Procard Policy & Procedure Manual

• Procedure Statement
• To Whom this Procedure Applies
• Responsibility
• Procurement Card Benefits
• Procard Issuance and Visa Spend Clarity Access
• Safeguarding ProCards & Account Information
• Limitations and Restrictions
• Accounting Information
• ProCard Usage Guidelines
• Documentation Requirements
• Monthly Reconciliation, Documentation, Submission & Approval
• Policy Enforcement

1. PROCEDURE STATEMENT    

The purpose of this statement is to describe the application process, usage guidelines, and reconciliation and approval processes for Loyola University Chicago’s Procurement Card (ProCard) Program.

This document promotes the proper stewardship and general guidelines for University ProCard usage as it pertains to the appropriate and legal uses of LUC funds. The University receives, from a variety of sources, funds that carry with them certain fiduciary responsibilities. Inherent in these responsibilities is the requirement to operate the institution under guidance set forth by the Board of Trustees, to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and to comply with all federal, state, and local rules and regulations, while supporting the University’s mission.

The ProCard Program is designed to provide an efficient way to procure business related goods and services and to directly pay for travel and business related expenses. Full time faculty or staff purchasing small dollar goods or traveling on Loyola University business are expected to be the primary users of the ProCard. Under this program, cardholders can charge qualified purchases and expenses directly to the ProCard, rather than paying out of their own pocket. Furthermore, a cardholder’s personal credit is not affected, even though ProCards are issued in an employee’s name. Instead, all ProCard transactions are billed centrally to the University and paid directly to the card-sponsoring bank.

Important Note: This ProCard program is not intended to circumvent any established LUC Finance or Purchasing departmental policies or procedures. Purchasing done on the ProCard must be within the limits as described by existing University policies and procedures (see References – Appendix D).

2. TO WHOM THIS PROCEDURE APPLIES    

• Procurement Card Administration (PCA)
• Treasury and Cash Management (PCI)
• Individuals issued a ProCard
• Cardholders traveling on LUC business, regardless of the source of funds
• Cardholders who make LUC travel and business related arrangements for themselves and/or for others
• Individuals with supervisory responsibilities for LUC budgets
• Individuals who initiate, review, approve, process, or record financial transactions on behalf of the University

3. RESPONSIBILITY    

The President, Senior Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, Deans and Directors are responsible for assuring that within their administrative units or colleges/schools:

• Budgeted funds are available to meet all travel and business related commitments
• Proper authorization for travel is obtained before any commitments are made
• All ProCard expenditures are supported by detailed/itemized receipts or documentation
• All expenditures are in accordance with appropriate LUC policies, regardless of the source of funds
• There is adherence to the added conditions placed on expenditures paid from federal and/or state funds or from restricted gifts

Note: Contingency, grant, gift, start-up and funds from research stimulation are University funds, and are subject to the restrictions outlined in this document.   Caution: Colleges/schools, individual departments, or sponsoring programs may have more restrictive policies and procedures regarding travel and business expenses, but in no case will any unit be less restrictive than what is described in this procedure.

3.1 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Participation in the ProCard program is a convenience that carries many responsibilities. All University policies and procedures related to the procurement of goods and services, travel and other business related expenses, including the accounting for such expenses, must be followed. Furthermore, ProCards are University property, even though issued to an individual, and may never be used to make personal purchases. Non-compliance with University policies and procedures or blatant misuse of the ProCard will result in suspension of ProCard privileges and, in some cases, may result in disciplinary action including termination.

3.2 CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES

Cardholders must: 

• Be a full-time faculty or staff member
• Follow all PCI related policies and procedures
• View mandatory online training modules as required by Procurement Card Administration
• Sign the Procurement Card Employee/Cardholder Agreement at the conclusion of training
• Follow all University and departmental policies and procedures
• Ensure that Illinois State Sales Tax is not applied to their ProCard purchases
• Be the sole individual to charge/authorize expenses on their ProCard
• Immediately report a lost or stolen ProCard
• Monitor all communications that are provided by Procurement Card Administration

3.3 SUPERVISOR AND APPROVER RESPONSIBILITIES

To provide oversight, ProCard approvers cannot be a subordinate of the cardholder or the beneficiary of the transactions being approved. The ProCard approver must review all ProCard transactions and confirm that all purchases and expenses:

• Have a valid and detailed business justification provided in VISA Spend Clarity.
• Are in compliance with all applicable University policies and funding agency regulations.
• Review and approve new ProCard applications and employee maintenance forms
• Establish and communicate any necessary departmental guidelines or procedures
• Notify the PCA of any cardholder terminations or transfers (within University departments)
• Monitor all communications that are provided by Procurement Card Administration

4. PROCUREMENT CARD BENEFITS    

The goal of the Procurement Card Program is to streamline the procurement process while improving the flexibility and speed with which goods and services are received. With the approval of the manager, the ProCard is intended for any full-time faculty or staff member authorized to make University purchases. With a few exceptions, the card should be used whenever possible to make University purchases and to pay for University-related travel and business related expenses.

4.1 OVERALL ADVANTAGES

• No waiting for reimbursements or payments
• The ProCard can be used anywhere that accepts VISA, providing flexibility to the user
• Quicker delivery of goods and services
• Entire system is online, providing for electronic review and approval
• One central location and dedicated staff members for questions

4.2 ADVANTAGES TO THE CARDHOLDER

• No need to advance money out of pocket for purchases
• Purchases can be made quickly, even outside of normal business hours
• Paperwork is completed after the purchase and does not hold up the order process
• Verification and reconciliation of transactions can be done via VISA Spend Clarity, on or off-campus
• Travel and business related reporting process is easier

4.3 ADVANTAGES TO THE APPROVER

• Reduced need for check and purchase requisitions
• More flexibility in managing your budgets
• Can set monthly credit limits for cardholders
• Less paperwork at the start of the purchasing process
• Electronic approval and oversight
• Posting of transactions to VISA Spend Clarity is usually done within 2 business days

4.4 ADVANTAGES TO THE UNIVERSITY

• Overall reduction in paperwork, especially for small dollar transactions
• Uniform training for all ProCard holders
• Electronic system from start to finish
• Payment processing time reduced 

5. PROCARD ISSUANCE AND VISA SPEND CLARITY ACCESS   

5.1 NEW PROCARD REQUEST

ProCards will only be issued to full-time Loyola University Chicago faculty or staff who have a consistent and genuine spending need and who obtain approval from a direct supervisor and/or upper management. ProCards will not be issued to part-time employees, on a temporary basis or for one-time spending needs.

To request a new ProCard, individuals and their supervisors must complete the ProCard Application form and must provide a justification and description of anticipated spending needs. Applications can be sent to the PCA via email to ProCard-Admin@luc.edu for evaluation, approval and issuance. Once the PCA has approved and processed the ProCard application, the cardholder will be asked to review online training modules and sign the Procurement Card Cardholder Agreement to receive their card. Before being used, all ProCards must be activated by calling the toll-free number printed on the card. For verification purposes, the cardholder will be asked to provide an Activation Code, which is the last four digits of his/her social security number.

ProCards will be issued in the employee’s name, however personal credit history will not be checked, nor will use of the ProCard affect the employee’s personal credit history. Loyola University Chicago is responsible for payment of all ProCard transactions. New ProCards take a minimum of 10 business days from when the application is received to be processed.

5.2 EXPIRED CARDS

PNC Bank will automatically renew and issue cards upon expiration.  These cards will be sent to the PCA who will facilitate distribution. Reissuance of cards scheduled to expire will occur one (1) month prior to the stated expiration date.

5.3 NAME CHANGES

Requests to receive a new card in order to reflect a name change (e.g., surname changes due to marriage) should be e-mailed to the PCA e-mail box at ProCard-Admin@luc.edu. Changing a name on a ProCard will not require a new 16-digit credit card number.

5.4 NEW PLASTIC

Anytime a card is damaged, cardholders should request that new plastic be issued.  These requests can be e-mailed to the ProCard Administration e-mail box at ProCard-Admin@luc.edu.  The issuance of new plastic will not require a new 16-digit credit card number.

5.5 VISA SPEND CLARITY ACCESS

All cardholders and their supervisors and managers will be given access to their ProCard transactions online at VISA Spend Clarity https://enterprise.spendclarity.visa.com/

5.6 PASSWORD RESETS

To reset your password, Go to https://enterprise.spendclarity.visa.com.

• Click the "Forgotten your password?" link.
• Enter your Username and Email (they are the same).
• Hit Submit and watch your email for further instructions.
• From the emailed instructions, click the link to reset your password.
• Please note that the link is time-sensitive and will expire within 1 hour of the email being sent.
• After you have reset your password, you will be prompted to re-sign in with the new password and a two-factor authentication code. The code will be sent to your email.

6. SAFEGUARDING PROCARDS & ACCOUNT INFORMATION    

Cardholders are primarily responsible for safeguarding the ProCard and must do their part to mitigate the risk of ProCard exposure. The following guidelines have been established by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) and other related University policies:

6.1 PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS, MAKING PAYMENTS OR PLACING ORDERS

It is a violation of the ProCard policy to share the physical card and/or card number with anyone (e.g., supervisors, co-workers, family members, friends, etc.). Transactions made with a ProCard should ONLY be processed by the person to whom the card was issued. Moreover, ProCards cannot be transferred from one employee to another (when someone leaves the University, changes departments or no longer requires a ProCard), as they are issued to an individual and not to a department (see 5.1. NEW PROCARD REQUEST).

6.2 E-MAIL AND INTERNET SECURITY

Because e-mail is not a secure method of communication, cardholders should NEVER e-mail their full 16-digit ProCard account number to anyone (including both external merchants and internal Loyola ProCard Administrators, supervisors or approvers). When completing online ordering at merchant websites, cardholders must always verify that the website address begins with “https”. The “s” indicates that the website is secured and encrypted. If the website address begins with only “http”, it is NOT secured and encrypted and using it can compromise your ProCard account number.

6.3 STORAGE OF PROCARD ACCOUNT INFORMATION

When storing ProCard statements and documentation, cardholders must ensure that full 16-digit credit card numbers are not listed on ProCard receipts, invoices or registration/order forms.  When full 16-digit account numbers are displayed, cardholders must redact account numbers so that only the last four digits are visible.  Furthermore, cardholders should never photocopy the front and/or back of a ProCard or store ProCard expiration dates or 3-digit CVC/CVV codes.  Moreover, ProCard account information (full 16-digit account numbers, expiration dates, 3-digit CVC/CVV codes) may NOT be stored electronically on a University computer, server, electronic flash drive or optical storage device (e.g., CD or DVD). Instead, ProCard documentation should be marked confidential and stored in a secure place, behind a dual level of security (in a locked drawer/file cabinet, in a safe bolted to the floor, in a locked office, or behind a badge secured area).  The destruction of any historical ProCard documentation that contains credit card information must be destroyed by a cross-cut shredder.  ProCard documentation (electronic or hard copy form) should be retained for one fiscal year, after which it can be destroyed per the method listed above.  

6.4 LOST, STOLEN OR COMPROMISED PROCARDS

To prevent University (i.e., the cardholder’s department) liability for fraudulent transactions, it is extremely important to act promptly in the event a ProCard is lost, stolen or compromised.  PNC Bank should be notified immediately at 800-685-4039; an email should also be sent to the PCA at ProCard-Admin@luc.edu. Once reported, PNC Bank will automatically issue a new 16-digit ProCard account number and will send a new ProCard to Loyola’s PCA.  After reporting the lost, stolen or compromised card to PNC Bank, cardholders should complete a Transaction Dispute Form and submit it to PNC within 60 calendar days for any fraudulent charges that post to the cardholder account. It is the cardholder's responsibility to resolve all fraud issues.   

6.5 SECURING PROCARDS DURING EXTENDED LEAVE (Temporary Hold)

It is our practice to put a temporary security hold on cardholder’s ProCard during an extended leave of absence, based on their HR status. Whenever possible, the cardholder, budget administrator or card approver should notify ProCard Administration in advance with the date the leave will begin so that a temporary security hold can be placed on the cardholder’s ProCard during their time away from the University. The temporary hold is necessary to ensure ProCard security while the cardholder is away and not actively monitoring or maintaining their ProCard account.

The cardholder and/or their card approver must make arrangements with other ProCard users in the department or division to cover any expenses or transactions while the cardholder is away on leave (for example, if there is a recurring monthly charge). Once the cardholder has returned to work at the University, the cardholder or budget administrator should notify ProCard Administration, who will instruct PNC to remove the temporary hold from their card account.

7. LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS    

7.1 MONTHLY CREDIT LIMITS, SINGLE TRANSACTION LIMITS AND DAILY TRANSACTIONS

ProCard monthly credit and spend limits are determined during the application process by the cardholder’s supervisor, department head and/or approvers and are approved by the PCA.  All applications will be subject to certain limit defaults:

• Monthly credit limits will be limited to one of the following:  $2,500; $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000
• Single day transactions will be limited to 20 per day
• A single transaction will be limited to $5,000

Any single transaction over $5,000 must be approved in advance by PCA.  In addition, any transactions processed as an exception to the above limit must be reviewed and approved by two different individuals (i.e., Cardholder and ProCard approver), meeting the university's dual-signature policy for large dollar value transactions.  Please note: requests may be denied and alternate payment methods recommended by the PCA.   Splitting or dividing a payment into several smaller transactions to bypass the single transaction limit on the ProCard is NOT allowed.  The full amount of a transaction must be charged at one time.  For example, having a vendor charge three separate transaction of $3000 to payment of a $9000 invoice is not allowed.   

Important Note: Certain Travel and Conference Registration expenses are allowable based on the vendor’s billing method. In addition to an overall monthly credit limit, ProCards can also be set-up with limit restrictions to the ‘Travel and Entertainment (T&E)’ type purchases and ‘General Procurement (GP)’ type purchases groups.  A card can have an overall monthly credit limit that is broken down based on a cardholder’s spending needs (e.g., Monthly Credit Limit- $2500: T&E - $1000, OP - $1500).

7.2 REQUEST FOR LIMIT INCREASE

Requests to temporarily or permanently increase a ProCards monthly limit, or to remove/change any other restrictions, must come from a cardholder’s supervisor, department head and/or ProCard approver. These requests must be justified and done in writing, via the ProCard Credit Limit Increase form.  Final approval for a limit increase, or for changes to the restrictions placed on a card, will be determined by PCA.

7.3 AVAILABLE BALANCE INQUIRIES

A ProCard user may view their available balance in Visa Spend Clarity. However, transactions may take up to 2 business days to appear in Visa Spend Clarity, so cardholders should carefully monitor their spend if they are approaching their daily or monthly limits. Cardholders may also contact PNC Bank directly to inquire about their current available balance.

7.4 BLOCKED MERCHANT CATEGORY CODES

Every merchant that accepts a Visa card is assigned a four digit Merchant Category Code (MCC) that is used to classify the business by the type of goods or services it provides.  Any MCCs that are not considered to be within the normal course of University business have been blocked on all ProCards (e.g., furniture, casinos, bars/pubs, liquor stores, ATMs etc.).  Any attempts to process transactions at vendors with restricted MCCs will be declined.  If a purchase with a legitimate business purpose has been refused due to a blocked MCC, the cardholder should contact the PCA to determine if the restriction can be lifted temporarily. 

7.5 EMERGENCY / HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE for STUDENTS

According to federal regulations, assistance provided to students (including hardship or emergency assistance) must be coordinated through the Financial Aid Office. 

Such assistance, including purchases of food or other non-monetary items, must be acknowledged by the Financial Aid Office prior to being purchased via the ProCard. Student Hardship or Student Emergency purchases must still adhere to all other ProCard Policies and Procedures.

ProCard documentation requires the following:

• Reference these transactions as “student hardship” or “student emergency”
• Note the student’s LID in the detailed transaction notes
• Include Financial Aid’s approval / acknowledgment email in the supporting documentation

When submitting this documentation for ProCard purposes, please ensure that all PII, such as the student’s name, is redacted. 

8. ACCOUNTING INFORMATION    

When reconciling expenses, cardholders should only select accounting units for which they have been given approval to assign purchases to.

Important Note: Accounting units listed in VISA Spend Clarity are added manually and do not automatically reflect changes made in Lawson. Requests to add an accounting unit that is not in VISA Spend Clarity should be e-mailed to ProCard-Admin@luc.edu.

8.1 DEFAULT 6-DIGIT ACCOUNTING UNIT

All ProCards will be setup with a default accounting unit, as indicated on the ProCard application.  Anytime a transaction posts to VISA Spend Clarity, it will automatically be assigned this accounting unit.  If necessary, the cardholder, delegate or business manager can assign a transaction to a different accounting unit in VISA Spend Clarity before it is downloaded.   

Requests to permanently change a cardholder’s default accounting unit can be e-mailed to ProCard-Admin@luc.edu. Likewise, the PCA should be informed anytime a default accounting unit has been deactivated.  Any transactions assigned to an inactive accounting unit at the time of download will be assigned to the department’s general budget accounting unit.  

Important Note: Cardholders who have been given the authority to assign transactions to grants (5 and 2-series accounting units) must ensure that the expenses do not include charges for alcoholic beverages.  See rules for “federally allowable costs” and “federally unallowable costs” as defined in OMB Circular A-21 and by the University’s Sponsored Program Accounting (SPA) department.

8.2 REDIRECTING EXPENSES BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS

If a cardholder needs to redirect a ProCard transaction to another department, the manager from the department of the accounting unit to be charged must e-mail the PCA indicating which accounting unit and account to charge.  The PCA can only redirect charges before they are downloaded to the general ledger.  Once downloaded, a  ProCard Expense Transfer Request Form must be completed and emailed to the Procurement Card department. Transfer requests must be submitted within 60 days of the transaction posting date in order to be processed.

8.3 DEFAULT 4-DIGIT ACCOUNT

In addition to an accounting unit, each ProCard transaction will also default to a 4-digit account based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) assigned to the vendor (e.g., hotel charges will default to 6310-Professional Development, Meetings or Conferences). The cardholder, delegate or business manager should select the appropriate 4-digit account from the drop down of accounts listed in VISA Spend Clarity. It is the department’s responsibility to ensure that transactions are expensed to the proper 4-digit account.  

Important Note: According to OMB Circular A-21, “costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any costs directly associated with such costs (such as tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) are unallowable” on grants (5-series accounting units). Entertainment costs must be covered by other funding sources. Costs for Food Service/Catering (6321) or Professional Development, Meetings (6310), that are allowable on grants, should be coded accordingly in VISA Spend Clarity.

9. PROCARD USAGE GUIDELINES   

The ProCard may be used at any merchant that accepts Visa, except for those merchants assigned to MCCs restricted by the University.  The ProCard may be used for in-store purchases as well as online, phone and mail orders (cardholders must take precaution to ensure that all methods are secured).

9.1 PURCHASING GOODS AND SERVICES

Cardholders are responsible for ensuring receipt of the materials purchased and for following-up with vendors to resolve any issues related to pricing, delivery discrepancies, damaged goods or application of sales tax.  If, for any reason, it is necessary to return goods that have been purchased, the cardholder should contact the supplier and follow the directions provided for return of the merchandise.  All efforts must be made to use the University’s Preferred Vendors and Suppliers. Cardholders that do not use these prequalified suppliers either due to emergency situations or sourcing issues should note that any transactions involving other suppliers such as Amazon, Costco, Wal-Mart, etc. will be automatically audited each month.   When attempting to procure goods or services for the University, cardholders must: 

• Determine if the ProCard is the appropriate method for acquiring the goods or services needed
• Determine if the University uses a preferred vendor for the goods or services that are to be acquired
• Ensure that the vendor does not include sales tax in the price of the purchase, as the University is exempt from Illinois State Sales Tax (Important Note: Some vendors will request a copy of Loyola’s Illinois State Sales Tax Exemption Letter, in addition to the Tax ID number embossed on the ProCard.)
• Ensure that complete shipping instructions are given to the vendor, especially when the business/billing address of the ProCard does not match the cardholder’s mailing address
• Obtain supporting documentation (i.e., itemized receipts, invoices, confirmation documentation, etc.) from the vendor for ALL purchases

9.2 TRAVEL AND BUSINESS RELATED EXPENSES

All ProCard transactions are subject to the rules defined in the University’s Travel and Business Expense Policy.  Cardholders should also be aware of their department’s and/or sponsor’s travel policies, as they may be more restrictive than the University’s.  In addition, appropriate departmental approval for travel should be obtained before arrangements are made.  

All faculty and staff at Loyola University Chicago are highly encouraged to use Egencia to book University travel due to the enhanced benefits, customer support, and overall travel assistance provided.  Egencia is wholly owned by American Express Global Business Travel and provides both an online booking tool as well as agent-assisted support for more complex itineraries. Please visit the Travel Resources page for more information.

The following rules or regulations apply to ProCard usage as it relates to travel and business expenses: 

• The ProCard may be used for business travel, business meals (within per diem limits) and other business related expenses
• Cardholders must arrange for the most economical means of travel.  Additionally, Business Class reservations are allowable for international travel exceeding 8 hours on a direct flight and must be approved in advance in writing by the traveler's Senior Vice President.
• The ProCard may not be used to obtain cash advances, to pay for personal expenditures incurred while traveling or to pay for travel expenses incurred by anyone not conducting University business
• Supporting documentation must be provided and maintained for all transactions $25 and greater
• When lodging is required, cardholders may use the ProCard for personal meals at a per diem allowance as determined by the U.S. General Services Administration CONUS (Continental United States) rate for the location and time the event occurred. Please refer to the Finance page for the Per diem.
• The ProCard may not be used for gasoline for personal vehicles. Instead, a mileage reimbursement must be requested via Expense Reimbursement Form.  The ProCard may be used to pay for gasoline for rental vehicles.

Important Note: Cardholders may use their ProCards to pay for LUC business related travel arrangements for other employees within their department, students and University guests rather than requiring these individuals to pay out-of-pocket and be reimbursed after the fact.  However, these charges must be authorized and processed by the cardholder and the appropriate documentation to support any charges must be collected.

9.3 PREFERRED VENDORS AND SUPPLIERS

When choosing a vendor, cardholders should select those listed on the University’s Preferred Vendors and Suppliers List whenever possible. Vendors are selected based upon a variety of parameters (i.e., quality, special discounts or rebates). Using these vendors allows for the leveraging of purchases in order to maximize value to the University (e.g., preferred quality and pricing, enhanced customer service or timely delivery).   

Important points: 

• Vendors are selected for the Preferred Vendors Listing using various performance measurement criteria.  This criterion includes but is not limited to: e-commerce technology, advanced billing and invoicing processes, service excellence, and product quality 
• The overall goal of the vendor selection process is to reduce the number of vendors of major commodities and services to the University
• The Purchasing staff works to develop vendor direct programs in as many of the major commodity areas as possible.  These up-front agreements will allow you to purchase directly from vendors who are being monitored and measured for performance, product quality, and purchasing ease  
• Purchasing staff, along with the members of the Vendor Selection Committee, select vendors based on procurement benefits to the entire University

9.4 QUALIFYING CHARGES

Examples of qualifying ProCard purchases include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• University sponsored travel-related expenses (e.g., airfare, car rentals, taxis, hotels, meals, gas for rental cars, etc.)
• Business meals
• Books, periodicals and other business subscriptions (e.g., magazines and newspapers)
• Membership dues to business related professional organizations
• Registration fees for seminars, conventions, training courses, etc.
• University-owned vehicle expenses
• Art supplies
• Cellular equipment and services (see 9.6 CELL PHONE EXPENSES)
• Facilities fees
• Film and film processing
• Hardware supplies
• Lab equipment and lab supplies
• Parking
• Software (ITS review and approval required)
• Tolls
• Utility bills
• Water service for department
• Rideshare services for university business related travel

Important Note: This list is not exhaustive. Any questions about whether or not a purchase should be put on a ProCard should be directed to the PCA.

9.5 PROHIBITED CHARGES

Examples of expense that should not be purchased on a ProCard include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Gift Cards and Gift Certificates
• PC Workstations (Apple, Windows, etc.) and Laptops (See section 9.7)
• Printers
• Purchases made via marketplace vendors, such as Ebay, Etsy, Newegg.com and other similar vendors
• Expenses representing the personal recognition of a Loyola Faculty or Staff member including, but not limited to: gifts for or costs to recognize birthdays, childbirth or adoption, weddings, anniversaries, retirement or Office Professional’s/Secretary’s Day. Bereavement/sympathy gifts for employees are allowed at the discretion of the department or program.
• Items for personal use Incentive or prize purchases for program attendees or research study participants on grant (5xxxxx), gift (2xxxxx) and certain research stimulation accounting units (103xxx and (1047xx).
• Payments to Independent Contractors, including payments to online freelance services like Fiverr, UpWork, etc.,
• Bio-hazardous materials
• Cash advances (ATM)
• Purchase of advanced commitments to be used at a future date (prepaid airline miles, discounted merchant vouchers or credits, etc)
• Fuel for personal vehicles
• Packaged Alcohol- Narrow exceptions for University sponsored events.  All exceptions require advance approval from the PCA.
• Services involving labor, indemnity or insurance requirements
• Vehicle purchase or lease
• Weapons, ammunition and detonating equipment
• Office Furnishings (Any wall mounted item, window treatment, carpet, furniture, etc.)
• Peer-to-Peer (p2p) payments via smartphone/tablet applications (i.e. Venmo, Square Cash, ApplePay, Snapchat cash, Google cash, or other digital wallet applications).
• Bitcoin currency
• Online Crowdfunding/Fundraising (i.e. Kickstart, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, etc.)

Important Note: This list is not exhaustive. Any questions about whether or not a purchase should be put on a ProCard should be directed to the PCA.

9.6 CELL PHONE EXPENSES

Nominal use of a personally owned cellular phone to conduct University business is not eligible for payment with a ProCard. However, the University may allow use of the ProCard for the monthly cost of a cellular phone for those faculty and staff with a documented business need with the approval of the appropriate Senior Vice President, Vice President, or Dean.  A documented business need arises when an employee's job requires that he or she be immediately accessible when away from their office or outside of normal business hours on a frequent basis, the employee is safety or emergency personnel and must be able to be reached in the event of an emergency, the employee is responsible for critical infrastructure and needs to be immediately accessible at all times, or the employee travels on a very frequent basis and needs to be accessible and have access to Loyola applications while traveling.  

9.7 ALTERNATIVE PROCUREMENT METHODS

Due to University contracts or legal requirements, the use of the ProCard for the acquisition of certain equipment, materials, supplies and services will be limited.  If a purchase does not fall within the stated scope of the limitation (listed below), the department may utilize the ProCard to initiate the purchase.  Otherwise, the department should utilize traditional procurement procedures as described below: 

• Gift Cards: Contact your purchasing agent for ALL gift card or gift certificate requests. Gift card purchases are NOT allowed on the ProCard.
• Computers and computer equipment: PC’s and Laptops are NOT allowed on the ProCard.  Contact your purchasing agent or your campus Information Technology Services department  for  ALL departmental computer needs.  Through this consultation, you can determine if a standard “vanilla” computer workstation will fill your needs.  Instructions will be given as to how you can place your order on the ITS Computer Purchases site.
• Interior furnishings: The University has implemented strict standards for design of all spaces and consequently all purchases of furniture, carpet and window treatments must go through the Purchasing Department.
• Catering: Procurement of catering services should be coordinated through your campus caterer or food service vendor.
• Office machines and their repairs: The University has established maintenance and replacement contracts or services, covering some office machines (e.g., printers and copiers). These types of expenses should go through the Purchasing Departments.
• Office supplies: The ProCard should not be used to purchase items available through our preferred office supply vendor.        

10. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS   

All ProCard transactions $25 and greater must be supported by detailed/itemized receipts or other documentation.  Cardholders should also be aware of their department’s or sponsor’s travel policies, as they may be more restrictive than the University’s. Credit card slips that show only the total of the transaction, and do not list the individual items purchased, are not acceptable forms of support. Photocopies, faxes and web receipts will be accepted.  In the rare case that a cardholder obtains approval to use the ProCard for what would otherwise be a prohibited/discouraged transaction, the cardholder needs to include as part of their documentation, the approval obtained for the exception.  

Important Note: Cardholders will be required to attach receipts and other relevant documentation to their expenses in Visa Spend Clarity. Email reminders will be sent to cardholders each week when receipts have not been attached. Receipts should be attached in a timely manner each month by the download deadline. We recommend that original supporting documentation be kept and maintained by the cardholder or his/her department for a recommended period of one fiscal year.  It is the responsibility of the cardholder to ensure that full 16-digit credit card number, expiration date, or CVV security code are not listed on any ProCard documentation and are not stored with ProCard records.  In the event this information is displayed on the documentation, the information must be redacted, or stricken, with a digital redaction tool like Adobe Acrobat, white-out or a black permanent marker before submission to PCA.

10.1 IN-STORE PURCHASES

Anytime a purchase is made on-site, at a store, cardholders must request an itemized receipt. 10.2 ONLINE ORDERSWhen ordering online, cardholders should print the order confirmation that lists the items purchased and the corresponding dollar amounts for each. In some cases, the order confirmation may appear as one of the last screens in the ordering process.  In others, the confirmation may be emailed to the cardholder. Either will serve as valid documentation given that the items purchased and their prices are listed.

10.3 PHONE AND MAIL ORDERS

When ordering via phone or mail order, cardholders should instruct the merchant to send an itemized receipt directly to his or her address (via e-mail, fax or mail).  Invoices sent directly from merchants to Accounts Payable or PCA will not be returned to the cardholder.

10.4 LODGING

ProCard transactions made at hotels for lodging expenses must be supported with copies of detailed hotel receipts/statements.  This documentation must include the name, location and date of the hotel stay and must also list out the separate amounts for each expense (e.g., lodging, meals, telephone, internet or miscellaneous [IRS Regulation – Section 1.274-5 I(2)iii(B)]).

10.5 AIRFARE

ProCard transactions for airfare must be supported with itineraries that list the passenger name, dates of travel and the economy/coach rate.  Boarding passes, copies of E-tickets or documentation indicating that the flight was actually used should also be provided when available.

10.6 MEALS

Detailed/itemized restaurant receipts (as opposed to stub-receipts) should include the date, name of the establishment and itemization of purchase. Restaurant pull tab receipts and summary credit card receipts are not acceptable forms of documentation.  

Important Note: When charging personal meals to a ProCard while away on University business, cardholders must avoid exceeding the allotted per diem rate.  In addition, when a registration fee or seminar cost includes specific meals, per diem rates must be reduced by the amount allotted for the meal being provided.  Any amount charged to a ProCard for personal meals that exceeds a per diem rate must be reimbursed.  Conference agendas should be kept to support per diem rates and should show whether or not meals were included.

10.7 CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

When charging conference registration fees or seminar costs, supporting documentation must include the breakdown of the charge indicating what the fee or cost includes.  Conference agendas must also be kept to support meal per diem rates.

10.8 MISSING RECEIPTS

If a receipt is missing or does not itemize the transaction or if there is no business description included in the online reconciliation, the cardholder may be required to reimburse the University for the full amount the undocumented purchase. Anytime a receipt has been misplaced, the cardholder should request that the vendor provide a copy. In the event the vendor is unable to provide a duplicate receipt, the cardholder is required to complete the Missing Receipt Form for each transaction.

11. MONTHLY RECONCILIATION, DOCUMENTATION SUBMISSION AND APPROVAL 

ProCard transactions are to be uploaded from VISA Spend Clarity to the General Ledger (Lawson) once per month based on the most current completed billing cycle. Cardholders are required to log-in to VISA Spend Clarity, (a secure, PNC Bank website that can be accessed on or off campus) to review transactions and provide the business justification and accounting unit before each download.  Additionally, cardholders are responsible for attaching receipts and supporting documentation to expenses in Visa Spend Clarity in a timely manner each month. Receipts should be attached to expenses in Visa Spend Clarity prior to the download deadline every month. 

11.1 TIMELINE FOR ONLINE TRANSACTION REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Before each download, cardholders are required to review and approvers are required to approve transactions online, at the VISA Spend Clarity website. Cardholders and budget administrators will receive e-mail reminders from VISA Spend Clarity when there are transactions requiring review or approval.  Downloads are always run at noon; any requests or changes that are made after this deadline will not be reflected in the payment to PNC Bank and must be submitted as expense transfers using the ProCard Expense Transfer form.  For a list of download deadlines and other relevant program due dates, please consult the ProCard Calendar of Events   Please be advised that the PNC ProCard program is based upon an accounting cycle that ends on the 27^th day of each month.  The new cycle will begin on the 28^th and conclude on the 27^th of the following month.

11.2 CARDHOLDER RECONCILIATION

11.2.1 CARDHOLDER ONLINE REVIEW

When reviewing transactions posted in VISA Spend Clarity, cardholders must:

• Select the appropriate accounting unit and account
• Provide detailed transaction notes for each transaction; describing what the charge was and its business purpose (notes on entertainment charges must also list the names of all individuals present and their affiliation with the University)
• Upload and attach itemized receipts and appropriate supporting documentation
• Ensure that sales tax was NOT applied and seek reimbursement from the merchant for any charged in error
• Document and submit reimbursement along with a Personal Purchase Reimbursement Form for any personal expenses charged in error
• Check the reviewed box and click save

Important Note 1: When attaching receipts to expenses in Visa Spend Clarity, cardholders must ensure that all supporting documentation is legible.  

Important Note 2: It is important that the cardholder review all documentation to ensure that no documentation includes a full 16-digit card number, expiration date or CVV security code.  In the event this information is displayed on the documentation, the information must be redacted, or stricken, with white-out or a black permanent marker before submission to PCA.  

Important Note 3: It is important that transaction reconciliation and approval be done in a timely manner. Failure to review transactions and provide documentation in a timely fashion will result in a suspension or termination of program privileges.

11.3 DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL

11.3.1 ONLINE PROCARD APPROVER

When approving transactions posted in in VISA Spend Clarity, approvers must:

• Ensure that the cardholder has entered detailed transaction notes (business descriptions) for each purchase (For example: Improper note-“flight” Proper note-“flight for IMF Conference in D.C. from 07/12/14 to 07/15/14”.)
• Return any transaction to the cardholder with inaccurate accounting information (i.e., accounting unit and account)
• Ensure that all transactions have a valid/legitimate business purpose and are approved by the department
• Remind the cardholder to seek reimbursement for any sales tax charged in error
• Check the Approve button to accept the transaction

Important Note:  Approvers should only approve a transaction if all the information (accounting unit, business justification and attached receipt/documentation) is correct.. Any transaction with incorrect information should be returned to the cardholder’s queue in VISA Spend Clarity for corrections.  If an approver suspects or finds examples of misuse, abuse, fraud or forgery, they must contact the PCA immediately.

12. POLICY ENFORCEMENT   

Individuals granted access to a Procurement Card, by the University and their department, are accountable for all transactions related to their card. Consequences for misuse of the ProCard are serious, and may include re-training, card suspension, card revocation, disciplinary action, termination of employment and legal action. It is the responsibility of the cardholder to ensure that all reconciled documentation is submitted to the PCA by the download deadline each month.  Failure to adhere to this policy will result in a disruption of ProCard privileges.  In addition, recurring issues pertaining to policy compliance will result in full termination of cardholder participation in the ProCard program.