- Applying for a Procurement Card
- Obtaining the Procurement Card
- Obtaining Goods and Services
- Requests for limit increases or removal of blocks on a Procurement Card:
- Reconciliation of Procurement Card Charges
- Disputes
- Procurement Card Needs To Be Replaced
- Cardholder Leaves Employment of University or Changes Department
- Mitigating Fraudulent Transactions:
- Contacts: Director, Strategic Procurement, Procurement Services: Administrative Officer, Procurement Services
Applying for a Procurement Card
- Requester completes Pcard application form and submits it to their Department Head for approval or Fund Holder if Pcard defaults to a research account;
- Fund Holder provides default FOAPAL to be assigned to the Card;
- Note: The Fund Holder’s or Department Head signature delegates posting authority to the Cardholder;
- Requester submits completed and approved application form to the Pcard Administrator;
Obtaining the Procurement Card
- An email will be sent to the Cardholder advising them that the Pcard Administrator has received the card;
- Cardholder presents themselves in person at the address indicated on the electronic notification to pick up the Card;
- Cardholder signs the Cardholder Agreement signifying agreement with the terms of the Pcard program;
- Cardholder must present some form of Identification preferably their Carleton Campus Card;
- Cardholder signs the back of the Pcard after taking possession of the Card
- Cardholder calls the Card Issuer to activate the Card as per the instructions provided by Procurement Services
Obtaining Goods and Services
The Cardholder can place orders by phone, online, and over–the counter.
In all cases, the Cardholder must determine, before placing an order that the:
- proposed purchase is not a prohibited Card transaction;
- total cost does not exceed the cardholder’s purchase limits, including shipping charges, currency exchange and taxes;
- vendor accepts the Pcard;
- product is available;
- price is the best that can be obtained (ask if educational discounts are available);
- delivery date meets expectations and needs;
- appropriate method of shipping and handling is selected and special handling instructions are defined;
- shipping costs.
The Cardholder must ensure that the receipt, and/or packing slip contains the:
- Vendor name and address;
- Description of items purchased;
- Quantity of goods ordered and received;
- Itemized unit prices and the amount extensions;
- Sales taxes (if applicable);
- Shipping charges (if applicable);
- Grand total of order.
The Cardholder must ensure that the goods have been received before completing the reconciliation on FAST Pcard.
When placing the order by phone the cardholder must:
- Provide the vendor their name, phone number, department name and shipping address;
- Obtain a confirmation order number (if available).
When placing the order online, the cardholder must:
- Ensure that the appropriate consideration is given to security concerns (i.e. encrypted web sites);
- When possible print copies of orders before submission;
- Obtain electronic confirmation of the order;
When the goods or services are received, the cardholder must:
- Check that the order is correct;
- Ensure that documentation is received such as a packing slip, invoice or Pcard transaction slip;
- Ensure that the documentation is stored so that it can be forwarded to Accounts Payable with their monthly statement;
- Contact the vendor if there is any problem with the transaction.
Requests for limit increases or removal of blocks on a Procurement Card:
Requests for one-time limit increases or one-time removal of blocks on the Pcard may be sent to the Card Administrator by email, cc’ing the Cardholder’s supervisor confirming that they have their approval for the request. These requests will be considered on a case by case basis for approval; otherwise, a requisition for purchase order through eShop will be required.
Reconciliation of Procurement Card Charges
Daily transaction data is available on the FAST Pcard web site at www.carleton.ca/fast where the Cardholder can access and review the Pcard activities. The Cardholder will review the transactions for accuracy and reconcile them with their receipts.
If there are no discrepancies, the cardholder will change any of the default FOAPAL’s as appropriate.
The Cardholder is responsible for any discrepancies that may appear in the documentation. The Cardholder should always attempt to resolve any discrepancies directly with the vendor.
Once a month the Pcard Administrator will inform you by e-mail of the deadline date to complete your reconciliation before the file is uploaded into Banner.
Submission of Procurement Card documentation:
The Cardholder is to print off their Statement once reconciliation is completed, sign the statement and obtain their immediate supervisor’s signature, and Fund Holder’s signature if different from their supervisor and transactions have been charged to their research fund, before forwarding it along with all supporting original documentation to Accounts Payable. If the Fund Holder is also the Cardholder they must obtain their immediate supervisor’s signature on their monthly statement. Failure to do this may result in your Card being temporarily suspended until the situation is corrected. Note: Temporary process due to COVID protocols: Monthly Pcard statements and receipts should be sent electronically to ap.pcard@cunet.carleton.ca with the supervisor’s approval indicated on the monthly statement or by email during this time.
Disputes
The Cardholder is responsible for resolving all discrepancies and disputes directly with the vendor. Every effort must be made to resolve disputes within thirty (30) days of the transaction. The Cardholder should allow sufficient time for the vendor to prepare a credit voucher or for the replacement of items.
If the Cardholder is not able to resolve the dispute with the vendor within 30 days, the cardholder must contact the Procurement Card Administrator to intervene with the Card Issuer on behalf of the cardholder. The Card Issuer does not recognize disputes over 60 days from the date of the transaction.
Credits
The vendor must issue a credit to the Cardholder account for any item that they have agreed to accept for return or price adjustment. This credit will appear on the cardholder’s statement and should be reconciled in the same manner as other transactions.
Taxes on purchases
Carleton University is required to pay sales tax in the majority of instances. Depending on the type of supplies and location of the vendor, however, the tax implications may vary.
It is the responsibility of the cardholder to inquire about the applicable taxes prior to confirming the order to the vendor and verify the invoice to ensure that the correct taxes are charged.
Procurement Card Needs To Be Replaced
Lost or Stolen Card:
The Cardholder should immediately contact the customer service number of the bank to report the stolen or lost Card. This number is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for reporting purposes. The cardholder must be prepared to respond to the following questions:
- Cardholder’s complete name;
- Circumstances surrounding the loss of the card;
- Any purchase(s) made on the day the Card was lost or stolen;
- Details of the last purchase amount and location;
- Personal identification information;
- Identify if there is a need to replace the Card.
After a missing or stolen card incident is reported to the Card Issuer, the Cardholder must notify the Procurement Card Administrator so that the University records can be updated accordingly.
Defective Cards:
If a Pcard needs to be replaced because it is worn out or defective, the cardholder should notify the Procurement Card Administrator. They will in turn request a replacement Card from the Card Issuer.
The Card Issuer will forward a replacement Card within five (5) working days of being notified. The Procurement Card Administrator will advise the Cardholder when the replacement Card is received.
Cardholder Leaves Employment of University or Changes Department
Termination
When a Cardholder leaves the University, the Fund Holder must notify the Procurement Card Administrator immediately. The Fund Holder must obtain the Card and all outstanding documentation on the account of the Cardholder prior to final separation and reconcile the charges on FAST Pcard. The Fund Holder will advise the Pcard Administrator who will and cancel the card.
Temporary Leave
When a Cardholder leaves their position or changes responsibilities on a temporary basis (i.e. sabbatical, maternity leave, sick leave), the Fund Holder must obtain all outstanding documentation on the account from the Cardholder, reconcile the charges on FAST Pcard and then ask the Pcard Administrator to deactivate or cancel the Card.
If the Card is to be deactivated, the Fund Holder submits a written notification (e-mail) to the Procurement Card Administrator.
Change of Department
When a Cardholder changes department, the same procedure as for “termination” applies. If however, the Cardholder will be purchasing goods or services within the new department they, or their supervisor, are to advise the Pcard Administrator of their new default FOAPAL and commencement date. The Administrator will amend the information on FAST Pcard.
Mitigating Fraudulent Transactions:
It is the responsibility of the Cardholder to maintain control and security for the Pcard, and protecting sensitive information such as the Pcard number and expiration date. Cardholders are expected to take care in using their pcard, and at minimum, be aware of the following protocols and recommendations.
- If your card is declined, lost, or stolen, call Procurement Services at ext. 3622 immediately to reduce the risk of fraud;
- Check your card transactions regularly. If unknown charges appear on your statement, call Procurement Services immediately;
- Do not leave your Pcard unattended;
- Never share your PIN with anyone or leave it written next to your card;
- Do not share confidential information over the phone, fax or in an email. Remember, the bank will never call or send you an email and ask you to provide your full card number or password.
- Do not transmit your card number by email or write it down. If a merchant insists on you transmitting your card number in this manner, contact Procurement Services;
- Use known, trusted sites for online purchases. Choose retailers that you are familiar with. If you are not familiar with a site, do some research to find out more about it; and
- Only shop on a secure network. Only use secure, reputable websites and avoid making transactions over public WiFi.
Contacts: Director, Strategic Procurement, Procurement Services: Administrative Officer, Procurement Services
Links to related Policies: