Purchasing Card (PCard)
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Purchasing Card Overview
Purchasing Card one page overview
Harvard’s Purchasing Card (also known as PCards) are University-liability credit cards issued in the names of authorized, trained individuals to purchase low-dollar eligible goods and services in support of Harvard University business. For information on how to apply for a PCard please send a filled out and signed Pcard Application to Jason Green jason.green@cfa.harvard.edu .
Individuals should exercise the same if not greater prudence and care in incurring expenses on behalf of the University as they would for their own personal expenses. For more information please read the University PCard Manual.
Cardholder Responsibilities
All PCard transactions must be for necessary University business and substantiated by a detailed business purpose, original receipts and reviewed in the settlement system by a person other than the card holder. Please note that the PCard must not be for the convenience or benefit of the cardholder. Improper use of the PCard, including use of the PCard for personal purchases, may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Use your card for non-travel-related business purchases, such as:
- Low dollar and recurring transactions (subscriptions, etc.)
- Office Supplies – please remember that the primary method of buying office supplies is using WB Mason through the Buy-to-Pay punchout catalog
- Local (Cambridge/Boston area) business meals
- Books
Cardholders should not purchase prohibited commodities, such as:
- Travel expenses
- Charges from non-incorporated vendors
- Gift certificates or gift cards of any amount
- Radioactive materials
As responsible PCard holders, please do the following:
- Obtain original receipts and submit them to Jason Green each week (by Tuesday at 5 PM)
- Provide the reviewer with the proper GL coding and business purpose (Who, What, Where, When, Why) for each PCard transaction.
- Review monthly PCard statements to ensure that there are no errors or discrepancies.
- Complete a Missing Receipt Affidavit Form for any misplaced or missing receipts.
The Purchasing Card Administrator has the ability to suspend or terminate Purchasing Card privileges in instances of misuse.
Useful Links
Training
- This Saba PCard training course provides an overview of Harvard’s PCard policy Training Overview.
Citibank Customer Service
- Phone: 1-800-248-4553
- Phone: 1-904-954-7314 (when calling from outside the US)
Purchasing Card
- Purchasing Card Application Process
- Read the Purchasing Card Policy.
- Complete the PCard Overview Training and ROPPA Training.
- Complete the Application
- Submit the completed application form to your local administrator in accordance with departmental guidelines.
- Purchasing Card FAQs
- Purchasing Card one page overview
Website
Other
- How to get set up with a Harvard FedEx Account (FedEx should link to your PCARD – to note: Judy Bradford is no longer the FedEx contact – Strategic Procurement website needs to be updated; contacts are: Ryanne Griffin and Shawn Rike)
- Definition of a valid receipt
- Gift Cards: individuals cannot be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses paid for by a gift card – the proof of purchase must be a credit/cash transactio
- Certain apps (like Dunkin’ and Starbucks) requires users to pre-load funds into their account: in those instances Central AP is OK with those receipts as long as it is not obvious a Gift Card is being used. If the receipt shows that a Gift Card is being used, then it is not considered a reimbursable cost. Source (Jason Green correspondence with Central AP email exchange Monday, January 10, 2022)
- Gift Cards: individuals cannot be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses paid for by a gift card – the proof of purchase must be a credit/cash transactio
- Generalized Business Purpose Document
- How does the PCARD System Correlate to HART (Detail Listing)?