The Purchasing Card is designed to be used for University business related
 purchases only.  Use of the card for personal purchases is strictly
 prohibited.  Authorized use of the Purchasing Card shall be limited to the person
 whose name appears on the face of the card.  The Purchasing Card cannot be
 loaned to other individuals. The Purchasing and Accounts Payable departments are 
 responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Purchasing Card Program and 
 user compliance with the procedures outlined in this manual.

 Questions regarding the Purchasing Card program can be directed to:

 Jo-Ann Myers, myers@ccsu.edu, Purchasing Card Member Services Coordinator
 at 832.2501 to request/cancel a purchasing card, and to discuss the needs of your
 department for determining limitations on card. 

 Tom Brodeur, brodeur@ccsu.edu, Purchasing Manager at 832.2531 regarding the
 appropriateness of purchasing an item, and to receive information on a contract
 vendor and pricing.

 Kathy Kuziak, kuziak@ccsu.edu, CCSU Corporate Express Coordinator
 at 832.2534 to arrange a log on to use the Corporate Express On-line service and 
 to discuss the functionality of the on-line system.

 Rose Harrington, harrington@ccsu.edu, Accounts Payable Audit Team
 Coordinator at 832.2509 to discuss and schedule an audit.

 Debbie Peterson, peterson@ccsu.edu, Travel Audit Team Coordinator at
 832.2549 to discuss and schedule a travel audit.

 The members of the Purchasing Card Team are located in Marcus White Annex
 006.

 How it Works:

 The Purchasing Card simplifies the procurement and disbursement process by
 facilitating point-of-demand procurement.  Purchasing authority is delegated to the
 ordering departments enabling the authorized cardholders to place an order directly
 with the suppliers.  Use of the Purchasing Card will, in no way, affect or change
 your personal credit history.

 Benefits to the Cardholder/Department:

• Obtain goods and services faster and easier.

• Significantly reduces the workload related to the purchase and payment of goods and services.

• No purchase order is required; therefore, no typing and tracking of individual purchase requisitions and receiving reports are required.

• Receive orders within days instead of weeks.

• Significantly reduces the clerical and approval processing time.

• Provides end users with greater autonomy.

 When a purchase is requested by the vendor at the point-of-sale, the MasterCard
 system validates the transaction against pre-set limits established by the
 University.  All transactions are approved or declined [instantaneously] based on
 the following Purchasing Card authorization criteria:

• Number of transactions allowed per day – twenty [20]

• Number of transactions allowed per billing cycle  – One Hundred [100]

• Single item purchase limit not to exceed Nine Hundred and Ninety-nine Dollars [$999] for general purchases

• Spending limit per billing cycle – Ten Thousand Dollars [$10,000]
  
  Splitting a single item purchase to circumvent the purchasing card threshold of $1000 is not allowed. 

*Exemptions to the above limitations may be granted on a case-by-case basis upon the approval of the Purchasing Manager.

 The Purchasing Card represents the University’s trust in you and your
 empowerment as a responsible employee of the University to safeguard and
 protect our assets.  As a cardholder, you assume the responsibility for the
 protection and proper use of the Purchasing Card.

 Activating a Purchasing Card:
 To activate a Purchasing Card, call the number printed on the sticker at the top of
 the card.  The card will be available for use within twenty-four [24] hours from the
 time that it was activated.

 Canceling a Purchasing Card:
 If the cardholder determines that the card is no longer needed, the cardholder 
 should notify the Purchasing Card Administrator or any member of the Purchasing
 Card Program Team in the P-Card Administrator's absence.  The Purchasing Card
 will be cancelled, and a final audit of your records will be conducted as part of the
 closure process.  Your card can be shredded or returned to the P-Card
 Administrator or P-Card Program Team member.

 Renewal of Existing Purchasing Cards:
 Within thirty [30] days from the expiration date of the card, the Purchasing Card
 Program Team will notify the cardholders and distribute the reissued cards.

 JPMorgan Chase Customer Service Number:
 Contact JPMorgan Chase Customer Service representative at 1.800.316.6056 to
 report a lost or stolen card or to inquire why a card was declined at the time of
 purchase.

 Lost or Stolen Purchasing Cards:
 Report lost or stolen cards immediately to a Purchasing Card Program Team
 member and contact JPMorgan Chase Customer Service when a Purchasing Card
 Program Team member cannot be reached.

 Disputing a Transaction:
 A cardholder may dispute a charge that appears on the monthly statement. 
 Disputed charges can result from failure to receive goods, fraud or misuse, altered
 charges, defective merchandise, incorrect amounts, duplicate charges, credits not
 processed, etc.  Failure to address a disputable charge may result in the temporary
 loss of your cardholder privileges.

 If the cardholder is unable to reach agreement with the vendor, the next step is to
 contact  JPMorgan Chase's Customer Dispute No. 1.888.297.0768.   The
 Purchasing Dept. can intervene on your behalf once a history is provided.

 When JPMorgan Chase has completed its investigation, the cardholder will be
  informed of the resolution and any adjustments that were made. 

 Please note that, by law, vendors are not permitted to bill your charge card for
 purchases until the items have been shipped.

 JPMorgan Chase Smart Data Online (SDOL):
We encourage all of our cardholders to visit the JPMorgan Chase Smart Data Online  website at: 
 http://sdol.jpmorganchase.com/Screen/Login

Smart Data Online is JPMorgan Chase's web-based support system to manage your purchasing card activity or generate a copy of a monthly statement.  If you would like to visit this site, contact the Purchasing Card Member Services Coordinator to establish a log on.  Instructions to access the JPMorgan Chase SDOL site to view your transactions or run a copy of your statement may be found in the Purchasing Card Manual appendix.  The Purchasing Card Audit team is available to assist you
if you have difficulty maneuvering within the site.  Please note that JPMorgan Chase  SDOL system only supports 184 days of transaction activity.  This site   
is particularly useful in monitoring your transactions.

 Tax Exemption Number:
 Central Connecticut State University is a tax-exempt organization. The University’s
 tax exemption number is 06-1303381CSU84000.  A copy of the University’s
 agency exemption certificate and policy statement PS 98 [4] can be found in the
 appendix.  The tax-exempt number appears on the face of each Purchasing Card,
 directly below the cardholder’s name.

 This number should be provided to all vendors by the cardholder at the time of the
 transaction to exempt payment of state sales tax.  Please remember that the
 University is a tax-exempt institution and purchases should not include any state
 sales tax.  

 When making purchases, every effort should be made by the cardholder to ensure
 that Connecticut sales tax is not charged.  If sales tax is billed incorrectly to the
 cardholder’s account, it is the responsibility of the cardholder to make a diligent
 effort to have a credit issued [applies only to State of Connecticut vendors] in
 a timely manner.  Out-of-state vendors do not have to honor our tax-exempt
 status.
 
 If the audit team encounters repeated failures to rectify sales tax issues, the
 cardholder may lose cardholder privileges for a specific time depending on the
 severity of the infraction.

 Sales Tax Tips to Remember:

• Always carry the Sales Tax Certification form and any Vendor Assigned Tax Exempt numbers.

• Approach the “Courtesy Desk” and advise them that you are from CCSU and will be making a tax-exempt purchase.  This will allow the merchant to verify that CCSU is on record as a tax-exempt agency and alert the staff at the register that a tax-exempt purchase will be forthcoming.

• If CCSU is not in their system, report this to the P-Card Services Member Coordinator.  The P-Card Services Member Coordinator will contact the merchant to establish what documentation must be completed so that future merchant transactions will be seamless.

• Cardholders should notify the Purchasing Manager when they are experiencing difficulties with a merchant.

• Double-check the receipt before you leave the store.

 Agency Number:
 The University’s agency number is 7802 and may be given upon request to
 vendors.   

 Vendor Assigned Tax Exempt Numbers:
 In addition to CCSU’s tax-exempt number, some vendors require that another
 number be issued.  Ensure that you have the list available when making a purchase
 from any of these vendors so that you are not charged sales tax.

• Lowe’s Home Building Supplies – 062300083 

• Staples Office Products – 1765324437

• Office Max – 00200544072

• Wal-Mart - 226274

• Home Depot - 604055857

• Office Depot - 48469511

 Record Keeping:
 Monthly [billing cycle] review and approval of purchasing card transactions is
 required at the department level and appropriate documentation must be
 maintained. 

 Every bank statement entry must be supported by a receipt.  If a credit is
 issued, some form of documentation relating to the original transaction should be
 provided if there is no current documentation.  All documentation that does not
 appear on your statement may be held in a "pending" folder for timely retrieval and
 reconciliation for future statements.

 Once the statement is reconciled and reviewed, the cardholder must sign and date
 the monthly statement.  The date reflected on the statement should be  
 within 45 days of the end of the billing cycle (13th of every month). By 
 signing the monthly statement, the cardholder will be certifying that the purchases
 are consistent with all University policies and procedures. All supporting
 documentation should be stapled or clipped to the bank statement to facilitate
 auditing.  Any historical information may be written on the documentation for a
 clear concise picture of the transaction for audit purposes.

If you find that you are missing a receipt, the vendor may be able to assist you with this; or, you may request a copy of the sales draft from the bank.  Please remember that JPMorgan Chase will charge $5 for each copy provided and retains copies for 118 days from the transaction date, after which all copies are destroyed.

Monthly statements and supporting documentation should be filed by fiscal year and maintained in a designated, secure location.  Maintain all records in a manner that allows for timely retrieval, as required by internal and external auditors.  We will provide you with Purchasing Card envelopes to assist you with this.

Purchasing Card Audits:
To ensure the continued success of the Purchasing Card Program and to meet the audit requirements of the University, various government agencies, and the requirements of this program, audits will be made of cardholder’s accounts to ensure that items purchased have been received and that policies and procedures are being followed.

The Purchasing Audit team will monitor conformance to these procedures.

• Audit reports will be completed utilizing a post audit report to record any infractions.

• Audits will be completed on all cardholder accounts as follows:

The P-Card Audit Team will be available to provide training and technical support to cardholders, as needed.

Post Audit Action:
A post audit report will be provided to the individual cardholder; and if there were significant deficiencies found, the cardholder has two weeks to correct deficiencies, at which point the cardholder will be re-audited.

If there are still deficiencies found on the follow-up audit, further sanctions may be imposed up to and including suspension of cardholder privileges including mandatory retraining.  If necessary, the cardholder's Dean, Chief or Vice President may be notified of the results depending on the severity of the infraction(s).

The Purchasing Manager and the Director of Business Services will be copied on the notification based upon the severity of the infraction. The notification will include a warning for purchasing card revocation pending further investigation and/or misuse.

Moving the Charges to the Appropriate Accounts:
Purchasing Card charges are accumulated during the billing cycle.  Charges are expensed against the cardholder’s Banner Index in a timely manner following the billing cycle.  No action is required by the cardholder to move these charges.  Cardholders are encouraged to view their Banner Index to ensure that the correct amount was charged against their budget.

Reallocating Expenses:
Purchasing Card charges are applied to the Banner Index that the department chose at the time that they applied for the card.  Occasionally, a department may wish to have a charge applied to another Banner Index.  A Purchasing Card Reallocation form has been designed to transfer a Purchasing Card transaction from one Banner Index to another with proper authorization.  The request must be received no later than five (5) working days from the close of the billing cycle (13th of each month).  The Purchasing Card Reallocation form can be found on the P-Card website at:
http://www.finance.ccsu.edu/PurchasingCard/forms/P-CardReallocationForm.pdf.

If the cardholder is unable to utilize the Purchasing Card Reallocation form within the specified period, a Journal Voucher Request form may be completed only after the charges(s) appear in Banner so that the cardholder may indicate the Banner Account number (subcode) on the form.  The Accounting Department cannot process the Journal Voucher without this information.  A sample of a completed Journal Voucher Request, with instructions, may be found in the appendix.

If you do not have a Banner Account, please contact the Help Desk @ x21720 to obtain Banner access.   

For those who have received Banner training and wish to receive instructions on how to view Purchasing Card transactions in Banner, please contact Lucy Cannamela at x22502 or e-mail cannamela@ccsu.edu.  Training is “hands on” using your budget data. 

Using the Purchasing Card for Grant Purchases:
Use of the Grants Purchasing Card is done through the Office of Grants Administration, Grants Administration Manager.  Any individual, who desires to use the Grants Purchasing Card, must first call the Grants Administration Manager at x22005 and receive approval prior to placing an order.  All users of the Grants Purchasing Card must attend a Grants Purchasing Card training session.

The Grants Purchasing Card may be utilized for telephone, Internet and mail grant purchases; however, the use of the card for a grant or contract requires some forethought.  Careful judgment must be exercised before you make a purchase with the card against grants.  You must clearly understand what constitutes an allowable charge to your particular program.

Grant Purchases Checklist:

• Grant purchases are permitted provided that the item purchased is an allowable charge against the grant.

• The Grant Purchasing Card cannot be used for charging departmental costs to a grant account.

• Grant purchases must be made in accordance with the restrictions, terms and conditions of the grant.

• The Banner account assigned to the purchase must be appropriate.

• Any questions regarding Grant P-Card purchases should be directed to the Grants Office.

CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
While the Purchasing Card is a procurement tool, it does not signal a change in policy regarding compliance with University contract suppliers.

The Purchasing Department is authorized to negotiate and issue contracts 
that will provide the University with the “least total cost” arrangements for 
goods and services required from vendors.  In negotiating contracts, Purchasing willl will consider not only the vendor’s line item pricing for the products or services, 
but will also consider the vendor’s: 

• Ability to provide the necessary quality, delivery and service

• Overall pricing structure

• Financial stability

• Warranty and service policies

• Other organizational requirements

Supplier contract pricing and performance are normally based on the University’s overall anticipated volume of purchases during the contract period.  In order to assure the University community of “least total cost” of goods and services, and to fulfill the University’s obligations to consolidate all of its requirements with the authorized contract supplier[s], all University departments are strongly encouraged to order required goods or services from those suppliers who are authorized contract suppliers to the University. 

The Department of Administrative Services and the University of Connecticut  websites contain a list of contracts available to the campus community.

www.das.state.ct.us - Click on Services to State Agencies and under State Agencies click on Find Contracts and follow the links.

www.ucc.uconn.edu/~wwwpurch/CCPGLIST.html  - This site lists Connecticut Colleges Purchasing Group Contracts of which CCSU is a member.

In addition, the CCSU Purchasing Department maintains a list of Department of Administrative Services [DAS] and University Contracts published on the Purchasing Card Home Page @ www.finance.ccsu.edu

Circumventing the use of these contracts may result in some initial savings; but repeated circumvention reduces their value, discourages vendors from bidding in the future and eventually results in higher prices.  Do not fall prey to a vendor who may offer you a lower price to obtain your initial business after failing to be awarded a University contract. When you request pricing, make sure that you identify yourself as a University employee and identify the applicable contract against which the appropriate pricing should be applied.  Failure to do so may result in your being charged higher pricing.

Using State or University contracts ensures that you are dealing with reliable vendors, that the items have been tested and approved, and that returns or exchanges will be handled expeditiously. 

LIST OF APPROVED AND RESTRICTED PURCHASES
Purchasing Cards may only be used for official, state-related business.   Purchases must follow appropriate state laws, CSU policy, CCSU policy and guidelines and must be made with reasonable judgment.  If there is a question about the official purpose of a purchase or if the use of the Purchasing Card to make a purchase is questionable, contact the Purchasing Manager for clarification prior to making the purchase. 

Approved Purchases:
The following are examples of the types of items that may be purchased with the card:

• Advertisements - [department responsible for tear sheet]

• Books and periodicals

• Live animals

• Conference Registration Fees

• Airfare Reservations

• Dues and professional membership[s] - [business, technical, professional and institutional memberships only]
  
  The Policy on Institutional and Individual Memberships can be found on
  website: http://www.finance.ccsu.edu/Purchasing/forms/pdf/Memberships.pdf
   

• Freight/transportation and package delivery fees

• Cellular Phones with contract vendor only (approval must be obtained from Laurie Napierski in the Telecommunications Department prior to making your purchase)

• Purchases for Classroom instruction/experiments only:
  >  Animal feed and bedding
  >  Live animals
  >  Food

• Maintenance supplies

• Office, laboratory and educational supplies

• Printing Services

• Repair parts and materials

• Software and computer supplies [for educational, administrative or research purposes only]

• Subscriptions, one year only [departmental use only]

Note:  Cardholders are to contact Facilities Management [22301] prior to purchasing any item that may require electrical, plumbing or structural work.  Facilities Management will ensure that the item being ordered is appropriate and will advise if additional work will be required. 

Cardholders are to contact Information Technology Services [21727] prior to purchasing any software or hardware to ensure that it is compatible with the CCSU system.  Please remember to obtain prior approval of any computer related hardware purchases, including printers. The purchase should be reviewed by the Information Technology Services before actual purchase, especially if the equipment will be connected to the campus network. Information Technology Services reserves the right to not support any hardware or connect it to the campus network if purchases are made without prior approval. Please contact Amy Magno, for pricing, recommendations, and/or prior approval. This includes purchases made with a University P-Card.

Cardholders are to contact Domenic Forcella, Chemical Hygiene Officer,  Campus Police Station [22499] regarding any chemical purchase/disposal guidelines.

Restricted Purchases:
The following are examples of the types of items that may not be purchased with the card:

• Any item exceeding $999

• Alcoholic beverages

• Bus Transportation-domestic travel only (purchase requisition must be completed)

• Cash advances of any type

• Clothing *3

• Coffee machines or coffee makers *3

• Flowers for condolences, etc. *3

• Gifts/donations *3

• Insurance

• Microwaves *3

• Personal use items [i.e.; attaches’, folios, pen/pencil sets, etc.] *3

• Personal or Decorative items (i.e. knick-knacks) *3

• Precious metals *3

• Prescription drugs and controlled substances except the Health Services Department

• Radioactive materials

• Refrigerators (full size and dorm-size) *3

• Wall to wall carpet

• Water Coolers and accessories

• Meals*1, 3

• Artwork, frames or posters (non CCSU Artwork)*2, 3

• Greenery for office beautification *2, 3

*1- Meals may only be purchased by Executive Committee members.  Meal expenses are restricted to luncheon or dinner meetings held in connection with University business or with entertaining of guests visiting the University on official business.  Cardholders are to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the University’s refreshment policy prior to using their card for this purpose.  At the conclusion of the meal, the cardholder must obtain an itemized bill from the restaurant, which is to be attached to a Purchasing Card Documentation form.

*2 – Exceptions may be granted to Executive Committee members.

*3 – These restricted items do not pertain to Residence Hall Council
          Activity Accounts and Student Activity Accounts.

Caution:  Prior to making a purchase from BJ’s, Costco, or Sam’s, please verify that sales tax will not be charged.

Exemptions or questions regarding restricted purchases may be granted on a case-by-case basis upon the approval of the Purchasing Manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND USE OF CARD

Responsibilities of the Cardholder:

1. Completing a Purchasing Card Application Form and obtaining necessary approval signatures.

2. Attending a mandatory training session.

3. Responsible for reading the Purchasing Card Program Manual and abiding to the Purchasing Card policies and procedures outlined therein.  

4. Responsible for all purchases made with the card in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Purchasing Card Program Manual.

5. Safeguarding card security at all times.

6. Responsible for repayment of improper charges and personal liability for misuse.

7. Maintaining all supporting documentation [e.g. proper receipts, vendor order forms, cash register receipts, etc.] and reconciling to the monthly statement in a timely manner.

8. Ensuring receipt of goods and following up with the vendor to resolve disputes and arranging for returns credits, delivery problems, etc.

9. Verifying that the purchases are consistent with all University policies and procedures, all merchandise has been received and all supporting documentation is attached.

10. Reporting lost or stolen cards immediately to the Purchasing Card Program Team and to Bank One when the Purchasing Card Program Team cannot be reached.

Ordering Process:
The Purchasing Card may be used to purchase approved goods in person [at the point-of-sale], over the phone, by mail, fax or over the Internet.  Prior to placing an order, check the University and State Contract list for the applicable contract suppliers for the product or service you are about to order. 

When placing your order, please be sure to provide the vendor with the following information:

• Identify yourself as a Central Connecticut State University employee and provide cardholder name.

• State that you are making the purchase using a MasterCard Purchasing Card.

• State that it is a tax-exempt purchase and provide the tax-exempt number listed on the front of the card directly below the cardholder’s name.

• Provide individual charge card number and expiration date on charge card.

• Provide complete billing and delivery address including building and room number.

• State the appropriate University or State Contract that you are using (if applicable) to insure that you receive correct pricing and applicable prompt payment discounts.

• State the quantity and description of the items being ordered.

• Verify the total cost of the purchase with the vendor.

• Furnish any other information that may be required.

Note:  Please inform the vendor not to send a bill or invoice to the ordering department or Accounts Payable.  Submitting an invoice for a charge card transaction may result in a duplicate payment.                

Billing Address: 
The address that appears on your statement, without the tax exempt number, 
is your billing address.  Please provide this address to vendors as required.  Failure to provide the proper billing address may result in your purchase being declined.  Please note that for billing purposes only, the University's zipcode is 06053-XXXX.

If you are a first time user, please contact the Purchasing Card Member Services Coordinator if you are unsure of your billing address.

Shipping Instructions:
Important:  Inform the vendor that the address label/packing list that accompanies the package must contain the following information:
Central Connecticut State University
Cardholder’s Name
Department Name
Building and Room Number
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT  06050

Packages that are not labeled properly may delay the delivery of items ordered indefinitely.  Under no circumstance should the vendor indicate the Purchasing Card number on any address label or packing list.  Listing of the card number would threaten the security of your card.