Georgia Institute of Technology :: Administration and Finance

PCard Process Information

Using a Georgia Tech Procurement Card (PCard)

If you are a PCard holder, reconcile PCard statements, or approve PCard activity reports - yes!

PCard process flow

1. A GT business need is identified by a faculty or staff member.
2. Cardholder makes a purchase (check with your departmental business officer / financial manager / PCard Coordinator for your local department's approval process, if this applies).
3. Redistribution can be done in the Bank of America "Works" system within a 7-day window of a charge being posted to the PCard by the bank.
4. Reconciliation - the cardholder prepares receipts and the PCard statement for review and approval.
5. The PCard Approver in your department reviews and approves all PCard reconciliation packages (bank statements / receipts) and the PCard Coordinator verifies them online in the TechWorks system.
6. Changes identified after the 7-day window may be made by journal entry or cost transfer in PeopleSoft, by appropriate staff with the proper documentation.
Note: This process will be augmented to provide additional safeguards in Fall Semester 2008.

Risks range from simple mistakes to "avoidance" of the Institute's procurement policies to misuse, and can include:

Personal purchases being made on a PCard
"Non-compliant" purchases being made - for example:
- Materials being purchased on sponsored funds that aren't allowable by the sponsor
- Food being purchased with State funds
- Purchases being attributed to the wrong account
Lack of compliance with bidding thresholds and Institute purchasing processes
Potentially paying more than contract prices if buying from a non-contracted vendor

If I'm an approver or financial officer, how can I look out for issues?

Carefully review all statements and receipts to be sure that all purchases are properly accounted for.
Look at the delivery address for goods. Are they being delivered to an Institute location, or a home address?
Are there vendors that look like restaurants or caterers on a PCard that uses State funds?
Are there multiple purchases from the same vendor, close together, that look like a "split" order?
Are there any duplicate charges where a vendor might have double-charged the Institute?
Is sales tax paid on any of the orders?
Ask questions! If you are uncertain of a purchase, ask the cardholder for more details and note them on the statement if you like.

Important contacts:
- Your unit's Business Officer or PCard Coordinator
- GT PCard Program Manager, Steve LePage at 404-894-1009
- Email: pcard.ask@business.gatech.edu
- Bank of America 24 hour Customer Service: 1-888-449-2273
Procurement Services also provides a helpful guide for Food, Entertainment, and Sensitive Purchases (.xls file)

Allowable PCard purchases include:

The PCard can not be used to purchase the following:

NO Personal items
NO Employee travel expenses
NO Entertainment expenses
NO Alcohol or Tobacco products
NO Professional services as listed in the Board of Regents Business Procedures Manual Section 3.1.2 including certified public accountancy, architecture, professional engineering, doctors & registered nurses, lawyers, and veterinary medicine
NO Gift cards, funding of the BuzzCard, gift certificates, or other cash equivalents
NO Food except as authorized in the Institute Business & Finance Manual Section 5.2.1.9
NO Cash advances, cash refunds, or “store credit”
NO Agency (funds held on deposit) or affiliated organization expenditures except as permitted for Study Abroad Programs
NO Purchases made from units of the Institute - this includes OIT Printing Services, the Library, and Parking

Please note: The PCard may be used at outsourced businesses including the GT Bookstore, VWR, and Sodexho (if the card is approved for food purchases)

NO Split purchases. Dividing one purchase into two or more to stay within your transaction limit is not allowed.
NO Sales tax

Important links include:

Go to the Training web site to register for any of these courses, or click on a link below to read a description:

PCard Compliance Tutorial (for coordinators and reviewers)
PCard Cardholders Training & Certification online tutorial (for cardholders and approvers)
PCard Redistribution online tutorial (for cardholders and proxy reconcilers)
Campus PCard Journal Entry class and tutorial (for approvers and accounting staff)

These links will open specific policies from the Institute's policy manuals as a new page or tab.