The University is launching a Purchasing Card scheme in Spring 2011. Purchasing Cards replace the traditional Corporate Cards which many members of staff have used in the past. Expenditure on Purchasing Cards is seen quickly and transparently on-line and administration time for processing of card statements is greatly reduced. All transactions are viewed and processed on-line through secure account login details on the Barclay Card website.
Existing Purchasing Card users:
Guidance on using your account
Using your card to make a purchase
University purchasing cards are mainly used to purchase:
- Accommodation (hotels or conference accommodation)
- Conference or meeting registration fees
- Hospitality (including meals or subsistence costs)
- Travel (including rail, air, ferry, fuel)
Approval must be obtained from the Procurement Office, prior to making purchases (other than for those items listed above) which are over the value of £200.
All purchases should be made in line with the University’s Financial Regulations, and the specific advice relating to International Travel and paragraph 63 of the Staff Fees, Expenses and Benefits Manual on Reward Schemes for Air Travel.
Making your purchase secure
Before making on-line purchases you should set your computer to the highest level of security notifications and monitoring. CiCS provide guidance on on-line security. You should also read the guidance and warnings about paying for goods or services purchased on-line (including known issues with PayPal payments).
Purchasing from on-line auction sites is not advised. The University doesn’t have the same protections when purchasing on-line. The Procurement Office won’t be able to negotiate on your behalf if you are not satisfied with goods purchased through on-line auction sites.
If you do decide to make a purchase from an on-line auction site then you must have prior approval from your Head of Department and the Procurement Office before making a purchase. Additionally, you will also need approval from the funding body if your purchase is to be funded through a research grant, or any other external funding source where specific terms and conditions apply to expenditure.
If you don’t recognise expenditure on your statement then please contact a member of the Payments Team as soon as possible.
Retaining receipts and documentation
All supporting documentation for purchases made on the University purchasing card should be kept for six financial years PLUS the current financial year.
It is the responsibility of the card holder to retain all original receipts for purchases made on their Purchasing Card. Credit card receipts alone cannot be accepted as they do not itemise goods and services purchased, nor do they show the VAT element of the purchase.
Order confirmations, receipts and communications supporting on-line purchases should also be printed out and retained.
All expenditure for Travel, Accommodation, Events (including conferences) and Hospitality should include a record of:
- who is attending the event or using the services provided
- are the attendees staff or visitors (names of visitors should include reference to the organisation they work for)
- the date of the event or when the services are provided
- the location of the event or where the services are provided for (eg London, Edinburgh)
- what is the business purpose of the event or activity the services are provided for
For example: 'Travel to London to attend a meeting' does not provide enough information about the purchase. ‘Gregory Wold (staff) to attend the UYTSS conference in Aberdeen on 5-11 September 2011' is a good example which does provide enough information about the purchase.
All expenditure for fuel used for business mileage should include a record of each journey made:
- the date of travel
- starting address
- destination address
- number of miles
- the business purpose of the travel
Staff are also required to maintain a cumulative record of their business mileage from 6 April each year.
Apply for a Purchasing Card?
If you would like to apply for a Purchasing Card then please contact your Departmental Administrator or Office to ask them to complete, and approve, an application form for you.
Need help or more information?
If you have any queries then please contact the Payments Team.
For guidance on the use of Purchasing Cards or making on-line purchases contact a member of the Procurement Office.