CITY OF INDEPENDENCE PROCUREMENT CARDHOLDER QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE SUMMARY The P-card is the mandatory method of payment for all purchases or payments. NO FEES: Be sure the vendor does not charge added fees for using the Pcard. Use requisition and purchase order if vendor does not accept P-card. Transaction limit is $5,000 on most cards. Card usage is monitored. Cards may be suspended or revoked at any time for policy non-compliance and cardholder is subject to disciplinary action. Any purchases made against the card are your responsibility as the cardholder or if assigned a department card. Do not lend your card to anyone. No personal purchases are allowed.
TAX EXEMPTION The City is sales tax exempt. The City’s tax exempt number is printed on the face of the P-card. Keep a copy of the sales tax letter handy if a vendor asks for it; they are required to keep it on file. OUT OF STATE TRANSACTIONS Purchases made in a state other than Missouri must be delivered to a Missouri address to be tax exempt. Orders picked up or services received in any other state will be subject to sales tax. The City of Independence is not exempt from hotel excise taxes or fuel taxes. Hotels in the state of Missouri will accept the City’s exemption for sales tax but not hotel excise tax.
CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES Keep P-card secure. Keep sales receipts and turn in to your department P-card reconciler immediately. Receipts must have a detailed, itemized description of the purchase, not just “miscellaneous”, or a credit card machine receipt with only a total. It is a best practice to take a picture of your receipt immediately to ensure you do not lose the receipt. Standard practice at the department level is to reconcile transactions at least weekly; do not hold receipts for an extended period of time. Attach quotes for all purchases that exceed the current bidding threshold; upload with receipt. Food purchases: include a detailed receipt, purpose of the purchase, and a listing of people who consume the food; this is an IRS requirement. Include with receipts. Lost or stolen cards: call or email the Procurement Manager and the Department Reconciler immediately. If outside of normal working hours, call U.S. Bank immediately at 800-344-5696 and report to Procurement Manager as soon as possible. Over limit charges: request approval from Department Director and Procurement Manager via email. Comply with all Procurement and P-card policies and procedures. Lost receipt affidavit form is available in case of a lost receipt (CityNet – click Departments/Finance/ Forms/Policies). Excessive use of affidavits is cause for revocation of your P-Card.
REFUNDS & RETURNS Always require the vendor to credit your P-card; never take a refund by cash or check. FRAUD It is your responsibility as a City employee to report all suspected instances of fraud, waste, and abuse. If your card is put on hold or there is suspicion of fraud, call the toll free number on the back of your card. If your card has to be replaced by the bank, contact the Procurement Manager immediately at 816-325-7091 or email rpankey@indepmo.org to ensure changes are made in the financial system. Do not hold reconciliation. All charges must be paid immediately and resolved as soon as possible. Enter note in the notes section for the transaction in the US Bank system, including expected resolution, attach a lost receipt affidavit that explains the transaction if fraudulent and credit is forthcoming, and process for payment. The bank will send a fraud verification form to you. Complete and return to the bank and submit a copy to your reconciler to attach to the credit line. DISPUTES Do not hold reconciliation. All charges must be paid immediately and resolved as soon as possible. Dispute occurs when cardholder makes the transaction but it appears incorrectly on the US Bank system. Cardholder is required to immediately try to resolve the dispute with the vendor. If Cardholder is unable to resolve the dispute with the vendor, mark the transaction as disputed in the US Bank system & notify Procurement Manager to assist with resolution.
PROHIBITED USE OF P-CARDS These items MAY NOT be purchased with a City P-card: Alcoholic beverages Cash advances Personal items – your P-card is not a personal short-term loan Split purchases – splitting the cost of a purchase to circumvent the current bid threshold.
U.S. BANK is the issuer of the City of Independence Pcards. The customer service center phone number is 800-344-5696. Address for all P-cards is PO Box 1019, Independence, MO 64051. Using a different address or zip code will result in transaction rejection. 1