Purchasing Card Site Manager Guide

GUIDELINES

The purpose of this Guide is to provide instructions for the individuals serving as the Departmental Site Managers on campus. Site Manager duties include the following:

  • Determining who at their site should receive cards
  • Assisting the approved applicants in obtaining a card
  • Tracking the departmental cards and requesting changes
  • Auditing expenditures on the cards
  • Accessing the transaction information via the PVS Net system
  • Reallocating the transaction funding as requested by the cardholder
  • Communicating with Program personnel when necessary
  • Ensuring source documents are properly retained for the required timeframe

The Purchasing Card Program is a combined effort of  the departmental Site Managers, UW-Madison Business Services, US Bank and ProCard, Inc. Your feedback on policies, procedures and program materials is welcome. The Program Manager is Yvonne Quamme. A list of contact people is posted here.

All purchases with this card must comply with the guidelines in the University of Wisconsin - Madison's Purchasing policies and procedures, Accounting Services policies and procedures and with Extramural funding agency restrictions.

WHO SHOULD RECEIVE A CARD

This decision should be made by the Dean/Division Business Office, and department. Individuals who are in a position to make best use of the card are those who now often rely on blanket orders, open vendor orders, or imprest accounts to meet immediate needs.

The card is convenient for placing web orders, phone orders and picking things up in person. The card number should be omitted from all faxed orders and provided to the vendor via a follow up phone call.

HOW TO OBTAIN A CARD

The individual completes the Cardholder Account Set Up form and the Cardholder Agreement form. The forms must be routed through the respective Dean’s Office for their approval and signature. The fully completed, signed forms are then forwarded on to the Program Manager for processing. The cardholder must receive training prior to card issuance. The training sessions are held at 21 North Park Street several times per month. Register here.

CARD SECURITY

The cards should always be stored in a secure place. Some departments keep them locked in a central area, others carry them in their wallet or purse. The cardholder/site manager/department should agree on where the cards are to be kept. Those with access to the card or any documentation containing the card number should recognize the importance of protecting the account number. Cards are only to be used by the cardholder or an individual that has been officially designated to use the card (see Cardholder guide). The cardholder is ultimately responsible for all transactions that are recorded to the card number. Discretion should be used in determining who is allowed to serve as a designated user of the card.

HOW TO TRACK CARDS AND MAKE CHANGES

Changes in address, limits or funding should be submitted to the Program Manager on a Cardholder Account Set Up Form. Changes generally take approximately 3 working days to be completed. The card cannot be transferred from one individual to another.

HANDLING CARDHOLDER LEAVE OF ABSENCE

If a cardholder is on an extended leave of absence consisting of 30 days or more, the card must be deactivated (cycle limit reduced to $1) to prevent misuse or unauthorized use of the card during the individual’s absence. The card can be revived upon the cardholder’s return. Please use the Cardholder Account Setup form to communicate these changes to the Purchasing Card Program staff.

HOW TO DEACTIVATE A CARD ON A TEMPORARY BASIS

Complete a Cardholder Account Form, mark "Change" and change the dollar limits to $0. When you want to reactivate a card, submit a change with the new dollar limits

HOW TO CANCEL A CARD

When a cardholder leaves the department, cancellation of the card is to take place prior to or immediately following the cardholder's last day of employment unless extenuating circumstances exist. Timely cancellation of the card is an integral part of maintaining the integrity of the program. If all items ordered on the card have been received prior to the cardholder's departure date, the cardholder is to cut up his/her card and turn it into the department Site Manager to begin the cancellation process. The Site Manager then disposes of the card and completes the Cardholder Account Set Up form with the cardholders name, the request date, and a checkmark in the "delete" box option on the top of the form. The form is forwarded to the respective Dean's Office for the updating of the Division records, and then on to the Program Manager for cancellation. If items remain outstanding or backordered, the cardholder is to cut up the card and turn it over to the Site Manager for safe keeping until all outstanding orders have posted. At that point in time, the card is disposed of and the completed Cardholder Account Set Up form is routed through the proper channels to initiate the card cancellation process.

Under no circumstances should the department continue to use the card to order supplies and services after the cardholder's departure date. Departments must acknowledge the fact that the cardholder is ultimately responsible for all orders placed on the card and continued use of the card after the cardholder's departure date should not be requested or expected. The department must respect the cardholder's rights and responsibilities. Whenever possible, complete the application forms to obtain a card for the new employee or an interim replacement cardholder prior to the current cardholder's departure date.

WHEN A VENDOR WILL NOT ACCEPT THE PURCHASING CARD

If a vendor will not accept a purchasing card, use a purchase order or confirming telephone order.

INELIGIBLE VENDORS

The eligibility to do business with vendors is contingent on them satisfying or not satisfying s.16.765, Wis. Stats., which imposes certain requirements for affirmative action in employment as well as compliance with s.77.66, Wis Stats., tax laws. Check the Purchasing Services Web site for the current Ineligible Vendor List after logging into the VendorNet system with the generic log on, "uwmad" and "bucky." You will be taken to a page that links to the directory, it is at the bottom of the page, second from last link as well as the Certification for Collection of Sales and Use Tax Ineligible Vendor Directory that lists vendors determined to be ineligible by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for non-compliance with tax laws.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED WHEN USING A PURCHASING CARD

Log/Statement of Account Report: The Cardholder must maintain a record of each purchase made on the card including the vendor name, transaction date, total dollar amount and any requested changes to the default accounting code string. The Cardholder Log and/or the Statement of Account report may be used to meet this requirement. The log or statement must be signed by the Site Manager when the reconciliation process has been completed.

Supporting Documentation: The original supporting documentation should always be retained in the payment mechanism file; therefore, Purchasing Card documentation should be attached to and stored with the cardholder log. Required documentation includes at least one of the following: charge slip, packing slip, invoice, cash register receipt, order confirmation, service agreement or registration form. Additional documentation maybe required per the cardholder's department or Dean's Office. If no documentation is provided, the handwritten detail and an explanation must accompany the cardholder's log. Receipts should be attached to the log for review by the Site Manager.

Record Retention: This documentation is the official record for the Purchasing Card transactions and must be retained by the department/site for seven years. The Site Manager is responsible for record retention and ensuring documentation is available for review/audit. Copies of Dispute Forms submitted by the cardholder should be attached to the log.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

The Purchasing Card cannot be used for the below listed travel expenditures unless prior approval has been obtained from the cardholder's Department and Dean's Office. Divisional approval must be indicated on a signed Cardholder Travel Agreement form and the cardholder and site manager must attend a Cardholder Travel Training Session prior to using the card for travel expenditures.

Airfare

  1. The original Travel Agency Invoice showing a zero balance or the Ticket Confirmation if the reservation is made electronically. The Invoice/Confirmation must contain the following information:
    • The name of the Traveler
    • The price of the flight
    • The flight dates and a complete itinerary reflecting the most direct flight available
    • The purpose of the trip must be written on the invoice/confirmation
    • The signature of the individual that approves the travel for the department must be on the documentation
    • Travel class (must be coach)
  2. Additional documentation required, depending on the circumstances:
    • A total cost comparison when leaving or returning on Saturday/Sunday to obtain a cost savings in fare
    • A cost comparison if indirect routing or stopovers are indicated

Hotels

  1. The Hotel Folio containing the following information:
    • The name of the traveler
    • The dates of the stay
    • The single room rate and taxes
    • Total price paid
  2. Additional documentation required, depending on the circumstances:
    • The conference brochure if the traveler is staying at the conference hotel
    • If sharing a room, the name of the second occupant must be written on the folio
    • The purpose of the call if business calls are charged to the room

Car Rentals

  1. The car rental contract

HOW TO AUDIT A PURCHASING CARD TRANSACTION

Internal Audit: FAQ and Common Audit Issues

The person reconciling the transaction logs to WISDM or PVS Net must be different from the individual making the purchases and keeping the log. After reconciling the cardholder’s log and documentation to the PVS Net System, the reviewer must sign and date the log, indicating the review process is complete and the log has been reconciled. Before approving the transactions, check the following information:

1. Proper documentation must be attached to the log for each purchase. The following are considered appropriate:

  • Phone/fax orders: invoice (preferred), packing slip (acceptable)
  • Registrations: a copy of the registration form
  • Items picked up: a detailed cash register receipt. If a description of the purchase is not included on the receipt, the cardholder must write it in by hand. Charge card slips do not contain the required information.
  • Web orders: a printed copy of the web order screen

If the cardholder is unable to obtain the required documentation from the vendor, a detailed explanation of the purchase should be written up by hand, including the date, vendor name, what was purchased and the price.

2. Spot check extensions and additions on attached receipts, credit slips, or packing slips. Attach adding machine tape, if one was necessary to verify. Update the transaction log to include any changes from the original data entered. Talk to the cardholder about disputing any problems.

3. Question any sales tax charged unless service is provided outside the State of Wisconsin.

4. If inappropriate purchases appear (for list, see Cardholder Agreement), the employe should return the merchandise to the vendor or the employe should be directed to reimburse the University. If the employe does not reimburse the University within 30 days, the department should take steps to garnish his/her wages. In addition, appropriate disciplinary measures should be taken.

5. Check the Ineligible Vendors List. If a transaction was conducted with an ineligible vendor, the cardholder must be informed that if practical, the product must be returned, and warned that future transactions with that vendor are unallowable.

6. Subscriptions, Memberships, and Registrations

  • The same subscription, membership, or registration cannot be paid twice in one fiscal year.
  • The subscription or membership must be mailed to a UW address.
  • If purchased from grant funds, the term of the subscription or membership cannot exceed the grant ending date. Registration fees must be for events held prior to the grant ending date.
  • Shipping and handling charges should be appropriate.

HOW TO HANDLE DISPUTES

Cardholders must use the Dispute Form to report disputes to US Bank. The cardholder must submit a dispute to US Bank within 60 days after the merchandise is received; or if the charges are invalid and no merchandise is received, the cardholder must submit a dispute to US Bank within 60 days of the transaction date. A copy of all disputes should be attached to the transaction log.

WHEN AUDITING AND EDITING OCCUR

Audits and edits should be completed according to the bi-weekly schedule to ensure proper posting to the General Ledger. The bi-weekly cycle and edit deadlines are indicated on the Site Manager Editing Calendar, which can be downloaded from here.

RECORD RETENTION REQUIREMENTS

Sites are required to keep records according to the campus record retention schedule for financial and purchasing records. For source documents this period is generally seven (7) years which includes the current year. Such records include credit slips, cash register receipts, packing slips, transaction logs, and Dispute Forms. A copy of the cardholder agreement should be kept by the cardholder, a copy should remain with the department, and the original is maintained by the Card Enrollment Manager.

REPORTING TRAVEL PURCHASES USING MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

Sites are required to report their Purchasing Card travel purchases with Minority Business Enterprises on a monthly basis. This should be done no later than the 10th of each month using the Minority Business Travel form provided. A separate form should be submitted for each Minority Business Enterprise travel vendor used, providing the dollar amount of purchases for the given month.

REPORTING A CHANGE IN SITE MANAGERS

  1. Complete the Site Manager Form
  2. Obtain the required signatures and forward the form to Yvonne Quamme, 21 N Park St., Suite 5301, Madison, WI 53715-1218.
  3. Have the new site manager sign up for Site Manager Training at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/acct/purchcd/ptrain.html.
  4. If you have questions, please contact Yvonne Quamme.

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