   to the Missing Receipt Form. Fill it out completely, get an authorized signature then keep it on file with the month’s purchasing card records.

9. What do I do if I never receive a receipt from the vendor or if I lose the receipt?

1. Contact the merchant for a possible duplicate.
2. Immediately fill out a Missing Receipt Form which is acceptable documentation

10. Is my personal credit affected or checked by being a cardholder?

1. No. The University is responsible for the bill directly so your personal credit is neither checked or affected.

11. What do I do if my card is declined by a supplier?

1. First determine if the amount of the purchase is within your card limits
2. Second, ask the supplier to reaffirm the card number and expiration date they have entered.
3. Consider the possibility that you have hit your monthly limit. The bank’s “month” is defined as the 12th — 11th. Consider asking Purchasing to raise the cardholder limits if this is the case.
4. If you cannot determine why, call the toll-free number imprinted on the back of your card (800)316-6056. This goes to the bank where they can see directly into the MasterCard system and give you an exact reason why.

12. Can anyone else use my Purchasing Card?

1. Bank rules state that the card is not to be used by any person except for the cardholder whose name appears on the front of the card. If others in your department need to make purchases, they can apply for a card.
2. Another person may pick up merchandise that you have ordered by merely signing for the items as “Received by: xx name xx”
3. Someone else may go to a merchant to pick out items and then, when ready for checkout, the merchant can place a call to the cardholder to acquire the card number.

13. How do I find the cut-off date for P-Card Reallocation?

1. The cut-off date for the P-Card Reallocation is the 5th business day into the following month at 5 PM.  There is also a list of dates on the Accounting Calendar, located in the Financial & Business Services pagelet in CIS under Resources and Information.