Purchasing Card Overview

What is the Purchasing Card?

The University offers a MasterCard for use by University employees when procuring small-dollar items that would normally be purchased using other paper-based methods. In many cases the card can be used in lieu of a Limited Purchase Order (LPO), Limited Purchase Check (LPC), some Campus Orders and most Blanket Orders acquired on a Purchase Order.

The University has over 1500 cardholders representing 300 different campus areas.

How the card will make your small-dollar procurement easier:

No more typing of LPO’s or LPC’s
More control over account allocation
No invoices to approve (you approve it at the time of purchase)
No suppliers calling you for payment (they get paid electronically in 48 hours)
View the transaction electronically in 2-3 days

Transactions made on the card are billed directly to the University and paid automatically. This means:

Your credit is not checked or affected by card ownership or usage

Use the card with any merchant who accept MasterCard including on campus.

Commuter Services, General Stores and University Print & Copy Services all accept MasterCard.

Overview of card ownership and usage:
(see How to Use Your Card for details)

You must be an employee of the University of Utah
The MasterCard is non-transferable for anyone else to use
There must be documentation for each transaction made
Monthly hard-copy statements must be kept current and signed each month
Acquire training in-person or on-line
Subject to an annual audit
A “Reallocator” is assigned who will use the Web to reallocate transactions if necessary.

The Basic Process:

Make the transaction (review restricted purchases first)
Retain the receipt or acquire the proper documentation
Wait until the transaction comes through on the on-line secure reallocation system
Reallocate it into the proper account if necessary
Review and acquire signatures on the monthly paper statement sent from Purchasing
Retain records for seven years (send to Archives if space is limited)