Policy
On June 5, 2025, President Rothman approved revisions to this policy. These policy revisions will be effective as of July 1, 2025. Please review the updated policy SYS 351, Purchasing Card Compliance Policy, to prepare for the July 1 effective date.
Original Issuance Date: January 10, 2024
1. Policy Purpose
This policy establishes the framework for implementing and managing a successful purchasing card (PCard) program at the designated institutions.
2. Responsible UW System Officer
Senior Associate Vice President for Finance
3. Scope and Institutional Responsibilities
UW System Institutions shall adhere to this UW System policy and accompanying procedure SYS 351.A, Purchasing Card Procedure. Each institution is responsible for administering the PCard program and should designate one or more people as a Purchasing Card Program Administrator (PCPA) dependent on the need of the institution. Working with the Purchasing Card Program Manager, PCPAs are responsible for program implementation and ongoing administration within their respective institutional divisions. Institutions may develop guidance to support the policy and procedure.
4. Background
The State of Wisconsin’s PCard Program provides institutions with flexibility in making small dollar purchases up to $5,000 in a manner that reduces paperwork and processing time. Implemented statewide in 1996, this program has proven effective and efficient in making purchases within delegated purchasing authority. UW System Administration obtained approval to participate in the PCard Program from the State Bureau of Procurement (SBOP) and the State Controller’s Office (SCO). This policy and the related procedure are an extension of the Cooperative Agreement on Accounting, Preauditing, and Internal Accounting Control Activities between UW System Administration and the institutions in which delegation is authorized by Wis. Stat. § 16.53. In addition, purchasing delegation is authorized by Wis. Stat. § 16.71.
5. Definitions
Billing File: Detailed daily and biweekly files that are received electronically by the respective institution from the PCard supplier.
Cardholder: An authorized employee (permanent, project, LTE, or graduate student) who has been issued a PCard by the institution of employment.
Designated Central Storage Area: An area designated by the institution for record retention purposes, i.e., Accounts Payable, Purchasing, the college division level offices, or within an automated financial system. A cardholder’s desk/file cabinet/office is NOT an acceptable designated central storage area.
Original Receipts: Written acknowledgement that goods and/or services have been received. All receipts should include the date of purchase, supplier name, items purchased, and prices. Any exceptions must be documented in writing.
Examples of original receipts are as follows:
- Purchases in Person: Must have a detailed receipt, at the time of purchase, clearly identifying each item purchased.
- Phone/Fax Orders: The original invoice, packing slip, or shipping confirmation sent with the goods purchased. If the packing slip does not have the itemized detail, write it on by hand.
- Internet Orders: Print a copy of the order, confirmation screen, or invoice sent via email that shows what was purchased and the dollar amount.
- Registration Fees: Attach the registration form and supporting documentation that includes actual event dates; location; title of the conference, convention, or seminar; amount of fee; and a breakdown of specific costs (meals, etc.) included in the fee. Note: This may require obtaining both a payment receipt and a copy of the applicable page from the brochure, application, or registration form.
Purchasing Card (PCard): A charge card issued to an authorized employee (permanent, project, LTE, or graduate student), by the institution of employment, through the contractual agreement between the State of Wisconsin and Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA-NASPO) Contract.
Purchasing Card Program Administrator (PCPA): Individual(s) appointed by the institution to manage, coordinate, and control PCards within the institution.
Purchasing Card Program Manager (PCPM): Individual(s) appointed by System Administration to be the liaison between the institutions and SBOP and Pcard supplier. Responsible for overall planning and administration of the Pcard Program.
Purchasing Card Record (PCard Record): Form used by the cardholder to maintain a record of purchases, including supporting documentation, business purpose, and approvals.
Examples include:
- PCard Log reconciled to Statement with supporting documentation and approvals;
- Statement with supporting documentation and approvals;
- Transaction Detail Report or other report reconciled to Statement with supporting documentation and approvals.
- Transactions loaded daily into an automated financial system with supporting documentation attached and processed through the automated approval workflow.
Site Manager: Individual responsible for administering a department’s or division’s Pcard activity.
Statement: Detailed report of charges that is provided to the cardholder by the PCard supplier at the end of each biweekly billing cycle.
Supervisor: Individual responsible for approving the cardholder’s time and leave form, or an individual assigned review authority who is organizationally independent of the cardholder.
Supporting Documentation: Any record or information which verifies a purchase. This includes an itemized supplier receipt, agenda, or various travel-related items (see SYS 351.A, section 4.C.V). In addition, any purchase that is non-routine in nature, quantity or dollar amount must include a business purpose.
6. Policy Statement
Institution stakeholders participating in the PCard program will fulfill the responsibilities indicated here and designated in SYS 351.A, Purchasing Card Procedure.
A. System Administration Responsibilities
- Appointing a Purchasing Card Program Manager (PCPM) to be the liaison between the institutions and SBOP and Pcard supplier.
- Responsible for overall planning and administration of the Pcard Program.
- Establishing purchasing card policies and procedures
- Establishing required training schedule, including:
- Cardholder at card issuance, after noncompliant usage, and refresher every 3 years
- New Cardholder supervisors, after noncompliant usage by Cardholder, and refresher every 3 years
B. Institution Responsibilities
- Establishing proper controls, including:
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- Developing internal policies and procedures within the guidelines identified in this policy.
- Monitoring use of PCards by individual cardholders to ensure that all purchases align with applicable laws and regulations.
- Performing periodic audits of cardholder records to ensure compliance with all the guidelines, policies, and procedures governing this program.
- Disciplining cardholders when misuse of the PCard occurs and ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to rectify the situation.
- Maintaining budgetary controls.
- Establishing individual cardholder credit and single purchase limits.
- Facilitating the payment cycle.
- Reporting PCard fraud.
C. PCPA Responsibilities
PCPAs must:
- Approve, process, and retain electronic PCard applications for their respective institution or institutional division.
- Maintain a log of cardholders, cardholder’s supervisors, and site managers, and reconciling this log with records at US Bank.
- Assist with suppliers.
- Respond to inquiries regarding internal policies and procedures, billing information, missing statements, and damaged, lost, or stolen PCards.
- Facilitate the cardholder setup process.
D. Cardholder Responsibilities
Cardholder must:
- Following appropriate procedure to obtain a PCard.
- Complying with PCard policies and procedures.
E. Cardholder Supervisor Responsibilities
Cardholder Supervisors must:
- Receive training as established in SYS 351, Purchasing Card Compliance Policy.
- Review and approve PCard transactions submitted by cardholder on a PCard record.
- Verify purchases comply with appropriate rules and regulations.
- Verify travel-related charges are in accordance with UW System Travel Policy, have been authorized, and are cross-referenced to the cardholder’s expense report (ER) for consistency and to avoid duplication of reimbursement.
- Ensure the signed PCard record, with original receipts and other supporting documentation, is stored in the designated central storage area.
- Determine if any personal OR unauthorized charges occurred on the PCard.
7. Related Documents
SYS 351.A, Purchasing Card Procedure
Appendix A-4. Purchasing Card Log
Appendix B. Commonly Questioned Items
*For other appendices and supporting documents, see the guidance page.
8. Policy History
First approved: January 10, 2024
9. Scheduled Review
January 2029
Procedures
Related Procedures
Guidance
Related Guidance
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Purchasing Cards
The University of Wisconsin System has established a Purchasing Card Program. This program has been developed in coordination with the State of Wisconsin and US Bank. The purchasing card replaces the traditional paper requisition process of pricing inquiry, order placement, delivery of goods, invoice, voucher review, and payment cycle by providing a more efficient and cost-effective method for departments to make small dollar purchases. The following is a list of questions and corresponding answers that may help to further explain the purchasing card program. Additional information will be posted on the UW System Administration web page as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the UW System Purchasing Card Program Manager (PCPM) listed in section 2.2.Q. What is the purpose of the purchasing card?
A. To improve the purchasing process by streamlining small dollar purchases and increasing efficiency in order to get the best value for the University. The largest benefit is to the cardholder in time savings and flexibility.
Q. Are vendors aware of the purchasing card program?
A. Yes, you should not experience any significant difficulties since many of the vendors already accept credit cards.
Q. What should I do if one of my vendors does not accept VISA?
A. Have the vendor contact the campus purchasing department.
Q. Can someone other than the cardholder make purchases on the purchasing card?
A. No. The UW purchasing cards are individually held, centrally billed. Use of the purchasing card is prohibited by anyone other than the cardholder. Remember, the cardholder is responsible for the charges on his/her card.
Q. At the department level, who is involved in the purchasing card process?
A. There are several roles at the department level. The financial charges are approved by the Department, Supervisor, or Site Manager. The cardholder is responsible for making purchases and completing required documentation. The supervisor/site manager is responsible for reviewing the appropriateness of the charges, ensuring proper documentation is received from the cardholder, and charges are distributed to the appropriate accounting codes.
Q. What are the cardholder’s responsibilities?
A. The cardholder is responsible for
- Making only authorized purchases
- Obtaining a detailed receipt for each purchase
- Completing the purchasing card record with a brief description justifying the purchase
- Reconciling the statement
- Resolving any discrepancies
- Ensuring credits are received
- Documenting purchases that require supplemental information, as required
- Signing the purchasing card record
- Passing the paperwork to the supervisor/site manager for review and approval
Q. What are the Supervisor/Site Manager’s responsibilities?
A. Supervisors/site managers are required to ensure that charges are authorized, within UW System Purchasing Card Policy and Procedures, and appropriately documented. The supervisor/site manager is the cardholder’s immediate supervisor or an individual assigned supervisory review authority that is organizationally independent of the cardholder. A supervisor/site manager may not review his/her own transactions. Exceptions are allowed when justified, approved and include compensating controls. The supervisor/site manager signs the purchasing card record for all cardholders for whom they review certifying all transactions are authorized and that policies and procedures have been followed. The supervisor/site manager then ensures the records are stored in the designated record retention area.Q. What reviews/controls are in place to protect the University from fraudulent charges?
A. Cardholders sign a cardholder agreement, approved by the department, and attend a comprehensive training session prior to receiving a purchasing card. Transactions are posted in Access Online for review by the cardholder and supervisor/site manager. The cardholder is assigned a supervisor/site manager who is responsible for ensuring charges are authorized and policy and procedures are followed - the review process is critical in the prevention of fraud. The Dean/Director’s Office, Purchasing Card Program Administrator (PCPA), and the Office of Internal Audit have access to Access Online and do transaction/processing reviews and audits.Q. Are there restrictions associated with the purchasing card?
A. Yes. These restrictions are detailed in the UW System Policy and Procedure Manual and highlighted during the purchasing card training session. Restrictions are categorized as 1) restricted at point of sale and 2) restricted at other than point of sale.- Point of Sale Restrictions – transaction will not go through (decline):
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- Exceeds single purchase limit
- Exceeds biweekly credit limit
- Cash advances (ATM machines)
- Some personal services
- Items listed in Appendix D, section 115C
- Other than at Point of Sale – a transaction may go through but violates law, policy, or procedures and should, therefore, not be made:
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- Personal purchases
- Cash Equivalents – Gift Cards, Gift Certificates, etc. (See Gift Cards under Commonly Questioned Items section for exceptions)
- Alcohol
- Gifts of sentiment (i.e., flowers for Professional Administrative Assistant’s Day – formerly Secretary’s Day, retirements, birthdays)
- Meals, porterage, telephone calls, room service, laundry, etc. in conjunction with Hotel/Motel charges for lodging. (These charges are part of “travel” required to be submitted on a Expense Report (ER) for appropriate reimbursement.)
- Purchases delivered to non-campus addresses
- Modifications to building structure (mechanical, electrical or life safety systems). Contact Facilities Management for clarification.
- Purchases that involve signing of an agreement, license, or contract (send the document to the appropriate campus department for approval)
- Stringing of purchases to avoid the single purchase limit
Q. Can the purchasing card be used for travel?
A. Allowable only for expenses as detailed in the Miscellaneous Travel Expenses section of the UW System Administrative Policy 430 (formerly 1205 (ANS)), Travel & Expense – Purchase & Payment Miscellaneous Travel Expenses. Non-employee/guest campus parking passes may be purchased on the card.
Q. Can I put hotel/motel charges on my purchasing card?
A. Only lodging, any applicable taxes, lodging facility parking and lodging facility business communications charges are allowed. Meals, porterage, non-business related telephone calls, room service, laundry, etc. are not allowed on the purchasing card. Contact the campus Travel Services about paying for these miscellaneous lodging costs with the Corporate Travel Card.
Q. Can personal purchases be made with the card?
A. No. Personal purchases cannot be made with this card. Keep your personal credit card purchases and the purchasing card purchases completely separate.
Q. What do I do if I accidentally make a personal charge on my card?
A. Notify your supervisor/site manager of the mistake immediately. Attempt to have the charge reversed (credited) to the UW purchasing card account. If the vendor will not cooperate, write a check made payable to the University of Wisconsin, include sales taxes, submit it to your Business Manager/Site Manager for deposit. Attach a copy of the check and deposit form to your purchasing card record. Indicate that you will not make such a mistake in the future.
Q. What do I do if I accidentally make a restricted charge on my card?
A. Contact your dean/director’s office for guidance since this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Q. Can I view my transactions prior to receiving the statement?
A. Yes. The US Bank Access Online, web-based software application, allows cardholders to view transactions daily, reallocate charges, record comments, and print transaction records (see the Access Online Self-Registration Reference Guide and the Access Online Cardholder Reference Guide).
Q. Who pays the statement and how will it be paid?
A. On the last day of the billing cycle, a campus-wide statement is generated and is available to the Controller’s Office that contains all cardholder activity. Each Campus is responsible for promptly paying their statements.
Q. How are the purchasing card transactions posted to the proper campus accounts?
A. A default account, designated by the cardholder’s department, is assigned to each purchasing card. All purchases are charged to this account and may be electronically reallocated by the cardholder or designated site manager during the campus-designated reallocation period. On the last day of the reallocation period, US Bank sends a Statement Billing File (SBF) 2.0 file that contains all of the transactions and accounting codes related to all cardholder activity within the biweekly cycle. Designated campus staff will load this file into the accounting system biweekly.
Q. What should I do if I am unable to obtain a receipt?
A. Document the purchase and the circumstances that prevented obtaining a receipt. Maintain this documentation with the purchasing card record.
Q. Will I receive a statement?
A. Yes. An email is sent to the cardholder notifying them that a statement is available via Access Online. Statements can also be mailed. You will not receive a statement if you do not have transactions during the biweekly cycle.
Q. How do we prevent charges that are not allowed by a particular grant or agency?
A. It is the cardholder’s responsibility to ensure that regulations and guidelines are followed. Questions concerning the types of expenses allowed on sponsored accounts should be directed to the principal investigator, grant administrator, or the grant accountant.
Q. Will my personal credit history be reviewed if I apply for a purchasing card?
A. No, your personal credit will not be reviewed nor will it be affected.
Q. What happens if I leave the University?
A. Near your last day of work, cut up your card and return your card to your supervisor/site manager who will dispose of your card and notify the campus PCPA to cancel the account.
Q. What do I do if I change departments?
A. You still need to cancel your card (see answer to the question above). To obtain a purchasing card with a new department, you will need to complete a new electronic Purchasing Card Application and Use Agreement, obtaining approval from your new department.
Q. What is the maximum limit I can charge to the purchasing card?
A. The limit is $5,000 per transaction depending on how your department set up your account. Your department also determines the biweekly credit limit assigned to your card.
Q. What if I need a higher biweekly credit limit for my departmental purchases?
A. A request must be sent through the same approval process used to order the card initially. An Account Maintenance Request form (Appendix A-3) has been created to communicate changes to purchasing cards.
Q. Is there a user manual available or quick reference guide to help me when making reallocations?
A. Yes, the Access Online Cardholder Reference Guide takes you through the Transaction Management process.
Q. Can I use the purchasing card to make Internet purchases?
A. Yes, but make sure you are in a secured site. One indication that a site is secured is that an “s” appears after http in the vendor’s URL (i.e., https://www.), another is that a “lock” symbol appears in the bottom left hand corner of the website. Most secured sites place an announcement on their site.
Q. Who do I contact if I am having problems reallocating charges?
A. You may either contact the campus PCPA or you may contact US Bank at (877) 344-5696.
Q. How will I know when posting to SFS will occur?
A. Posting to SFS occurs biweekly the week following the Access Online Transaction Change Dates. (See the Access Online Self-Registration Reference Guide.)
Q. What happens when my card expires?
A. Cards are active for four years from the date of creation. Each card has an expiration date identified by month and year (01/09 for January of 2009) printed on the card. The card expires at the end of the month. Two weeks prior to the expiration date, US Bank will issue a new card and send it directly to the cardholder or to the campus PCPA who will in turn notify you that your new card is available. The cardholder is not required to do anything to generate the new card; it is an automatic process.
Q. What should I do if my card is declined at point of sale?
A. You have a couple options. You may contact the bank’s customer service department at 1-800-344-5696, press the star (*) key once to bypass the recorded message, give the customer service representative your account number, the name of the vendor, and the amount of the transaction that was declined. The representative will be able to tell you why the charge was not accepted. You may also request assistance from the campus PCPA’s office.
Q. Under what circumstances might my card be declined?
A. Your card may be declined because:
- You may have exceeded your single purchase or biweekly credit limit.
- The vendor you are using is restricted from use by its *Merchant Category Code (MCC); you may ask the campus PCPA for assistance.
- The bank has a security concern due to a use pattern (i.e., you have not used the card in a long time). A “fraud alert” may be placed on your card and cannot be removed until the bank is satisfied that you are the cardholder and that all transactions are authorized.
Q. What do I do if I do not recognize a charge made on my card?
A. You may contact the bank’s customer service department to get more information about the vendor who charged your account. Often the bank will have a phone number for the vendor that does not appear in Access Online. If you still do not recognize the charge, contact the campus PCPA’s office for assistance.
Q. What do I do if my purchasing card is lost or stolen?
A. Contact US Bank at 1-800-344-5696 and the campus PCPA immediately to report the card as lost or stolen.
Q. How do I find out more about the purchasing card?
A. An overview of the card program is located at the beginning of this Policy and Procedure Manual.