16. P-Card Roles and Responsibilities
The University’s P-Card program has four defined Departmental roles: (1) Fiscal Officer/Department Card Manager (DCM), (2) Cardholder, (3) Reconciler, and (4) Approver. These roles and corresponding responsibilities are outlined as follows:
16.1. Fiscal Officer/Department Card Manager (DCM)
The Fiscal Officer is the designated P-Card DCM for the department. The DCM is responsible for general supervision of the program and is also the principal contact person in his/her department for information related to the P-Card program, including relevant University policies. The DCM is also responsible for elevating and reporting any questionable or non-compliant P-Card activity to the P-Card Administrator.
Training in the use of the P-Card software, policies, and procedures is mandatory for all DCMs. DCMs are responsible for ensuring that employees in their departments with a P-Card role receive appropriate training.
DCM responsibilities include:
- Supervising and monitoring the P-Card program;
- Requesting new cards as needed;
- Making necessary changes to existing cards;
- Setting limits for each cardholder based on a review of actual purchasing needs and responsibilities as follows:
Dollar limit per transaction (maximum $1,000), and
Dollar limit in a billing period (maximum $15,000 - see the Maintenance Form to request exceptions)
-
Determining which employees need access to the software;
-
Ensuring that the Procurement Card Agreement and Application forms are completed, signed and submitted by the Cardholder and approved by the Fiscal Officer;
-
Ensuring that a copy of the Procurement Card Agreement and Application is retained by the department and the original copy is forwarded to the P-Card Administrator;
-
Ensuring that cardholders, reconcilers, and approvers perform their duties in an accurate and timely manner; and
-
Collecting P-Cards and handling related termination procedures of P-Card privileges for staff members who are terminating employment with their department or the University, or who no longer need P-Card privileges in the department. This includes notifying the P-Card Administrator of the staff member’s departure or change in job responsibilities.
Note: Students, including graduate students, may not be cardholders, reconcilers, DCMs, or approvers. Students, including graduate students, may not be delegates for any of the P-Card functions or roles, or have access to the P-Card software.
16.2 Cardholder
The Fiscal Officer determines which employees in the department may have P-Cards. The Fiscal Officer may designate as many cardholders as she or he wishes; however, each cardholder may have only one card. Cardholders must be employees who have responsibilities for purchasing supplies and small equipment for their departments.
The P-Card may be used only for University purchases, and the cardholder is personally responsible for all charges made on his or her P-Card. A P-Card may be used only by the person to whom it is issued. It may not be loaned to others, including employees in the same department. Additionally, establishing an account with a vendor using an employee's P-Card as the default payment method and then providing access to that vendor account to any other person, including other employees, is also considered "loaning" or "sharing" of a P-Card and is strictly prohibited.
A cardholder who misuses or fraudulently uses the P-Card will be subject to investigation, disciplinary action, and/or termination of employment by the University, and may be subject to criminal prosecution.
To obtain a P-Card, an employee must complete the Procurement Card Agreement and Application and have it approved by his or her authorized Fiscal Officer.
Cardholder Responsibilities By accepting and using a P-Card, a Cardholder agrees to:
- Notify the bank issuing the P-Card, the P-Card Department Card Manager, the Fiscal Officer, P-Card Administrator immediately if the P-Card is lost or stolen. (The cardholder’s department may be liable for all charges incurred until the P-Card is reported lost or stolen to the bank.)
- Make purchases of supplies and some contractual purchases such as registration fees, subscriptions, membership fees, small repairs and travel; competitively where practical. Cardholders are encouraged to use prime and preferred vendors when possible.
- Consider performance, quality, suitability, delivery, and service when choosing vendors.
- Make purchases that are for University projects or activities and comply with any funding restrictions applicable to the Fund Organization Account Program (hereinafter called FOAP). This includes restrictions outlined for grants and contracts funds and gift and endowment income funds. (All P-Card purchases for small equipment and supplies must be in compliance with Sections (to be defined).
- Understand and comply with the list of prohibited and restricted purchases in this policy.
- Give complete shipping instructions when placing orders to vendors, and ask vendors to include receipts with the shipment. (Receipts should include the vendor’s name, amount of order, date, and an itemized description of the item(s) purchased.)
- Pay no sales tax on purchases from vendors registered in Illinois. ("Chicago State University" and the University's sales tax exemption number are printed on P-Cards.) Cardholders should emphasize the University's tax exempt status and exemption number when placing orders.
- Provide the department reconciler with original receipts for all P-Card transactions. If the purchase is for a business meal or refreshment, the receipt must contain the names of all attendees, the business purpose of the meal, and a statement that no alcohol was charged to the P-Card. See Business Expense Policy Procedure No. 20.3 for additional information regarding allowable limits.
- Not engage in stringing or making successive purchases to avoid circumventing the P-Card's assigned single transaction limit regardless of whether the purchase is with one or several vendors. The practice of "Stringing" orders is a direct violation of the Illinois Procurement Code.
- Verify that small equipment and supplies purchased with his/her P-Card are received and follow up with the vendor on any delivery problems, discrepancies, or damaged goods.
- Provide the unit with all documents related to the P-Card purchase, including packing lists, any approvals that were obtained for a restricted purchase, and competitive quotations.
- Handle any returns of purchases made on the P-Card as credits to the P-Card.
16.3. Reconciler
The Fiscal Officer assigns a P-Card reconciler for each cardholder. Reconcilers match each cardholder’s card statement created in PaymentNet™ with transaction information sent electronically by the bank and the original receipt. Transaction information is downloaded from the bank daily into PaymentNet™.
Reconciler responsibilities include the following:
- Check PaymentNet™ for items to be reconciled once each day.
- Review and reconcile each transaction with the order log and with the original receipt within seven business days of its appearance in PaymentNet™.
- Ensure that the proper FOAP was used for the purchase; assign the correct FOAP, if necessary. Expenditures must comply with any restrictions applicable to the FOAP. This includes all restrictions specified for gift and endowment income funds and grant and contracts funds. (If a FOAP is not assigned, the transaction is charged to the default FOAP established for that cardholder.)
- Initiate corrective action if the charge is inappropriate or inconsistent with University policies and procedures.
- Ensure the purchase follows established department and University policy (5 years) regarding retention of records for the purchases.
16.4 Approver
The Fiscal Officer may assign an Approver for each Cardholder in the department; however, this role is optional. The Fiscal Officer must assign an Approver if the Cardholder and Reconciler is the same person. The Approver does not approve the transaction as such because the transaction has already been charged to the FOAP by the time the approver sees the charge transaction details. The Approver's main responsibility is to verify that the charge made is a proper expenditure of University funds and to verify that the FOAP used is correct.
Approver responsibilities include the following:
- Check PaymentNet™ for items to be approved at least once each day;
- Review the FOAP used for a particular transaction within two business days of being reconciled;
- Initiate corrective action if the charge is inappropriate or inconsistent with University policies and procedures;
- Ensure that the correct FOAP has been used for the purchase; and
- Approve the reconciled transaction in PaymentNet™.
Back to policy and procedures Manual
|
