7.0 PLACING PURCHASING CARD ORDERS

The procedure for placing Purchasing Card orders is as follows:

7.1 General

1. Identify the need for materials required to perform a job related task.
   
2. Determine if the intended purchase will be within your Purchasing Card authorized limits.  If the purchase is greater than $4,999.99, you must submit a requisition for purchase to Procurement Services.  Instructing a vendor to split a single item costing greater than $4,999.99 into more than one charge on a Purchasing Card is a violation of the Purchasing Card program guidelines, and causes the vendor to be in violation with his contract with MasterCard.
   
3. Ensure the materials to be purchased are not on the list of items that must be procured through normal Procurement Services processes.

7.2 Ordering Your Purchases

• your name
• confirmation that you are a UVM employee
• your Purchasing Card number and expiration date
• UVM's sales tax exempt status: The University’s Vermont Sales Tax Exempt Number is 450-030179440F-01. 
• your campus delivery address
• your campus billing address, not Procurement Services.

• Shipments to your home are not allowed.  Shipments to other UVM locations are permissible, provided you make arrangements with the employee receiving the items to send you the itemized receipt, priced packing list, and any other documentation included with the shipment.  You will need this documentation for your records.
  
• Do not allow the supplier to make a partial shipment or back order the balance, and charge you for the total quantity.  The Purchasing Card may only be used for one complete shipment at one time of all of the items you order.  When the supplier does not have all of the items in stock, order the balance later when he receives his new stock of the items you want.
  
• If your card is declined by the vendor, it may be because you have exceeded your spending limit, or because the vendor’s industry has been blocked for your card, or because the card was reported lost or stolen.  Another frequent reason for a decline is the vendor making an error with your card number or expiration date.  There needs to be an exact match of credit card number and expiration date in order for the bank to process the transaction.  Contact your Program Administration Team to resolve the problem.




7.3 Receiving Your Shipment

1. Make sure the supplier correctly filled your order.  Verify that you received all of the items in the quantities that are specified on your Purchasing Card receipt or priced packing list.
2. Verify that sales tax was not charged to your invoice.
3. Save the Purchasing Card sales slip, itemized receipt or priced packing list, and shipping documentation.
4. Attach receipts and documentation to the PurCard Journal Report.
5. Provide expediting/order follow-up as necessary, including tracing of lost shipments and filing claims for damaged shipments.  You may request guidance in these areas from the Procurement Services.  However, the responsibility for taking appropriate actions in these areas remains with the Cardholder.




7.4 Email Notification

Each time transactions are downloaded from Mellon Bank, Procurement Services sends an email notification to cardholders and  designates.  Review the email to verify the accuracy of the charge.  Unless the purchase is for airfare, Procurement Services does NOT need to receive the email with the PurCard Journal Report.  There are separate instructions for airfare purchases and corresponding email.

7.5 Summary

1. Ensure all goods ordered and billed have been received.
   
2. Retain all Purchasing Card sales slips, itemized receipts, priced packing lists, and shipping documentation for your records.
   
3. Remember, although other functional areas of the institution, e.g. Procurement Services, etc., may be available to provide guidance to you, the responsibility to complete the purchase from a vendor (except for payment of the Purchasing Card bill) rests solely with you the cardholder.  These other functional areas are not responsible to perform any of the tasks indicated above for the cardholder.
   
4. Procurement Services is responsible for payment of the total Purchasing Card bill.  All items billed will be paid.  The total charge summarized on your monthly statement is only one of many that are consolidated into one bill from Mellon Bank.
   
5. The Procurement Services staff remains responsible for placing blanket orders and negotiating other agreements with participating suppliers.
   
6. If a vendor asks for a copy of the University's tax exempt certificate, call Procurement Services at 656-4192.  A copy can be printed from the Tax Administration web site.

Last modified January 08 2008 03:48 PM