Purchasing Card Policies
Do not use your P-Card prior to committee approval.
- LDF requests must be submitted and approved before the event takes place. Avoid using your P-Card prior to committee approval. If you use it before your request is approved and it turns out that your requested funding is not approved, you will be responsible for reimbursement to the Fund.
- Exception: If the conference is offering reduced hotel rates and you want to make sure you get one before they run out, the reservation can be made on your P-Card immediately, as long as the hotel’s policy allows cancellation. The actual expense does not go on the card until you check out, so would be approved by the time it is actually incurred.
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If a traveler has a Purchasing Card authorized for travel and entertainment, the traveler must use the card to pay for business-related expenditures, maintain the required documentation, obtain approvals, and reconcile all charges in the Concur Reporting System. In addition, the business purpose of each travel and entertainment-related expenses must be clearly indicated in the Concur Reporting System.
Use your P-Card whenever possible and utilize USF alternative forms of payment as a backup. Expenses on a P-Card can be processed right away. Personal funds will not be reimbursed until close to the event date.
Obtaining a Purchasing Card
All Gleeson librarians are eligible to apply for a purchasing card.
Purchasing Card Limits
Effective July 1, 2023, the P-Card credit limit is $4,000 with a single-transaction limit of $2,000. Consecutive purchases or one large purchase might exceed the limit. Plan ahead and talk with the Dean's Office about increasing the limit temporarily.
Avoiding Personal Purchases
P-Card policy restricts use of the purchasing card for personal purchases. This includes added personal expenses at hotels. If you sign for personal purchases in your hotel room (i.e. movies, video games, laundry) you must pay for those items yourself before settling the bill with your USF P-Card. Most hotels will split out any expenses you wish to pay separately.
Only in extreme circumstances should a personal purchase that needs to be repaid to USF end up on your P-Card. An example might be on a hotel bill when you had to do express checkout because you overslept and were running late to get to the airport for your flight. However, it is up to Purchasing Card Services, not the LDF Committee, to follow up with anyone who consistently engages in the practice of charging personal expenses to a P-Card.
Although personal charges on the University purchasing card are prohibited, if one is made accidentally, a reimbursement check needs to be made out to USF and sent up to Accounting and Business Services (LMN 3rd FL) with attention to P-Card manager. Please note in the memo line that the check is for a personal reimbursement. In your expense report click the box “personal (do not reimburse)”.
For questions about Purchasing Card Services, please contact:
Dennis Miller Assistant Director, Disbursement Services
415.422.2102 phone 415.422.2530 fax millerd@usfca.edu