901 VISA Purchase Card (P-Card)
The Georgia State University Purchase Card (P-Card) is a valuable tool for quickly and efficiently purchasing and paying for small dollar items without sacrificing control or cost. Per the State Accounting Office, the P‐Card may be used as the method of payment for unplanned, non‐routine, or urgent point of sale purchases under $1,000 and for purchases under $5,000 that are preapproved and go through the requisition process (P-card Pre-Approval Purchase Authorization Form) prior to completing the purchase. Point of sale transactions include purchases made at a physical store, in person, online, or over the phone. This tool can be advantageous to the individual purchaser, the purchaser’s department, the University, and the supplier. Benefits of the P-Card include the ability to reduce petty cash purchases, check requests (express vouchers), and purchase requests (requisitions) while maintaining an audit trail and accountability of expenditures for P-Card transactions.
901.1 Obtaining a VISA Purchase Card
Potential cardholders will be placed on the Purchasing Department’s implementation list and will be contacted when scheduled to enter the program. In order to enter the program, several actions must take place:
- The department must request Human Resources to complete a criminal background and credit check by completing a consent form for each employee seeking a P-card. Human Resources will notify the Purchasing Department regarding the applicant’s eligibility to receive a P-Card.
- Upon notification from Human Resources that the required checks have been successfully completed, a P-Card Application Form must be completed. Fill out the P-Card application at: https://finance.gsu.edu/download/pcard-application/?wpdmdl=1657 and submit this form to the Purchasing Department, once all necessary signatures have been secured.
- Training is mandatory for all the following P-Card roles: cardholder, approving official, and facilitator. Therefore, the approving official and cardholder must complete the required online training via Desire2Learn/iCollege on the proper use of the card. Cards will not be ordered until training has been completed by all parties. To access the training, contact Purchasing by sending an email to Zabrina Drake, Leon Frazier, or Korita Slaton with the subject line, “Request to add for P-Card Training.” Employees may navigate through the online P-Card training at: https://gastate.view.usg.edu/ and complete the quiz following the training. Employees must score at least 80% on the quiz.
- All new cardholders and approving officials must sign the P-Card Ethical Behavior Agreement and submit this agreement along with the P-Card Application Form to the P-Card Administrators in the Purchasing Department.
- More information can be found on the Purchasing and Business Services website at: http://finance.gsu.edu/purchasing-business/. Once all steps have been completed and the P-Card Administrators have received all necessary paperwork, the employee’s P-Card request will be processed. Once the request has been processed, the new card will arrive within 3-5 business days. The P-Card Administrators will email the employee, once the card arrives and is ready for pick up.
901.2 Policies and Procedures for Use of VISA Purchase Card
Detailed policies, procedures, and downloadable forms are available at: https://finance.gsu.edu/purchasing-business/#1513278992428-4b5496d2-1097
901.3 VISA Purchase Card Misuse
The Georgia Statewide Purchasing Policy specifies rules, regulations, and requirements of the Purchasing Card Program. It also specifies travel advance rules and prohibits fraudulent reimbursement requests. There are both civil and criminal penalties for violations. Under the policy, the use of the P-Card for personal expenditures is strictly prohibited. Cardholders, who violate this rule, must immediately report the personal use to their supervisor and Human Resources, as well as reimburse the funds back to the University. Per the University Systems of Georgia requirement, the University is required to report misuse to the Board of Regents, who will then forward the information to the Attorney General’s Office. This is required regardless of a cardholder’s intent to reimburse the University.
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