P-card Procedures

Cardholder Procedures:

Placing Orders:

1. Determine the need to purchase authorized goods or services.
2. Determine if the request is an appropriate use of the P-Card.
3. Place the order either at the vendor's establishment, telephone, fax, mail order or via the internet. Remember the following when placing orders:
• Request an original, itemized receipt/invoice for the purchase. For internet orders a printout of the purchase confirmation can be used in place of an original receipt/invoice.
• Instruct the vendor that the "Bill To" and "Ship To" instructions are the same:

California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-(your department's mail drop code)
Attention: Cardholder's Name

(Do not have the vendor use the University Account Number; this will result in a receipt/invoice bypassing you and received by Accounts Payable.)

P-Card Online Reconciliation

Upon completing P-Card transaction(s) whether by telephone/fax/mail/internet or in person, the Cardholder shall begin their reconciliation of their transactions each month online in SAM (Strategic Account Management). Follow the procedures to reconcile online in SAM in the instruction manuals.

Statement of Account

1. At the close of each monthly billing cycle the Cardholder Spending Detail Report will be available. The P-Card Coordinator will notify all Cardholders of this date via email.
2. Cardholder approves their transactions (as soon as the item posts in SAM) for accuracy. Be sure to note that if you purchase a commodity from an out-of-state vendor, you are responsible for California sales tax (9.75%). Tax will be added once the transaction is posted to the GL.
3. If you note a discrepancy on your statement, immediately enter the dispute online in SAM. The transaction then becomes a disputed item, and it is the Cardholder's responsibility to resolve the dispute with the vendor.
4. If the vendor fails to forward an original, itemized receipt/invoice to you in time for the monthly reconciliation or you have lost an original, itemized receipt/invoice, complete the Lost/Itemized Receipt Form located at: http://www-admn.csun.edu/purch/forms/lost_receipt.htm. The Cardholder must then notify the vendor to send an original, itemized receipt/invoice and forward it to Accounts Payable, Mail Code #8202. This must be done before the monthly reconciliation.
5. Assemble the documents in the following order:
• Cardholder Spending Detail Report (billing statement)
• Cardholder Statement of Disputed Items (if applicable)
• Original Receipts/Invoices in order as they appear on the Cardholder Spending Detail Report (receipts/invoices that are less than 8-1/2" x 11", tape to an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper)
6. Forward the documentation to your Authorizer within 4 working days.

Authorizer Procedures:

View/authorize online in SAM each Cardholder's transactions to ensure that the purchases are appropriate. Make sure all original, itemized receipts/invoices and documentation are attached.

Authorizer will forward these documents within two (2) working days to Accounts Payable, Mail Code #8202. Do NOT send them to Ellen Steinberg or the Purchasing Department.

Special Note: One (1) copy of the Cardholder Spending Detail Report, itemized receipts/invoices and other required documantation are to be kept by the department for one (1) year.

Other Procedures:

When your password to login to SAM is disabled, email pcardhelp-l@csun.edu to inform the PCard Coordinator to reset your password.

Reporting P-Card Fraud:

If you detect fraud (unauthorized purchases) contact American Express Customer Service immediately (800) 274-7378 and the P-Card Coordinator. Here are the steps you need to take when you report fraud charges on the P-Card:

• When you contact the Fraud Department, you will need to provide them with your email address in order for them to send you the affidavit to report the fraudulent charges on your P-Card.
• After you receive the affidavit, you must return it immediately to the Fraud Department. Once the Fraud Department receives the affidavit, the credits for the charges will appear in SAM.

In some instances, American Express may notify the P-Card Coordinator of fraud. The Cardholder will be contacted by the Coordinator and given instructions.

In either case, when the fraud charge(s) appear on the Cardholder Spending Detail Report and in the SAM online Transaction Summary Record, the Cardholder should leave the chartfields blank and indicate "Fraud" in the Additional Comments section of the Transaction Detail Record. Accounts Payable will be responsible for obtaining a credit from American Express for the charges.

What To Do When Your P-Card Is Denied:

In the event a transaction is declined, please contact the P-Card Coordinator. The P-Card Coordinator will take the necessary action to allow the transaction to process. The denial may be due to a number of reasons, for example:

• Merchant Activity Code - All vendors are categorized according to commodity and service type. The vendor may fall into a category that we have globally blocked and we can easily remedy this situation.
• Purchase Limits - You may have inadvertently exceeded your single or monthly transaction limit. We can easily remedy this situation and provide a temporary increase on the card to allow the transaction to process.
• CV2 Code (Security Code) - Merchants are requiring the 3-digit code, which is imprinted on the reverse side in the signature strip of the P-Card, adjacent to the account number. You should provide this 3-digit code to the merchant to remedy the situation.

Disputed Items:

Once a Cardholder identifies a disputed item on their statement, they must report the dispute online in SAM. The Cardholder is responsible for resolving the dispute. If the Cardholder has any questions regarding disputed items, please call the P-Card Coordinator

Reporting Lost P-Cards:

The following steps must be taken immediately:

• Cardholder contacts American Express Customer Service (800) 274-7378.
• Cardholder notifies the P-Card Coordinator.
• P-Card Coordinator notifies the Cardholder when replacement card is available for pickup.

Replacement of Worn/Defective Cards:

To replace a P-Card that is worn or defective:

• The Cardholder must cut the card in half and return it to the P-Card Coordinator
• Attach a memorandum requesting a replacement card
• The destroyed card and memorandum must be submitted to: Purchasing Department, University Hall, Room 180, Attention: P-Card Coordinator
• P-Card Coordinator will notify the Cardholder when a replacement card is available for pickup

Replacement Due to Employee Turnover or Separation from the University:

• If a Carholder transfers to another department they must obtain all receipts for transactions in the current billing cycle (if any), provide these receipts to their Authorizer and return the card in person to the P-Card Coordinator.
• Upon termination of employement from the University, the Cardholder must obtain all receipts for transactions in the current billing cycle (if any), provide these receipts to their Authorizer and return the card to their department as part of the separation/clearance process as outlined by Human Resource Services prior to separation.
• In both instances, the P-Card Coordinator will confirm with the Authorizer that the Cardholder has provided receipts for the transactions in the current billing cycle to the Authorizer.