Cardholder Procedures & Guidelines for Use

1. Each cardholder is responsible and accountable for their own Purchasing Card.

2. A transaction limit and a monthly credit limit have been established for each card. Purchases must be within these established limits or the purchase will be rejected by the vendor.

3. Purchasing card transactions should not be split to divide a larger purchase which is over the cardholder's single purchase limit.

4. The cardholder shall retain their monthly summary statement showing all purchases made and retain a copy of the charge slip, sales receipt, packing slip or any other information related to the purchase for seven (7) years.

5. Use the Purchasing Card only for purchasing items in accordance with the College Purchasing Policies and Procedures.

5.1 The card is to be used for college purchases ONLY.

1. Card used for PERSONAL purchases is strictly prohibited.
2. NO cash advances (except for international travel.)
3. Capital acquisitions are prohibited via the purchasing card.

5.2 Failure to comply with these policies and procedures may result in revocation of use privileges or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

5.3 All questions regarding the appropriate use of the card should be addressed to the Program Administrator.

6. Cardholders will utilize the "checklist" below when making a purchase. It is the responsibility of all who have been given the authority to commit College funds through the purchasing card to adhere to the College's purchasing policies.

6.1 Check whether the item to be purchased is on the prohibited or limited list provided with these procedures.

6.2 Where the college has negotiated discounts, there will be prohibited vendors unless the cardholder can demonstrate sufficient reason to have made an exception.

6.3 Order Placement

1. The cardholder will contact a vendor from the College's preferred vendor list, via phone, FAX or in person, and provide the following information:
   1. Name, PNC Bank Purchasing Card Number, and the Card Expiration Date.
   2. A complete description of the item including stock/catalog numbers where applicable.
   3. Inform the vendor that the college is TAX-EXEMPT. Messiah College's PA Tax-Exempt number is 75-07482-3. If the vendor requires a Tax-Exempt form, you will need to contact the Purchasing Department. Please provide the complete name and address of the vendor for mailing purposes.
   4. Ship-To-Location, if different from the cardholder's mailing address.
   5. Ask vendor to include the word "VISA" on all mailing and purchasing information.
   6. After the order is placed, the cardholder must ask for the order/reference number.
2. If ordering by FAX, the cardholder must still specify on the fax transmittal the above information with the EXCEPTION of the Purchasing Card Number. The cardholder must request the supplier to call to obtain the card number upon receipt of the fax transmittal. Under NO circumstances should a card number be written on a FAX order.

7. Cardholder will then directly receive the item and a sales receipt or packing slip.

7.1 All documentation including the sales receipt and/or packing slip must be kept for seven (7) years.

8. Recordkeeping: At the end of each month, the cardholder will receive a memo statement of the month's purchases. This is to be filed with the cardholders receipts.

8.1 The memo statement is for a period from the 26th of the month through the 25th of the month. Some purchases made near the 25th may actually be on the following month’s memo statement.

8.2 This memo statement is not an invoice for the cardholder to pay. PNC Bank is paid through a direct transaction from our account.

8.3 The cardholder shall check each transaction listed against their receipts and any shipping documents to verify the monthly statement.

8.4 It is important to remember that each cardholder is responsible for the validity of the purchases.

9. Returns, Credits, and Disputed Items.

9.1 Returns: If the purchased item needs to be returned for any reason, returns should be processed, indicating the reason for the return, on a standard shipping order.

9.2 Credits: The vendor should issue a credit for any item that has been returned. The credit will appear on a subsequent PNC Bank Purchasing Card memo statement.

9.3 Disputed Items: If there are any discrepancies, the cardholder should first contact the vendor to resolve the problem. If problems cannot be resolved, the cardholder should contact the Program Administrator and complete a Dispute form.

10. Purchasing Card Security

10.1 Card security should be treated with the same level of care as a personal charge card.

1. Keep the card in view after you give it to a clerk. Get it back promptly after they have imprinted it.
2. Destroy all carbons and voided receipts (when a mistake was made). If the clerk has to keep a voided receipt for the store's accounting system, be sure to get a copy.
3. Do not give your card number over the phone unless you are dealing with a company you are sure is legitimate.

10.2 Storage of the card should be in a secure location, accessible to only the cardholder.

10.3 The card account number should be secured and not posted at a desk or any other location.

10.4 When faxing orders, the card number should never be written on the fax transmittal. The cardholder must request that the supplier call to obtain the card number and confirmation.

10.5 Use of the card by anyone other than the person whose name appears on the card is prohibited.

1. The card should not be given to anyone. If the cardholder is going to be absent for an extended period of time, the Account Director may request that a new card be issued to a different person for the duration of the absence. The Account Director must direct the request to the Program Administrator.
2. The cardholder, whose name appears on the card, may make purchases for any employee within the cost center, if approved by the Account Director.

10.6 If the card is lost or stolen, the cardholder must IMMEDIATELY notify the Program Administrator AND PNC Bank at 1-800-685-4039.

11. AUDITING Procedures

11.1 The cardholder should review their statement activity on the web-based accounting system to ensure that all transactions were initiated and that the merchandise was received and or a service was performed.

11.2 It is the responsibility of each cardholder to ensure that any credits due from vendors were received. (Note: a credit may not appear immediately on the statement; it may appear on the next statement that is received.)

11.3 The Program Administrator should be notified IMMEDIATELY if there are any exceptions or discrepancies.

11.4 For questions regarding the usage of the web-based accounting system, please see the attached manual. Any further questions on the web-based system should be referred to the Treasury Officer.

12. Cancellation other than by the Account Director

12.1 In cases of misuse or repeated abuse of the privileges and procedures of the purchase card program, the Program Administrator or the Treasury Officer has the authority to cancel the card.