P-Card Policy

Billing Cycle: The monthly billing period. The time frame your Monthly Credit/Spending Limit is tied to. The cycle automatically resets on the 16th day of each month.

Cardholder: A person whose name is on a Procurement Card. The person given authority to make purchases on behalf of the University of Arkansas within preset limits.

Cardholder Agreement: Agreement completed in Workday by the person whose name appears on the Procurement Card. This agreement outlines the policies regarding using a Procurement Card and must be signed by all persons receiving a Procurement Card.

MCC: Merchant Category Code (MCC) assigned to a merchant by Mastercard. This code identifies the primary goods or services provided by the merchant.

MCCG: A grouping of merchants by Merchant Category Code (MCC).

Monthly Spending Limit: The maximum amount of available money a cardholder can spend within one billing cycle on their PCard. The standard Monthly Spending Limit is $1,500.00. Departments may establish different limits on a per Cardholder basis.

Procurement Card: A MasterCard sponsored credit card issued to an employee of the University of Arkansas for the purpose of making authorized purchases on the University's behalf.

eProcurement Administrator: The University Business Services Department employee responsible for administering the Procurement Card Program for the University and acting as the main contact between the University and the Bank. This individual is Todd Walters - Phone: 479-387-9229, email: tdwalter@uark.edu 

Receipt/Documentation: A merchant produced or non-University document that records the relevant details for each item purchased including quantities, amounts, a description of what was purchased, the total charge amount and the merchant's name and address (e.g., sales receipt, original invoice, packing slip, credit receipt, etc.)

Single Transaction Limit: The maximum amount of money a cardholder can spend in one transaction/charge. The Single Transaction Limit for most University cards is $500.00. A single transaction/charge may include multiple items but cannot exceed the card limit. Departments may establish lower limits on a per Cardholder basis.

Transaction: A charge or credit associated with an eProcurement partner account.

Verification Due Date: The last day in which PCard charges can be approved by the department and costs redistributed prior to payment being made to the eProcurement partner. The day Cardholders should have charges verified in Workday.

• Use the “Create Request” task in Workday and select “Credit Card Request” as the Request Type. Note:  This step must be completed by the prospective cardholder.  The request cannot be initiated by another departmental representative.
• Complete the online form in the request, and submit for approval.
• Once the request is received by the eProcurement Office, the prospective cardholder will be contacted with instructions for the required training.
• The eProcurement Office will order the card and notify the new cardholder when the card arrives.

 

Click here for a quick reference guide (QRG) with step-by-step instruction for requesting a PCard.

After a Request has been approved, the individual will be  sent an email notification with details for required training and credit limits. Prospective Cardholders MUST complete training before receiving their Procurement Card. It is important to note that regardless of whether or not a department approves the charges the employee(s) have made, the invoice will be paid. Those charges that have not been approved will be flagged and subject to audit review and possible suspension of privileges.

Procurement Cards are not transferable outside the University of Arkansas. If someone's PCard use is discontinued, the Procurement office should be notified, and the card will be canceled. Once the Procurement office has canceled the card, the card can be destroyed.

The Procurement Card is a special Mastercard credit card. It works similarly to your personal credit cards, except the charges are billed directly to the University and payment made by the University Business Office. Procurement Cards are for business use only!

The Procurement Card will display the cardholder's name along with the words: UNIV OF ARKANSAS.

A report of transactions can be obtained from Workday with the "My Procurement Card Transactions" function. This report will assist in keeping track of all purchases made using the PCard. Should it be necessary to return any supplies or resolve billing disputes, this information is also needed to document University expenditures and also available for review by internal and external auditors.

More information related to retention of receipts may be found under the 'Receipts/Documentation' accordion below. Improper use of the Procurement Card will result in consequences ranging from suspension of card to termination of employment and criminal prosecution.

1. ONLY USING THE PROCUREMENT CARD FOR UNIVERSITY BUSINESS
2. Keeping their Procurement Card and Card Account Number confidential.
3. Using the Delegation Log when it is necessary for someone other than the cardholder to use the card.
4. Understanding that intentional misuse or abuse of the Procurement Card will result in the immediate revocation of charging privileges and possible disciplinary and criminal prosecution.
5. Not splitting transactions to avoid maximum per transaction dollar limits.
6. Obtaining receipts for each transaction and uploading those receipts as part of the verification process in Workday or turning those receipts in to the departmental person responsible for verifying the charges in the Workday system.
7. Reporting a lost or stolen Procurement Card immediately to Bank of America at 1-866-500-8262.
8. Reporting fraudulent Procurement Card charges immediately to Bank of America at 1-866-500-8262.
9. Not accepting cash in lieu of a credit to the Procurement Card account when returns are made.
10. Verifying all charges by the due date.  A charge is not fully verified until approved by the central eProcurement Office.
11. Being accountable for all charges made with their Procurement Cards and responsible for checking all transactions against the corresponding support documentation to verify their accuracy and propriety. You can view your cardholder charges by accessing Workday and selecting My Procurement Card Transactions

Cardholders have the option of delegating PCards to another employee on an as needed basis.  Individuals to which a PCard will be delegated to must take the PCard Cardholder Training, prior to the card being delegated to them.   Instructions for enrolling into the training can be found by going to the PCard website and clicking on "Enroll in PCard Cardholder Training". 

Delegation of a PCard may be no longer than a week (7 day) period.  The transfer of custody must be recorded on the PCard Tracking Log.  The tracking log should list ALL instances of delegated PCard use through the billing cycle, by transaction.  The cardholder is responsible for maintaining the tracking log to demonstrate who has possession of the PCard and ensuring all itemized receipts are collected.  Fully completed tracking logs will need to be sent at the end of each cycle to the eProcurement Manager by the cardholder.

The Cardholder is responsible for the purchases made by the delegated employee on the PCard and will be invoiced for any noncompliance in accordance with eProcurement Policy.

The Procurement Card may be used to purchase goods in person at the supplier site, over the phone, over secure Internet sites, or by mail. When placing your order in person you will simply give the supplier your Procurement Card as you would any credit card.

If you are ordering over the phone you should provide:

• Account Number
• Card Expiration Date
• Provide complete delivery address.  Ensure that you are providing YOUR delivery address and not the billing address.

Confirm that the total order, including tax and freight does not exceed the maximum amount allowable per transaction on your card.

NEVER give your PCard number to someone where the call was not initiated by you! Beware of scams!

The following limits are the standard maximum amounts assigned and allowable for a Procurement Card. When the card is requested, these amounts may be lowered by the department. For a higher Standard Monthly Spend/Credit Limit you must contact the eProcurement office.  Increases may be granted on a permanent basis, or on a temporary basis, depending on need. 

• Single Transaction Limit: $ 500
• Standard Monthly Spend/Credit Limit: $1,500

Whether a purchase is made in person or via telephone, internet, fax, or mail, the Cardholder is responsible for obtaining purchase documentation from the merchant, such as:

• Detailed receipts or invoices
• Packing slips with final dollar amounts
• Any other detailed document which shows the final cost, items purchased and the vendor name/address

These documents MUST be uploaded when the charge is being verified. Cardholders should get in the habit of verifying their charges at a minimum of once a week. If your 16-digit account number is printed on the receipt it must be blacked out before being uploaded or given to a department charge verifier.

Cardholders who do not submit their verifications as directed will be subject to the following:

1st Offense: For a first offense of a non-allowable purchase on your PCard or failure to reconcile your charges by submission PCard Verification by the required date, the cardholder, cardholder's manager, and budget officer will be notified.

 2nd Offense: For a second offense of a non-allowable purchase on your PCard or failure to reconcile your charges by submission of the PCard Verification by the required date, the department will be notified, and your card will be suspended for one cycle period.

 3rd Offense: For habitual offenders, the department will be notified, your card will be canceled and a new one will not be re-issued until such time that your department officials along with the eProcurement Office agree that a new card may be issued.

Documentation/receipts MUST be provided when charges are being verified. Charges that are verified without proper documentation will be sent back as incomplete.

If an employee receives any promotional gift cards, coupons, rebates, or other free items while making online or in-store purchases, these items belong to the University of Arkansas and are not for personal use.  Employees may accept these items as long as they are turned over to the department for further University business use.

When necessary, items should be returned according to vendor specifications. The cardholder is responsible for ensuring the proper credit is posted for any returned items.

If merchandise is returned in person, the cardholder is responsible for obtaining a credit receipt from the merchant and retaining that receipt with other receipts to document the purchase and return. These receipts will then be imaged.

Receiving cash or checks to resolve a credit is prohibited. The vendor should credit the PCard.

Item exchanges are only allowed with proper documentation. The receipt for the new item must be included with the receipt for the original purchase. A note should be entered on the transaction in the verification page in Workday.

• Cardholders who transfer to a new position within the same department and require the use of a PCard as part of their new duties should continue to use their existing card.
• Cardholders who transfer to another department will be assigned new default accounting information based on their new position, and that accounting information will apply to the cardholder’s existing card.

Once a department enters a termination in Workday, the eProcurement Office will receive a Workday notification to cancel the PCard.  Prior to separation from the University, Cardholders must surrender their PCard to their Manager or their Departmental Representative.  The PCard can then be destroyed.  Cardholders must send all receipts for any unreconciled PCard charges to their Manager or Departmental Representative for reconciliation.  Failure to do so may result in the cardholder being invoiced for the unreconciled expense. 

Split transactions are strictly prohibited. The Cardholder's single transaction limit cannot be split into two or more transactions in order to bypass the PCard's set transaction limits. In addition, part of the cost cannot be placed onto the Card with the cardholder asking for personal reimbursement for the remaining purchase amount. Deliberate splitting or purchases may result in suspension of PCard privileges. 

• Use the “Create Request” task in Workday and select “Request Update to Credit Card Information” as the Request Type. Note:  This step must be completed by the cardholder.  The request cannot be initiated by another departmental representative.

• Complete the online form in the request. Important:  If you need to make a purchase over the PCard's single transaction limit, you must include the name of the supplier, the item(s) being purchased, the cost of each item(s), final purchase amount (including tax and/or shipping), and justification for why a Purchase Order cannot be used.

PCard charges should NOT be rescinded or changed in Workday to attach documents or adjust the accounting once the charges are fully approved and settled.  Make adjustments by doing an accounting adjustment.  Contact pcard@uark.edu if you have documents to attach.

Please see the Accounting Adjustments QRG for instructions.  

The use of a University PCard is a privilege, not an entitlement. PCard purchases must be for the use and benefit of the University. Under no circumstance are unauthorized purchases for personal use or non-University purposes allowed, including the Cardholder's intent to subsequently reimburse the University. Individuals who knowingly misuse their PCard are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination and potential criminal prosecution. 

The University strongly discourages Cardholders from filing their PCards as a saved form of payment with any personal online retailers. Should doing so result in any violations of PCard policies the order of the resulting disciplinary actions will be at the discretion of the eProcurement Administrator. 

Violations of PCard policies including use of a PCard for personal or non-University purposes can have serious consequences for Cardholders. Cardholders who misuse or fraudulently use a PCard are subject to investigation, disciplinary action, termination of employment, and may also be subject to criminal prosecution: 

1^st Incident of noncompliant activity*: For a first offense of a non-allowable purchase on your PCard or failure to verify your PCard charges by the Verification Due Date, the eProcurement Office will issue a written warning.  The cardholder, cardholder's manager, and budget officer will be notified.  Additional training will be offered.

2^nd Incident of noncompliant activity: For a second offense of a non-allowable purchase on your PCard or failure to verify your PCard charges by the Verification Due Date, the eProcurement Office will issue a written warning.  The cardholder, cardholder’s manager, and budget officer will be notified.  The cardholder’s PCard will be immediately suspended.  It will remain suspended for one full spending cycle.  Additional training will be required in order to reinstate PCard privileges.

3^rd Incident of noncompliant activity: For a third offense of a non-allowable purchase on your PCard or failure to verify your PCard charges by the Verification Due Date, the eProcurement Office will issue a written warning.  The cardholder, cardholder’s manager and budget officer will be notified.  The cardholder’s PCard will be immediately canceled.  A new PCard will not be re-issued until such time that your department officials, along with the eProcurement Office agree that a new card may be issued.  The cardholder’s manager or budget officer must submit written justification to support reinstatement privileges for reinstate privileges to be considered.  If the eProcurement Office approves reinstatement, additional training will be required.  Reinstated PCards may also have their spending limits lowered at the discretion of the eProcurement Manager.

Ongoing noncompliant activity:  Habitual noncompliant activity, as determined by the eProcurement Manger, will result in the irrevocable loss of PCard privileges.

*Personal/non-allowable purchases will be invoiced to the cardholder to pay back.

 Whenever fraudulent activity is suspected, a Cardholder's PCard will be immediately canceled and notification issued by the eProcurement Office to the Cardholder, the Cardholder's Supervisor, unit Budget Offices, Financial Affairs, and Internal Audit. If validated, fraudulent use of a PCard may result in termination of employment as well as criminal prosecution. 

If the cardholder and the supplier cannot resolve the issue of an invalid charge, contact Bank of America at 1-866-500-8262 for more instructions. If you need additional assistance you can also contact the PCard Administrator. Disputes need to be made within 60 days of the charge. 

Regardless of the status of the dispute, payment will be made to Bank of America. Adjustments will be made upon resolution.  Since there is no way to cancel a transaction after it occurs, users will still have to verify & approve the disputed charge in Workday the same way they would a legitimate purchase. 

If the cardholder has a lost or stolen PCard, or a fraudulent charge, contact Bank of America Customer Service at 1-866-500-8262 (24 hours a day, 365 days a year).  After notifying the bank, notify the eProcurement Office by sending an email to pcard@uark.edu.  The eProcurement Office will cancel the card in Workday and provide additional guidance.  Remember to always contact the bank before contacting the eProcurement Office.

If any fraudulent charges show up in your card activity in Workday, the bank will post a summary credit for the charge(s) generally within 30 days. Since there is no way to cancel a transaction after it occurs, users will still have to verify & approve the fraudulent activity in Workday the same way they would a legitimate purchase. Best practice is to wait for the credit to show up in your card activity in Workday, and then verify both transactions at once so they end up offsetting/canceling each other out in your department ledgers.

The Lost/Unobtainable Receipt Form should only be used when a copy of the original receipt cannot be obtained from the vendor. If use of this form becomes a recurring event with a particular cardholder, the eProcurement Administrator will send a warning to the cardholder about excessive use of the form.

Each month, the Cardholder is responsible for making sure their PCard charges are verified AND approved.  Charges not verified and approved by the due date may result in cancellation of PCard privileges.  The due dates can be found on the eProcurement website.  REMEMBER, it is the cardholder’s responsibility to ensure that the charges on the PCard in their name are verified and approved by the due date.

eProcurement, as well as internal and/or external auditors, conduct reviews of PCard use for compliance. As part of these reviews, requests for transaction details and inquiries as to the nature of particular charges may be submitted to a Cardholder or the Cardholder's Supervisor or Budget Officer. If any noncompliant activity is discovered during a review, the eProcurement Office will issue a written warning to the cardholder and the Cardholder's Supervisor and Budget Officer. Depending on the nature of any identified noncompliant activity, Cardholder privileges may be impacted. 

Financial analyst within the department may periodically pull data from the UA Data Warehouse or Workday to review a period of transactions by:

• Cardholder
• Budgetary Unit