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About the P-Card Program

Welcome to Abilene Christian University’s Purchasing Card program. We hope you find this website useful for all your p-card needs. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call any of the administrators.

The purchasing card provides a faster, more cost-effective method for making purchases on behalf of ACU. Contrary to the traditional request for payment or purchase order, cardholders do not have to be burdened by placing orders, waiting on the invoice, and check payment cycles. ACU’s p-card is a MasterCard credit card from JPMorgan Chase and can be used at accepting merchants for making direct allowable purchases.

The p-card is a privilege granted to faculty and staff, which must be used in a responsible and appropriate manner. Fraudulent misuse of the card or policy disobedience will result in card suspension, financial restitution, and/or other disciplinary actions set forth under university policy.

 

The Latest P-Card Training

Important Dates

15th day of the month: Cardholders are required to submit monthly CBS expense reports in Concur by 5 p.m. on the 15th day of the month. If the 15th day of the month is on a weekend or holiday, CBS expense reports should be submitted in Concur on the following business day. Please note that expense reallocations and receipt uploads can be performed at any time throughout the month. In order to ease the burden of reallocating all charges by the reporting due date, we suggest reallocating expenses in Concur as the transactions post throughout the month.

P-Card transactions will post to the general ledger after the CBS p-card monthly expense report is submitted and approved in Concur.

Subscribe to our Accounting and P-Card Calendar to add accounting and p-card deadlines to your ACU calendar.

Concur CBS P-Card Expense Report User Guide

Cardholder Responsibilities

  • Cardholders have the following responsibilities:
    1. Ensure the proper and secure use of the p-card and respect the card as if it were their own.
    2. The cardholder may initiate transactions on behalf of others in his/her department; however, the cardholder is responsible for all use of his/her card.
    3. Ensure that sufficient budget funds exist for making purchases and only use FOAP numbers the cardholder is authorized for.
    4. Know and follow the p-card policy as well as any other applicable university policies.
    5. On a monthly basis each cardholder or department responsible individual should complete the following processes:
      1. Reallocate p-card transactions throughout the month to the appropriate FOAPA in Concur Expense
      2. Provide a valid business purpose for each expense
      3.  Upload receipts that correspond with posted p-card transactions in the applicable monthly Concur CBS report
      4.  Submit monthly CBS expense reports in Concur Expense by the 15th day of the month following posted card transactions

     

    Concur CBS P-Card Expense Report User Guide

Receipts and Documentation

It is recommended that a receipt be obtained for all transactions. For all lodging, air travel, rental car, other travel expenses, and meal expenses, an itemized receipt must be obtained regardless of the amount. For other purchases not related to travel or meals, an itemized receipt is required for transactions totaling $25 or more. If the amount of the transaction is below $75 and documentation of the purchase cannot be obtained from the vendor, fill out a Missing Receipt Statement in its entirety and put the statement in the receipt’s place in the monthly expense report. If the amount of the transaction is $75 or more, vendor documentation must be provided or cardholder reimbursement will be required.

A receipt can be one of the following:

  • Sales receipt
  • Email confirmation

All receipts must provide the following information:

  • Vendor name
  • Date of purchase
  • Items purchased
  • Unit cost
  • Total cost

Contact Us

JP Morgan Chase:

24 Hour Card Member Service: 800-316-6056
Outside of the U.S.: 847-488-3748   

ACU Purchasing Card Administrators:

For p-card assistance, please contact:

Accounts Payable
ACU Box 29110
Phone: 325-674-6167
Email: pcard@acu.edu

Reporting

Concur CBS Reporting: acu.edu/concur

 

Learning and Development Opportunities

If an employee needs to apply for a university purchasing card, their request for a card should first be discussed with the employee’s supervisor. If the supervisor determines that a purchasing card is needed, the employee will need to fill out a new purchasing card account application for an individual or to request a department p-card along with a signed ACU Purchasing Cardholder Agreement. Both completed and signed forms should be e-mailed to pcard@acu.edu. Cardholders for Individual Cards and Responsible Individuals for department p-cards are notified by e-mail once the employee has completed and passed the p-card test. Employees are also notified by e-mail when a new or replacement p-card arrives in the Finance office and is ready for pickup.

The following purchases are considered prohibited and the funds charged to the university card will need to be reimbursed to ACU through the Cashier’s Office:

  • Alcoholic beverages or tobacco products
  • Cell phones or cell phone monthly bill payments – see the Cell Phone Policy 
  • Personal purchases that are not business related expenses
  • Cash as a credit for returned items

The following items should not be purchased with an ACU purchasing card:

  • Travel expenses (with the exception of fuel in a university vehicle)
  • Fuel in a personal vehicle – If an individual is using their personal vehicle for ACU business, they need to track mileage and turn in a Concur expense report for mileage reimbursement. Mileage reimbursements not only cover fuel costs but also wear and tear on the vehicle. Please see ACU’s Travel & Entertainment Policy.  
  • Gift cards, gift certificates, or store credits
  • Gifts purchased over 30 days in advance without an intended business purpose
  • Certain gifts, awards, prizes, and reception costs – please see ACU’s Gifts, Awards, Prizes, & Receptions Policy when making such purchases
  • Cash advances
  • Cash as a credit for returned items
  • Alcoholic beverages or tobacco products
  • Personal purchases including individual memberships. For example: Amazon, Spotify, and Sam’s Club memberships are prohibited.
  • Personal utility bills
  • Spousal or family expenses unless previous approval from the tax director has been obtained through a Spousal Accompaniment Approval form – see the Travel & Entertainment Policy for more detail
  • Cell phones or cell phone monthly bill payments – see the Cell Phone Policy
  • Internal ACU purchases such as ACU Billing, ACU Press, ACU Theater tickets, ACU Athletic tickets, ACU dinner tickets, ACU Meal Plans, or CopyCat are prohibited. These purchases should be made using a departmental FOAP.
  • Telephone and computer purchases – these items should be purchased through the Information Technology department.
  • All travel expenses for employees should be purchased using an employee’s travel card and not with a university purchasing card.
  • Other purchases in violation of university policy – see the P-Card Policy and the Employee Handbook for more detail.

Please consider this website as training on ACU’s p-card policies and procedures. There is an account holder guide and training tool available on the main page of SDOL (JP Morgan’s Smart Data On-Line website) to assist with the cardholder’s SDOL needs. Individual and group training is also available if needed; please contact Accounts Payable or University Purchasing to set up a time.

Before a new cardholder receives his/her p-card, he/she will be required to pass a p-card test. Each cardholder must receive at least a 75 on the test. Each cardholder will be required to re-take the test every time the card is up for renewal.