UKANS P-card Procedure Manual

The University of Kansas Procurement Card is commonly referred to as the P-Card. These are the card types available:

• Standard
  • Assigned to one person.  Can be used for all University business where p-card is appropriate.  $3,000 limit.
• Departmental Check-out
  • Assigned to one person.  Checked out to someone without a p-card and checked back in.  $500 limit.
  • The person in the department whose name appears on the request is the custodian of the card.  This person must obtain the supporting receipts from the purchaser for each transaction.  Failure to report or document any purchase may be deemed an improper use of the P-Card and may result in suspension or closing of the account.
• Automotive
  • One person in dept. is responsible for usage.  Used for fuel and minor repairs to university owned vehicles.  $500 limit.
• Travel Only
  • Intended for employees who do not need a p-card for purchases but need a card for travel related expenses.  $3,000 limit.
• Declining Balance
  • Card with a pre-loaded amount that decrements as transactions occur. Credit balance does not refresh.  Only for unique situations where another card is not appropriate.  Email bpc@ku.edu if there is interest in this card to see if it is appropriate or another card is more appropriate.

To obtain a p-card, complete the p-card request.  It is a TDX document that routes via workflow.  The requestor will receive a notification by email when it is ready.  Cardholders must successfully complete a p-card quiz regarding proper usage.  The quiz is on Canvas.  Requesters will receive a link to the quiz when their card is ready.

Click here to request a P-card: https://hawkhelp.ku.edu/TDClient/631/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=7702

The p-card can be used for most purchases from merchants who accept Visa.  There are some merchants that are blocked.  Other merchants cannot be blocked, but still sell goods that are not allowed.  These are some examples of non-allowable purchases, but not an exhaustive list:

• Personal purchases
• Gift cards
• Cash advances
• Payments to KU departments
• Alcoholic beverages from liquor store (requires pre-approval)
• Meals while traveling (these are reimbursed as per diem)

Using the p-card to purchase personal items is never allowed and can result in disciplinary action.

Receipts must be obtained for each transaction.  Cardholders must submit receipts and funding source information to their reconciler within five business days after the transaction or within five business days of returning from business travel.  Failure to do so will result in p-card suspension.

Do not split transactions to avoid a transaction limit.  If the transaction exceeds the cardholder’s transaction limit and/or monthly cycle limit, complete the P-Card Application and Temporary Changes TDX online request.

An approved Concur travel request is required prior to making travel related purchases.  The travel request is referenced on the transaction.  The p-card can be used to pay for all travel related expenses except for personal meals as these are reimbursed as per-diem.  Examples of allowable travel related expenses include:

• Registration
• Airfare
• Car Rental
  • Domestic--Decline the insurance as the University provides this coverage
  • International--While the University discourages international car rentals, if it is necessary, purchase the insurance recommended by the agent for that location.
• Lodging
  • Lodging expenses may be prepaid with a p-card.  Anyone prepaying lodging must be thoroughly familiar with cancellation and refund policies.  If the traveler cannot go, the department is responsible for any cancellation fees and unrefunded amounts.  Project funds cannot be used to pay for cancellation fees and unrefunded amounts.
  • Travelers choosing Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar property rentals need to perform a cost analysis and safety analysis of the accommodation.
    • Cost Analysis
      • Comparison of total cost of property rental vs. hotel options on Concur site.  The total cost includes per night charges as well as any additional fees (e.g., cleaning fees, booking fees, etc.)
      • Refund policy for both options
      • Consideration of location of rental property vs. hotel to where traveler will be working. Does the rental property location create more commuting expenses, including parking fees?
    • Safety Requirements – KU has a requirement to provide duty of care to all employees traveling regardless of how travel is paid
      • Verification that the alternative lodging selected includes standard safety equipment that would be present in hotel (e.g., smoke and carbon monoxide detectors) – safety equipment is typically listed on property rental posting
      • Public liability insurance.  Airbnb & VRBO have public liability insurance as a part of the hosting agreement. This is a requirement, if considering another option
      • Rental of entire property, not just a room.

• Send the cost analysis and proof of safety requirements and link to the property available to Katrina Yoakum (kyoakum@ku.edu) for approval using UKANS funds or Karen Schaller (kschaller@ku.edu) for approval using KURES funds for approval.  Submit a copy of the approval with the receipt for processing.

Commerce Bank is the commercial bank that issues the KU P-Card Visa card.  Cardholders are encouraged to access their P-Card accounts online at Commerce Bank’s Control Pay website (https://controlpayadvanced.com/).  If cardholders need their log in information, please email bpc@ku.edu.

Items purchased on the P-Card may be returned to the vendor. The credit amount can only be applied back to the P-Card account. Do not accept cash refunds, store gift cards, or store credit.

The Procurement Card is the property of the University. Goods and services purchased on the P-Card are for University of Kansas use only.

A new Procurement Card will automatically be sent to the cardholder around the same time as the expiration of the old card. Cardholders are notified when the new card arrives.  Do not call Commerce Bank or Visa regarding a new card.

If a P-Card account is not used for twelve consecutive months, the cardholder is contacted to see if the card is still needed.

• P-card accounts are closed in the following situations
• Cardholder is no longer employed by the university
• Transfers to another university department
• Job description changes and she or he no longer needs a P-Card
• Cardholder fails to submit receipts in accordance with p-card policy

The cardholder is to request the closure of their account with the P-Card Application and Temporary Changes TDX online request when they leave KU or change departments.  When the P-Card is cancelled, the card is cut in half and placed in the shred box to be destroyed.

P-Card holders may occasionally need to modify existing restrictions on the account. Temporary changes to the P-Card account can be made that will allow:

• An increase in the cycle limit for the current billing cycle
• Transaction over $3,000
• Card is declined
• Temporary suspension of the p-card

Only the cardholder is authorized to use the P-Card. The cardholder should keep the P-Card in a safe place to prevent it from being lost or stolen. Also, do not let anyone else use your card.

Only departmental cards may be checked out to other people in accordance with established procedures.

If the Procurement Card is lost or stolen, contact Payables, (bpc@ku.edu; 864-3790), as soon as it is discovered.

Cardholders may dispute a purchase made on the P-Card. A disputed charge could arise from a number of reasons, including those on the following list:

• Failure to receive goods
• Fraud
• Incorrect amounts
• Duplicate charges
• Other reasons  

If a vendor makes an error, contact the vendor as soon as possible. If the cardholder and vendor cannot reach an agreement, contact bpc@ku.edu.  Notification of the disputed charge must be received within 60 days of the last billing cycle.  

If a transaction is disputed, it is placed in suspense status until resolved.  All disputed transactions are charged to the departmental account and coded as 539990 (“suspense”) until resolution of the dispute occurs. When credits are received for a disputed charge, keep all documentation (receipts) explaining each item returned or exchanged. When a suspense item is resolved, it is coded 539980 and the correct account number is then entered as a separate line. If the department fails to resolve a disputed transaction in a timely manner, P-Card privileges will be cancelled.

The University of Kansas is exempt from paying Kansas sales tax and use tax in accordance with KSA 79-36-6(b). Information regarding exemption status is on the reverse side of the Business Procurement Card. To avoid inadvertent tax charges, remind the vendor of the tax-exempt status each time a purchase is made.  A copy of the University’s Kansas sales tax exemption can be obtained by contacting Payables.  The University also has sales tax exemption in Missouri.  Contact Payables for a copy of the Missouri exemption.

An itemized receipt document must be obtained from the vendor to support each transaction. These documents can be receipts, invoices, etc.  Credit Card (P-Card) statements are not considered receipts or invoices.  The document must include:

• A description of the items purchased
• Quantity purchased

• Unit cost

All itemized receipts must be provided with 5 days or upon return from travel to the cardholder’s reconciler.  These documents can be returned by mail, email, fax, or other appropriate method.

If the transaction amount on the Commerce Bank statement is different than the amount of the receipt, no action is required as long as the amount is under $5.00 per transaction. This includes sales tax and use tax charged when under $5.00.  If the difference is $5.00 or greater, the transaction must be disputed and resolved in a timely manner.

Certain transactions are automatically blocked based on the vendors’ merchant category code (MCC).  If a legitimate transaction is blocked, complete the P-Card Application and Temporary Changes TDX online request to P-Card to allow the transaction.

The p-card is open for international transactions.  No additional action is necessary.  If the card should be declined for an international transaction, please complete the P-Card Application and Temporary Changes TDX online request to P-Card to allow the transaction.

University departments are responsible for controlling spending and approval usage of the P-Card. These responsibilities include the following:

• Approvals
• Auditability
• Adjustments
• Recordkeeping
• Reporting
• Reconciliation
• Segregation of duties
• Supervision

In addition, departments are required to request closure of the account using the P-Card Application and Temporary Changes TDX online request to P-Card when a cardholder:

• Transfers to another department
• No longer has purchasing responsibilities
• Is no longer employed at the University

Payments may be made to other State of Kansas agencies for business expenses such as conference registration fees, permits and on-site parking, as long as they do not exceed $1,000 per transaction; however, p-card payments to KU departments are only allowed for conference registration fees.

If a transaction is 100% funding by KUCR, a KUCR p-card must be used.  For more information about KUCR p-cards, please visit http://research.ku.edu/procurement_business_credit_card_grant_purchases.