Purchasing Card Procedures

Responsibilities of the Cardholder:

Completing a Purchasing Card Application Form found Purchasing Card Forms and obtaining necessary approval signatures.

1. Responsible for all purchases made with the card in accordance with the procedures outlined.

2. Safeguarding card security at all times.
3. Responsible for repayment of improper charges and personal liability for misuse.
4. Maintaining all supporting documentation [e.g. proper receipts, vendor order forms, cash register receipts, etc.] and reconciling to the monthly statement in a timely manner.
5. Ensuring receipt of goods and following up with the vendor to resolve disputes and arranging for returns credits, delivery problems, etc.
6. Verifying that the purchases are consistent with all University policies and procedures, all merchandise has been received and all supporting documentation is attached.
7. Reporting lost or stolen cards immediately to the Purchasing Card Program Team and to JP Morgan Chase when the Purchasing Card Program Team cannot be reached. Send email to PurchasingCard@ccsu.edu inbox so we are aware that a new card will be coming in.

Activating a Purchasing Card

To activate a Purchasing Card, call the number printed on the sticker at the top of the card. The card will be available for use within twenty-four [24] hours from the time that it was activated.

Canceling a Purchasing Card

If the cardholder determines that the card is no longer needed, the cardholder should notify the Purchasing Card Administrator or any member of the Purchasing Card Program Team in the Purchasing Card Administrator's absence. The Purchasing Card will be cancelled, and a final audit of your records will be conducted as part of the closure process. Your card can be shredded or returned to the Purchasing Card Administrator or Purchasing Card Program Team member.

Renewal of Existing Purchasing Cards

Within thirty [30] days from the expiration date of the card, the Purchasing Card Program Team will notify the cardholders and distribute the reissued cards.

JPMorgan Chase Customer Service Number

Contact JPMorgan Chase Customer Service representative at 1.800.316.6056 to report a lost or stolen card or to inquire why a card was declined at the time of purchase.

Disputing a Transaction

A cardholder may dispute a charge that appears on the monthly statement. Disputed charges can result from failure to receive goods, fraud or misuse, altered charges, defective merchandise, incorrect amounts, duplicate charges, credits not processed, etc. Failure to address a disputable charge may result in the temporary loss of your cardholder privileges.

If the cardholder is unable to reach agreement with the vendor, the next step is to contact JPMorgan Chase's Customer Dispute No. 1.888.297.0768. PurchasingCard@ccsu.edu can intervene on your behalf once a history is provided.

When JPMorgan Chase has completed its investigation, the cardholder will be informed of the resolution and any adjustments that were made.

Please note that, by law, vendors are not permitted to bill your charge card for purchases until the items have been shipped.

Record Keeping

Monthly [billing cycle] review and approval of purchasing card transactions is required at the department level and appropriate documentation must be maintained. 

Every bank statement entry must be supported by a receipt. If a credit is issued, some form of documentation relating to the original transaction should be provided if there is no current documentation. All documentation that does not appear on your statement may be held in a "pending" folder for timely retrieval and reconciliation for future statements.

Once the statement is reconciled and reviewed, the cardholder must sign and date the monthly statement. The date reflected on the statement should be within 45 days of the end of the billing cycle (last week day of the month). By signing the monthly statement, the cardholder will be certifying that the purchases are consistent with all University policies and procedures. All supporting documentation should be stapled or clipped to the bank statement to facilitate auditing. Any historical information may be written on the documentation for a clear concise picture of the transaction for audit purposes.

If you find that you are missing a receipt, the vendor may be able to assist you with this or you may request a copy of the sales draft from the bank. Please remember that JPMorgan Chase will charge $5 for each copy provided and that $5 will be out of pocket and not via the Purchasing Card. JPMorgan Chase retains copies for 118 days from the transaction date, after which all copies are destroyed.

Monthly statements and supporting documentation should be filed by fiscal year and maintained in a designated, secure location. Maintain all records in a manner that allows for timely retrieval, as required by internal and external auditors. We will provide you with Purchasing Card envelopes to assist you with this.

Purchasing Card Audits

To ensure the continued success of the Purchasing Card Program and to meet the audit requirements of the University, various government agencies, and the requirements of this program, audits will be made of cardholder's accounts to ensure that items purchased have been received and that policies and procedures are being followed.

Misuse of the Purchasing Card

The following is a list of sanctions that will be imposed (based on the seriousness of the infraction) on the user if the Purchasing Card is misused or there are reoccurring deficiencies in documentation of purchases:

• Formal written warning to cardholder and their Dean, Chief or Vice President for misuse of card
• Temporary suspension of cardholder privileges for
  • 30 days
  • 6 months
  • Indefinite

Post Audit Action

A post audit report will be provided to the individual cardholder; and if there were significant deficiencies found, the cardholder has two weeks to correct deficiencies, at which point the cardholder will be re-audited.

If there are still deficiencies found on the follow-up audit, further sanctions may be imposed up to and including suspension of cardholder privileges including mandatory retraining. If necessary, the cardholder's Dean, Chief or Vice President may be notified of the results depending on the severity of the infraction(s).

The Purchasing Manager and the Director of Business Services will be copied on the notification based upon the severity of the infraction. The notification will include a warning for Purchasing Card revocation pending further investigation and/or misuse.

Moving the Charges to the Appropriate Accounts

Purchasing Card charges are accumulated during the billing cycle. Charges are expensed against the cardholder's Banner Index in a timely manner following the billing cycle. No action is required by the cardholder to move these charges. Cardholders are encouraged to view their Banner Index to ensure that the correct amount was charged against their budget.

Reallocating Expenses

Purchasing Card charges are applied to the Banner Index that the department chose at the time that they applied for the card. Occasionally, a department may wish to have a charge applied to another Banner Index. A Purchasing Card Reallocation form has been designed to transfer a Purchasing Card transaction from one Banner Index to another with proper authorization. The request must be received no later than five (5) working days from the close of the billing cycle (last weekday of the month). The Reallocation Form can be found on the Purchasing Card Forms.

If the cardholder is unable to utilize the Purchasing Card Reallocation form within the specified period, a Journal Voucher Request form may be completed only after the charges(s) appear in Banner so that the cardholder may indicate the Banner Account number (subcode) on the form. The Accounting Department cannot process the Journal Voucher without this information. 

Ordering Process: 

The Purchasing Card may be used to purchase approved goods in person [at the point-of-sale], over the phone, by mail, fax or over the Internet. Prior to placing an order, check the University and State Contract list for the applicable contract suppliers for the product or service you are about to order. 

When placing your order, please be sure to provide the vendor with the following information:

• Identify yourself as a Central Connecticut State University employee and provide cardholder name.
• State that you are making the purchase using a MasterCard Purchasing Card.
• State that it is a tax-exempt purchase and provide the tax-exempt number listed on the front of the card directly below the cardholder's name.
• Provide individual charge card number and expiration date on charge card
• Provide complete billing and delivery address including building and room number.
• State the appropriate University or State Contract that you are using (if applicable) to ensure that you receive correct pricing and applicable prompt payment discounts.
• State the quantity and description of the items being ordered.
• Verify the total cost of the purchase with the vendor.
• Furnish any other information that may be required.

Note: Please inform the vendor not to send a bill or invoice to the ordering department or Accounts Payable. Submitting an invoice for a charge card transaction may result in a duplicate payment.
 

Billing Address: 
The address that appears on your statement, without the tax-exempt number, is your billing address. Please provide this address to vendors as required. Failure to provide the proper billing address may result in your purchase being declined. Please note that for billing purposes only, the University's zip code is 06053-XXXX.

If you are a first-time user, please contact PurchasingCard@ccsu.edu if you are unsure of your billing address.

Shipping Instructions:
Important: Inform the vendor that the address label/packing list that accompanies the package must contain the following information:
Central Connecticut State University
Cardholder's Name
Department Name
Building and Room Number
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06053

Packages that are not labeled properly may delay the delivery of items ordered indefinitely. Under no circumstance should the vendor indicate the Purchasing Card number on any address label or packing list. Listing of the card number would threaten the security of your card.

Tips to Remember When Returning Goods:

• At the time of purchase, please ask the merchant for their return policy.
• It is suggested to retain boxes, containers, special packaging until you are certain you are going to keep the item. Some items, such as software or fragile pieces cannot be returned without the original packaging materials.
• Read all enclosed instructions carefully. Often a phone number and other instructions are included on the packing slip and/or receipt.
• In some cases there may be a restocking fee (usually a percentage of the purchase price). If the vendor is completely responsible for the error or problem you should not have to pay this, or any other fee. However, if they are not fully responsible you may have to pay it.
• In reviewing your monthly statement, make sure that a credit was issued for the returned item(s).

Proof of Purchase Documentation:
With the authority to purchase comes the responsibility for maintaining adequate documentation at the source of the transaction. It is the responsibility of each department to develop a process and assign responsibility for document retention in accordance with the requirements set forth in this manual.

Within one week to ten days from the billing cycle, JPMorgan Chase will mail the bank statement directly to the cardholder. The cardholder statement you receive is for reconciliation and audit purposes. This statement is to be checked against sales receipts, packing slips, etc. to ensure that all goods were received and that the amount on the documentation matches the amount on the statement. Documentation should support the legitimate business purpose of all transactions made with the Purchasing Card. The following are examples of supporting documentation:  
In Person Purchases:

• Cash register receipts
• Copies or order forms or applications indicating the item purchased and the cost

Internet Orders:

• Screen prints of confirmation orders for internet purchases [a screen print describing what you are ordering is not sufficient documentation. An order confirmation page with the item, description and cost is considered adequate documentation.] The page should either indicate "order confirmation", "thank you for your order" or language to that effect.

Fax Orders:

• Copies of order forms or applications from the vendor indicating the item purchased and the cost
• Sales receipt

Phone Orders:

• When placing a phone order, initially there may not be any documentation to support the transaction. Please complete a Purchasing Card Documentation form that can be found in the Purchasing Card Forms.
• Packing slips may be included as supporting documentation.

*Quotes and proposals are not considered acceptable documentation as they only indicate a desire to purchase*

Cardholders will not receive a statement if there was no card activity for the billing cycle.
Please note that the billing cycle is the first of each month to the last weekday of the month.

Document Retention:

Bank Statements and supporting documentation are to be maintained in a secure location at all times for timely retrieval for audit purposes in compliance with State, University or grant guidelines for record retention [minimum of three [3] years or until audited, whichever is later. Cardholders must seek University and State Library permission to destroy their Purchasing Card records by following the guidelines and procedures at website: www.ccsu.edu/fiscalaffairs/records.html.