Purchasing & Accounts Payable

Commitment

Has your central business office approved participation and indicated commitment to following program guidelines? Does your supervisor, CAO, CFO, chair and/or dean approve?

Does your department have processes and controls in place that will allow for:

• Reviewing individual purchases for procurement policy compliance?
• Prompt submission of receipts and packing slips by cardholder?
• Timely reconciliation and submission by both cardholder and the cardholder's approver?
• Verifying charges by reviewing transactions?
• Proper record retention?
• Consideration of any special funding conditions?

Training

Is your department willing to:

• Invest time in learning a new process?
• Reconcile PCard transactions on a biweekly basis through the Concur system?
• Contact the PCard support team when questions arise?

Control features

Does your department understand that the PCard is a valuable tool for purchasing a broad range of products and services, but policy and best practices require certain controls? They include:

• Transaction amounts limited by each individual department up to program limit maximums (including tax, freight and handling charges).
• Built-in controls prohibiting restricted commodities.
• No personal purchases.
• Designated fund sources (not all fund sources are appropriate for use with the PCard).
• A single cardholder—cards can only be assigned to a person, not to a department or unit. Cards may not be lent or shared. A cardholder can make purchases on behalf of other members of the department.
• Use of the Procurement Card should not replace procuring items:
  • From contracted suppliers
    • Catalogs in BruinBuy
  • Sourcing Agreements, UC Systemwide Agreements, or Restricted Blanket Agreements;
  • Through orders placed by Campus Purchasing or Campus Services units.