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Pro-card Program Roles

Summary: Learn the responsibilities of the roles that support the Pro-card program.

Roles provide the foundation for workflow, manage the notification and distribution process, and ensure security for Pro-card program activity. To learn more about the responsibilities of each role, click the links below:

• Program Administrator
• Purchasing Card Authorizer (PCA)
• Cardholder Supervisor
• FAST/AP (or Bay Tree Bookstore, Library, Physical Plant, PP&C and UCO Lick Observatory)
• Cardholder

Pro-card Program Administrator is responsible for:

• Administering Pro-card program accounts, systems and tools
• Communicating with U.S. Bank on Pro-card issues
• Monitoring departmental reconciliation activity and unresolved dispute activity with U.S. Bank
• Requesting new or modified cards from U.S. Bank
• Requesting card cancellations from U.S. Bank
• Auditing for compliance with Pro-card program policy
• Monitoring transaction activity for fraud detection and prevention
• Training and certifying Purchasing Card Administrators (PCA) and Cardholder Supervisors

Purchasing Card Authorizers (PCA) are responsible for:

• Developing and implementing departmental internal procedures that govern use of the Pro-card
  • Timely reconciliation
  • Appropriate record keeping
  • Expense validation and redistribution
  • Separation of duties
• Identifying and assigning the role of Cardholder Supervisor to members of their department or unit
• Training unit members on their department's fiscal requirements
• Monitoring usage to ensure that Purchasing, Accounting, and internal control policies and procedures are being followed

Employees must receive approval from their division to become Purchasing Card Authorizers (PCAs) and must complete an authorization process before assuming these responsibilities.

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Cardholder Supervisors are responsible for:

• Approving employees for participation in the Purchasing Card Program
• Identifying restrictions to be placed on Card
• Approving and processing Cardholder Applications and Agreement Forms for new cards, and Cardholder Applications for changes and cancellations
• Revoking Cards if abuse occurs
• Ensuring exit interview procedure includes closure of purchasing card
• Requesting termination of inactive cards

• Reviewing purchases to ensure they meet objectives and are within restrictions placed on Card
• Forwarding signed and dated statements to FAST before 10th day of month after statement issuance date
• Working with the cardholder to ensure that charges are recorded correctly in the campus financial system
• Monitoring usage and responding to any misuse of Card by Cardholder
• Designating back-up approver in case of absence.

• Answering cardholder questions about special fund restrictions
• Knowing pro-card limitations and restrictions
• Sharing new program information with cardholders

Note: The roles of Purchasing Card Authorizer (PCA) and Cardholder Supervisor may be performed by a single UCSC employee, for some departments/units.

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FAST is responsible for:

• Applying fund requirements and application of California sales/use tax; see How to Accrue Correct Sales and Use Taxes for Pro-card Transactions
• Redistributing charges to other indexes and accounts, when necessary as authorized by the departmental PCA; see How to Complete a Transfer of Expenditure/Income (TOE)
• Logging received statements in Filemaker database
• Storing information, as Office of Record

Important: Bay Tree Bookstore, Library, Physical Plant, PP&C and UCO Lick Observatory each have responsibility for the above tasks for their units or departments.

Pro-card Cardholders are responsible for:

• Purchasing items for UCSC business use only
• Never lending or sharing your pro-card
• Purchasing only allowable goods and services, not restricted items
• Keeping all purchases to less than your assigned transaction limit (splitting purchases into multiple transactions to avoid the transaction limit is never allowed)
• Providing reconciled monthly statements, with attached sales receipts, packing slips, and other similar documentation, to your Cardholder Supervisor
• Reviewing and responding to e-mail notifications
• Returning the pro-card when reassigned or terminated, or upon department request
• Knowing and understanding responsible buying practices, including the including the Purchasing Policies and Guidelines.
• Understanding funding sources for your card's account:
  • Only use your pro-card for purchases that match the card's specific FOAPAL [fund-org-account-program-activity code]
    OR
  • Request a transfer of expenditure (TOE) for purchases that do not match your card's FOAPAL

  Do not use your card to purchase goods or services that are not allowable under the terms of state or federal funds. If you are uncertain about your fund source restrictions, contact your Cardholder Supervisor or Purchasing Card Authorizer (PCA).

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Last revised: August 15, 2007 (am)