Procurement Card Procedure

The UCorp Procurement Card (PCard) Program is designed to provide a simplified method for end-users to procure small-dollar-amount purchases of authorized commodities and services through use of a specialized credt card. This method distributes procurement authority throughout UCorp. UCorp adheres closely to SF State's guidelines, which have established the minimum standards for use of the UCorp PCard to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. 

Obtaining a Procurement Card

Authorized Use of a Procurement Card

Monthly Procurement Card Reports

Party Responsibilities 

 

Obtaining a Procurement Card

New Procurement Card Requests

  1. Read, complete, and sign the UCorp Procurement Card Program Agreement and CFS Access Request form. The form must have signature from an Approving Official. The Approving Official my be the UCorp project director of the associated fund or, if the applicant is the UCorp project director, their dean or vice president. The completed form should be submitted to the UCorp main office in ADM 361.
  2. You will receive notification from the UCorp offices once your application is approved. Completion of the UCorp Procurement Card Training Program is required prior to issuance of the PCard. 
  3. Make an appointment with Anthony Victoria to retrieve your procurement card from the UCorp main offices in ADM 361. A photo ID card is required for release of the PCard.

Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Procurement Card

Lost or Stolen Cards

  1. Cardholder must immediately report lost or stolen card to US Bank by calling 1-800-344-5696.
  2. Cardholder must immediately notify Approving Official of lost or stolen card. 
  3. Cardholder or Approving Official must contact UCorp via phone, and follow up with an email.
  4. UCorp will contact US Bank to have a replacement card issued. Cardholder will be notified when replacement card is available to pick up from the UCorp main office in ADM 361. A photo ID will be required for teh release of the procurement card. 

Damaged or Defected Cards

  1. Approving Official must submit an email or written memo to UCorp requesting a replacement procurement card. The defective, damaged, or worn condition of the card must be stated as the reason for a replacement request in the memo. 
  2. UCorp will contact US Bank to have a replacement card issued. Cardholder will be notified when replacement card is available to pick up from the UCorp main office in ADM 361.
  3. Cardholder will need to return the damaged card in exchange for for the replacement card. A photo ID will be required for the release of the card. 

Closing a Procurement Card Account

  1. Cardholders who leave employment from SF State or UCorp, or leaves the department to which the UCorp procurement card is associated, must return their UCorp PCard to UCorp. The department may submit a new PCard request to have a PCard issued to a different, current employee.
  2. Cardholders may request to have a PCard account closed by returning the card to UCorp. If the card has been destroyed, the remnants of the PCard must be returned for account closure. 
  3. Upon receipt of the PCard, UCorp will deactivate the card account in the US Bank system. 

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Authorized Use of a Procurement Card

Shipping Requirements

Items purchased with the UCorp procurement card must be shipped/delivered to an SF State campus or UCorp business location. The Cardholder may request for a one-time exception, see "exceptions" for request instructions.

Authorized Purchases

All purchases made with the UCorp procurement card must be made in accordance with established UCorp and University policy and must be for expenses associated with official SF State or UCopr business only. 

Unauthorized Purchases

Purchase of any of the items listed below may result in the immediate revocation of individual Cardholder privileges, if UCorp PCard procedures are not followed. Cardholders shall be help personally responsible for any fraudulent or personal use of the UCorp procurement card. Any expenses determined to be of a personal nature must be reimbursed to UCorp by the Cardholder and may result in revocation of PCard privileges. 

Prohibited Transactions- items listed below cannot be purchased with the UCorp procurement card:

  • Animals 
  • Cash advances, money orders, wire transfers
  • Cell phones
  • Construction/ modifications/ special repairs
  • Entertainment (see "Restricted Purchases")
  • Explosives, firearms/ ammunition
  • Hazardous chemicals/ materials
  • Insurance
  • Lease rentals
  • Liquor
  • Narcotics and other controlled substances
  • Services performed on University premises
  • Splitting purchases to circumvent the transaction limit
  • Tuition and/or student fees for all colleges and universities- inclusive of entrance exam fees, placement test fees, GRE, graduation applications, etc.
  • Travel/ transportation (including hotels, motels, lodging)
  • Personal purchases and/ or purchases deemed to constitute a conflict of interest

Restricted Transactions- all restricted transactions require approval as stated prior to purchase: 

  • Entertainment: purchases such as tickets to theater, sporting, or musical events may be purchased under certain circumstances. This usually must involve a programmatic event, sponsored by SF State or UCorp. Prior approval from Approving Official and UCorp required. 
  • Medical Supplies (such as safety goggles, medical tools, blood plasma, etc.) may be charged for departmental or instructional use, provided written authorization signed by the dean is on file with UCorp prior to such purchases being made. The authorization is Cardholder-specific; only Cardholders listed by name in the authorization document may complete such purchases.
  • Prescription Medication may be charged by Student Health Services only and must be authorized in writing by the Director of Student Health Services on a per-transaction basis.  
  • Food and beverage items may only be purchased for instructional use (lab experiments, etc.) or for an even hosted by SF State or UCorp. For events hosted by SF State or UCorp, the Cardholder should contact UCorp in advance of purchase to obtain pre-authorization. The event should be prominently noted on the monthly expense report. Depending on the reason for the purchase, a Hospitality Request for Reimbursement form may be required along with the monthly expense report. 
  • Hospitality expenses, including gifts and give-away items for promotional purposed may only be purchased after approval is obtained by both the Approving Official and UCorp.  A Hospitality Request for Reimbursement form will be required along with the monthly expense report. 
  • Flowers and plants may be purchased for landscaping purposes, campus graduation ceremonies, and hospitality purposes such as sympathy gifts. Such transactions require submission of  a Hospitality Request for Reimbursement form along with the monthly expense report.  
  • Furniture or equipment costing over $1000 must be reported to UCorp. 
  • Internet and/ or telephone monthly charges for individual UCorp or SF State employees may be paid using the UCorp procurement card as long as a copy of the approved HE P230 (Telecommuting Program Agreement) accompanies the invoice and monthly expense report. 
  • Nursery stock may be purchased for campus landscaping only.
  • Service-related purchases, up to the UCorp Cardholder's assigned single transaction limit are allowed if the services are not performed on SF State premises (examples: vehicle repairs, equipment repaired at vendor's place of business, printing services, background checks, translation services, etc.). Services performed on SF State property require advance approval and proof of adequate insurance must be on file.
  • Vehicle and equipment maintenance for SF State or UCorp  vehicles and equipment. Vendors providing or performing services on SF State premises must have prior approval from UCorp and a valid certificate of insurance on file. Cardholder must obtain three quotes for repair costs exceeding $1,000. 
  • Vehicle fuel may only be purchased for the Questuary and/or Salty Dog boats at the Romberg Tiberon Center. 
  • Rentals are limited to equipment and other required incidentals. Car rentals, housing rentals, and office space rentals are prohibited. 

Exceptions

All requests for exception must be approved by UCorp prior to any purchase or transaction. Requests must be submitted in writing (email is acceptable) to Anthony Victoria, and must include a full explanation as to why the exception is necessary. The request for exception myst be signed by the Cardholder's Approving Official. UCorp management will consider, on a per-transaction basis, exceptions in the following categories: 

  • increase in monthly UCorp procurement card limit
  • increase in single transaction limit
  • exception for prohibited or restricted items
  • exception for shipping address

Procurement Card Revocation

Unauthorized or fraudulent use of the UCorp procurement card will result in revocation of card privileges. UCorp determines during the standard audit process whether prohibited transactions have been made, including but not limited to: transactions that have been split in order to circumvent the per-transaction limit; restricted or emergency transactions that were not properly justified and documented; multiple late submissions of the monthly statement/ document package; failure to produce original receipts for purchases; missing signatures on monthly US Bank statements or CFS reports. 

Suspension/Warning 

UCorp procurement card privileges may be suspended until the missing items are resolved and appropriately reviewed/approved by UCorp. UCorp procurement card privileges may also be suspended for an extended period for repetitive failure to meet these guidelines. 

If UCorp determines an issue to be minor or the issue is a first offense, both the Cardholder and Approving Official will be notified of the misuse and will receive warning that further misuse will result in the immediate revocation of UCorp PCard privileges. 

Revocation 

If UCorp determines the issue to be major or a sufficient number of late document submissions have occurred to warrant revocation, a recommendation may be made to revoke the UCorp procurement card and discussion of the violation(s) with UCorp management will take place. 

A "Revocation Notice" will be send to the Cardholder; a copy will also be sent to the Approving Official. UCorp will immediately suspend the UCorp PCard privileges with US Bank. UCorp will follow up for the return and subsequent destruction of the inactive UCorp PCard. 

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Monthly Procurement Card Reports

Receipt Requirements

Original Itemized Receipts 

Original, itemized receipts are required for all transactions. If the receipt is not itemized, the Cardholder is responsible for writing in the items purchased on the receipt or invoice, and obtaining confirmation signature or initials from the seller. An original itemized receipt/invoice consists of:
 
  • Description of goods purchased
  • Date of purchase
  • Quantity of goods purchased
  • Price per item
  • Separation of sales tax amount and total purchase amount
  • Shipping charges, if applicable

The following are not accepted in lieu of an original receipt or invoice:

  • Packing slips that are not itemized with per-item cost and total cost
  • Credit card slips (unless the individual items are listed on the slips)

Please tape small receipts to an 8-1/2” X 11” sheet of paper to ensure that they are not lost in transit.

Lost Receipts

If an original receipt or invoice is lost, copies will only be accepted if they are accompanied by a written explanation, signed by the Cardholder and Approving Official; explanation must certify that the document submitted “is a true and correct copy of the original receipt, and no further reimbursement will be sought for this purchased item/transaction.”                                                                                                                                                                                      

If the original receipt has been lost and a duplicate cannot be obtained from the vendor, Cardholder must attach a written explanation to the monthly report; explanation must be signed by the Cardholder and Approving Official.

Internet Purchases

Purchases made via the internet may be documented by printing a copy of the order confirmation (or similar acknowledgement) and invoice.  The Cardholder must provide the following written certification that the document is the original receipt/order confirmation and invoice provided by the vendor:
 
“I certify that this electronic receipt is the original receipt issued to me by the vendor.  I further certify that I have not submitted, nor will submit in the future, a duplicate of this receipt for payment or reimbursement.”
Signature of Cardholder: _________________________________
 
The Cardholder may submit one completed “Certification of Non-original/Electronic Receipts” for multiple non-original/electronic receipts along with the monthly PCard expense report.

Subscriptions or Conference Registrations

Subscriptions and conference registrations may be documented by providing a copy of the receipt or the appropriate order form(s), in lieu of an actual original itemized receipt. If transaction was completed via internet, a “Certification of Non-original/Electronic Receipts” is required. 
 
A signed and completed Authorization to Travel Request form must be submitted with conference registration receipts.  

Settlement Procedures 

Cardholder must reconcile US Bank Statement and CFS Reports.

  1. US Bank Statements: 
    Cardholder will have access to US Bank’s system for dispute purposes and for access to print the monthly billing statement. Initial instructions to self-register with US Bank, allowing access to their website and monthly statements, will be shared with the Cardholder via the introduction email when they first establish their UCorp PCard account. Subsequent to this, the monthly US Bank statement will be available to download and print at: https://access.usbank.com/cpsApp1/index.jsp 
  2. CFSReport:
    The CFS report may be accessed from the Main Menu after logging in to CFS: CSU Procard > Use & Inquiry > Procard Adjustments. To access your UCorp PCardreport, the Business Unit must be SFFDN (not SFCMP).
At the close of each monthly cycle a US Bank file with UCorp PCard charges will be uploaded to CFS. UCorp Cardholders must review and confirm with original itemized receipts all of the billing cycle transactions. The Cardholder must also calculate appropriate use tax when applicable.
 
All transactions will automatically be charged to Cardholder’s default chartfield string. If Cardholder or Approving Official determines a different chartfield string should be used for one or more transactions, the Cardholder must make the change in the CFS PCard Module and sign the printed CFS report. 
 

The CFS report must be printed by the 5th working day following the close of the billing cycle upon notification.  Once the transactions have been loaded to CFS, you will no longer be able to edit your chartfield information.

Cardholder must print and sign the CFS report for inclusion in the final monthly submission to UCorp.

Monthly Common Financial System Report and Bank Statement Submissions

After Cardholder has reviewed and reconciled all transactions, entered use tax where applicable, assigned alternate chartfield values as needed, and disputed items if warranted, they will compile the original documents in the following order for final submission to the UCorp office:
  1. US Bank statement from US Bank online application
  2. PCard statement from CFS
  3. Detailed, original itemized receipts and invoices organized in the same order that they appear on the US Bank statement
  4. All other required documentation
Cardholder or associated Project must retain a copy of all documents and support submitted to UCorp. Cardholder and Approving Official must sign both the CFS report and US Bank statement prior to submission. 
 
The CFS report, US Bank statement, and associated documentation must be submitted to the UCorp office by the 10th of the following month (example: billing cycle closes July 20th, monthly report must be submitted by August 10th).
 

Party Responsibilities

Cardholder Responsibilities

Compliance with Policy

Cardholder is responsible for ensuring that the UCorp PCard is used in accordance with the UCorp Procurement Card Program Policy and that all purchases comply with applicable SFSU and CSU procurement and contracting procedures and policies. Furthermore, completion of the UCorp PCard training is required prior to receiving the UCorp PCard. (If prior training has been received when obtaining a state-side PCard, this requirement will be deemed fulfilled).

Security

Cardholder is responsible for the security of the UCorp PCard, including the account number and expiration date.  The Cardholder is prohibited from allowing another person to use the UCorp PCard or card information. Cardholder must immediately report a lost or stolen PCard to US Bank and fulfill all bank’s rules and instructions provided at that time. Cardholder must immediately report fraudulent or suspected fraudulent charges to the bank and follow all bank’s rules and instructions provided at that time, to clear said charges.

Per transaction Limit

Cardholder must make no purchases which exceed the Cardholder’s per-transaction limit.  The limit includes tax and shipping.  Any request for a temporary increase in the per-transaction limit must be approved prior to purchase or transaction (see Exceptions).  

Determine Need 

Cardholder determines the need to purchase goods and screens department requests to ensure that the request is an appropriate use of the UCorp PCard.

Monthly Reporting

Cardholder is responsible for accessing the US Bank system to print the monthly bank statements, and for dispute transactions if necessary; and accessing the CFS PCard Module to reconcile with the US Bank Statement and change chartfield information when necessary. Cardholder is responsible for keeping all original receipts from time of purchase until submitted with the monthly reports.

Approving Official Responsibilities

The Approving Official is responsible for reading, understanding and complying with all of the procedures set forth above; and reviewing and approving all of the Cardholder’s transactions. Questions regarding procedures should be directed to UCorp.  

Reconcile Transactions

  • Compare US Bank statement and CFS report received from the Cardholder, verifying  the chartfield values to be charged for each transaction on-line in CFS
  • Review and approve charges to ensure purchases are appropriate and that any restricted or emergency items are appropriately documented
  • Review monthly CFS report and US Bank statement packet, ensuring all receipts and invoices are included
  • If any personal or unauthorized charges are present, inform the Cardholder that the charge(s) are his/her personal responsibility and that a check must be written payable to UCorp for reimbursement
  • Sign and date the CFS report, where indicated; also sign and date the US Bank statement
  • Ensure report, statement and supporting documents are forwarded, accordingly, to the UCorp

Misuse of Procurement Card

If transactions that are listed above under “Prohibited Transactions” appear on the Cardholder’s monthly statement, Approving Official should:
  • Advise Cardholder that misuse has been recognized
  • Inform Cardholder that they are personally liable for the transaction(s)
  • Request Cardholder to make payment immediately (via check to UCorp), no later than 10 working days
  • Inform Cardholder that if reimbursement is not made within prescribed time frame, card privileges will be revoked by UCorp
  • Advise UCorp of any PCard misuse

UCorp Administrative Responsibilities

  • Responsible for overall administration and coordination of UCorp PCardprogram
  • Process requests, establish new Cardholders,  and obtain new and replacement UCorp PCards, as appropriate
  • Distributes UCorp PCard to Cardholder upon successful completion of required training; pProvides required mandatory training
  • Transmits bank file of monthly transactions to Fiscal Affairs Business Systems for download to CFS; Informs Cardholders when charges are available for review
  • Informs Fiscal Affairs Business Systems to download voucher to UCorp’s Accounts Payable; Assures timely payment to US Bank
  • Informs Cardholders when CFS; report is available for download and printing; Request submission of signed report, US Bank statement and supporting  receipts and documentation
  • Audits Cardholders’ monthly transactions
  • Notifies Cardholder and their Approving Official of misuse and other infractions of procedure and/or policy
  • Revoke or suspend PCard privileges, when deemed appropriate
  • Receives returned cards when Cardholder leaves University and/or UCorp employment,  transfers from existing department, or replaces worn or damaged PCard

 

This page was last updated on September 17, 2019.