Finance
Purchasing Card Training Presentation
Purchasing Card Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I obtain a purchasing card?
- Who is responsible for the card?
- Where can I use the card?
- What are some items that I can purchase with my card?
- Is it possible that my card may be rejected?
- What is my transaction limit?
- How does the bill get paid?
- How does it know what budget code to charge the transaction to?
- What do I do if the card is lost or stolen?
- Are we required to pay sales tax?
- Will these items be listed separately on my monthly budget report?
1. How do I obtain a purchasing card?
Cards are issued at the request of the department head. All full-time
employees may apply by submitting an approved application to the Program
Coordinator in Purchasing/Accounts Payable, MCB room E004.
2. Who is responsible for the card?
The person whose name appears on the card is responsible for protecting the card and is
accountable for all purchases. The cardholder is the only person who can authorize a
purchase, but may permit other employees to use the card.
3. Where can I use the card?
Cards may be used at any merchant or service provider that accepts the Visa card
and has a merchant code within College guidelines. The card will not be accepted by
any merchant with a Visa assigned travel or hospitality merchant code. In addition,
the individual must continue to acknowledge the following when purchasing the items below:
- Office Supplies - All office supplies should be obtained from Corporate Express, our preferred vendor, with the exception of copy paper which is purchased through our Copy Center.
- Books - All requests for student use should be directed to the College Bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble.
- Computers, peripherals, and software - In order to maintain College standards, all requests must be pre-approved by Technology and then processed through Purchasing/Accounts Payable.
- Copying Services - All photocopying requests should be directed to the Copy Center before seeking alternate suppliers.
- Media equipment - Purchases of media equipment such as televisions, VCR's, cameras, etc. must be pre approved by the Technology/Media Services and processed through Purchasing/Accounts Payable.
4. What are some items that I can purchase with my card?
Books, subscriptions & publication renewals, seminars & workshop registrations,
conference fees, membership dues and fees, film rentals, flowers, etc.
5. Is it possible that my card may be rejected?
Yes, some merchant categories have been blocked and
transactions will be declined (drugs, cash advances, medicines, jewelry, etc.)
It is important to review and remember the restricted commodities. For example,
office supplies may not be purchased from CVS because of the blocked pharmacy/drug
merchant code.
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6.
What is my transaction limit?
Transaction limits are $1,000 per single transaction
(including delivery, shipping & handling charges). The monthly limit is
$5,000. In addition, you are only allowed 8 transactions per day. These limits
can be adjusted to accommodate purchase patterns by increasing or decreasing
this limit. Please contact the Program Coordinator.
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7.
How does the bill get paid?
Each cardholder will receive a monthly JPMorgan
Chase statement with a zero balance due. All charges are the responsibility
of the College and will be paid upon receipt of a central invoice. It is
extremely important that every cardholder review the monthly statement. Each
cardholder will have online access to review the transactions made on their
card. The review must be completed by the twenty-fifth of each month. This review
consists of making sure that the charges are being billed to the correct budget
code and authorizing timely payment. Budgets are not encumbered until after
the JPMorgan Chase invoice is processed. Therefore, budget authorities are
advised to review department charges on a regular basis.
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8.
How does it know what budget code to charge the transaction to?
When the card is issued, all transactions will be
charged to one default department number that is provided to Accounts
Payable. When reviewing your transactions online, you have the ability to change
the object codes. If there is an object code missing, notify Accounts Payable
and they will add it to the list. If you need to charge the transaction to
a department number, other than your default, you must then fill out a Credit
Card Budget Change Request form. This needs to be done by the 1st
of the month. Note, this does not change the default department number
going forward. It only allows you to redirect the expense for that month.
Subsequent transactions will continue to be charged to the default department
number.
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9.
What do I do if the card is lost or stolen?
The purchasing card is College property and
should be secured as if it was a personal card. If it is lost or stolen, the
cardholder is responsible for immediately calling Visa at 1-800-270-7760
(representatives are available 24 hours a day). The Program Coordinator,
Susan Celona at x2005, must be notified in writing. The College is liable
for all transaction until the card is reported lost or stolen. A replacement
card will be sent within 10-12 business days to the Purchasing/Accounts Payable
Office. A card that is subsequently found, after being reported lost or stolen,
should be destroyed.
10. Are we required to pay sales
tax?
Absolutely not. Simmons College is a tax-exempt
organization and is not subject to most federal and state taxes. Cardholders
should check receipts at the point of purchase to make certain sales tax was
not charged. Cardholders are required to dispute all sales tax charges to
their account.
11. Will these items be listed out
separately on my monthly budget report?
No, they will only show up as one JPMorgan Chase expense, BUT Payment
Tech has a wonderful reporting feature that can be used to print out your itemized
list. Click on Transactions -> Reporting when you are doing your online review.
