Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the purchasing card program implemented?  
To provide departments with a widely accepted method of ordering small dollar items. Departments now have another choice beyond the purchase order and petty cash options.

Are departments required to use the purchasing card for their purchases $5,000 or less (including shipping & handling)?  
The purchasing card is a more convenient and efficient way of ordering items $5,000 or less (including shipping & handling) with the exception of those items appearing on the "Prohibited Purchases" list. The Purchasing Department is encouraging departments to place their own order by using the purchasing card. Purchases under $200 may still be purchased through petty cash.

How are purchasing cards obtained?  
MTU Purchasing Card Agreements may be obtained from the Purchasing Department and the web site. Fill out the purchasing card agreement form, obtain the appropriate signatures, and return it to the Purchasing Department.

How long will it take to receive the card?  
Allow two weeks.

Can the purchasing card be used for personal purchases if the department's account is reimbursed for the charges?  
No, and as noted in the MTU Purchasing Card Agreement, non-adherence to this procedure will result in the revocation of the individual cardholder's privileges.

What do I do if my card is lost or stolen or I suspect fraud?  
Notify Elan at 800-344-3696 first, and then contract the Purchasing Department at 7-2510. If you suspect your card was stolen on campus, notify Public Safety at 7-2216 as well. The department is responsible for any and all unauthorized use.

Ordering/Use

May a department use the purchasing card for reimbursable and personal expenses, entertainment, meals, and other out of pocket expenses?  
No. For specific instructions on how to receive reimbursement for the aforementioned expenses, please contact the Accounts Payable Office (Travel Desk) at 7-2373 or the web site.

May departments use the purchasing card for repairs?  
Yes, if the total repair cost is less than $5,000 and if the repair work is done off-campus.  

For on-campus repairs, use a Purchase Requisition Form due to liability and insurance issues.

May card holders use the purchasing cards for advertising purchases?  
No.  All advertising must be ordered through the Purchasing Dept on a Purchase Requisition Form with ad copy attached.

Can purchasing cards be used for rentals of any kind?  
Yes.

Receiving

Can departments request that University Central Receiving personnel pick up their purchases from local vendors?  
No.  Cardholders must pick up their own orders or request that they ship to their standard departmental "ship to" address.

If no one is in the office to sign for a shipment, what happens?  
The package carriers will make two additional attempts to deliver (two more days) then it is returned to the vendor.

What if the carton is crushed, ripped, wet, or rattles?  
Note the condition of the shipment on the delivery slip you are signing for. Then call the vendor to make a claim. Save the carton, contents, and paperwork for inspection.  

NOTE: Shipping labels without the room & bldg can not be delivered by common carrier and will be delivered to Central Receiving for redistribution within the University at their convenience.

Payment/Audit

How will payments be processed to the purchasing card company?  
Upon receipt of a monthly billing statement from the purchasing card company by Accounts Payable, one monthly payment will be automatically processed to the purchasing card company. Accounts Payable will then charge each department their appropriate amount as indicated on the billing statement.  

NOTE: Each cardholder will receive a billing statement from the purchasing card company that lists the purchases during that billing period.

How should a discrepancy (disputed item) on the purchasing card statement be handled?  
The department completes the Cardholder Statement of Disputed Items (see attachment) within 10 days and sends it to the purchasing card company:

Elan Financial Services
Attn: Corporate Dispute Dept
P.O. Box 6344
Fargo, ND 58125-6344
Phone: (800) 344-5696

Should a department request a refund or credit from a vendor?
If you return something or have been overcharged for an item, you must request a credit to your card and verify on your statement that you have received the credit.

What audit requirements are cardholders responsible for?  
Cardholders must retain their monthly statements, purchasing card receipts (the receipts are to be a descriptive itemization of your purchase) for three (3) years.  

If a purchasing card transaction was charged to a grant or contract, the statements and receipts are to be saved for seven (7) years after the contract or grant ends.

What tax exempt information should I provide a vendor if they question MTU's tax exempt status?  

• State of MI Sales Tax & Federal Excise Tax-Free Registry #  38 73 0627 K  (To Be Used For University Business Only)  
• State of WI Sales Tax & Federal Excise Tax-Free Registry #  ES 41033  (To Be Used For University Business Only)  
• Federal ID #38-6005955

What is the last date of the monthly billing period?  
The last date will be the 10th of the month or the Friday before if the 10th falls on a weekend.

Can the total amount which appears for account E210 be split up and reassigned to more applicable account numbers?  
Yes. The easiest way to do this is to use the Visa Information Management (VIM) web site to make your reallocations before the charges are posted to Banner.  

Purchasing Card Suspension or Revocation

Under what circumstances would my purchasing card be taken away?  

Your card may be suspended if:  

• You purchase a prohibited item.  
• You exceed the item or monthly limits.  
• You can't provide transaction slips for all of your charges.  
• You have many disputes or problems with vendors.  
• You regularly use the incorrect shipping address.  

Could I ever get my card back?  
Possibly. You'll need to reapply.  Fill out the purchasing agreement form obtaining the appropriate signatures and return it to the Purchasing Department.  You will then be required to meet with the Manager of Purchasing concerning your adherence to following purchasing card guidelines.  After the meeting, you'll be notified.

Credit Card Reallocation on VIM Website

When is the earliest date that you can re-allocate a transaction?
As soon as it is posted to the Visa Information Management (VIM) website.

When is the latest date that you can re-allocate a transaction?
Up until the date the transactions are downloaded to Banner.

How will you know the latest date that you can reallocate a transaction?
Notification of the last day to do re-allocations each month will be sent via email to all card holders and card managers.

What happens when the index or account code that you enter is invalid or inactive?
If the index or account code is invalid or inactive you will get an error message on the VIM website.

What happens when the index or account code is valid but is the wrong index or code?
If the index or account code is wrong, nothing happens unless someone catches the error.  When the error is caught, you can do a Reallocation of Expenditure to correct the error.

What happens if the index doesn't have enough money in it?
If there isn't enough money in your account (index), then you have to find the money someplace else and make a budget transfer.  If there isn't enough money in a research account, Research Accounting will notify you and the index will be changed back to the orginal index before the interface is completed.

What if you don't get the re-allocation done by the deadline?
Re-allocations can still be done using a Reallocation of Expenditure after the transactions have been downloaded into Banner if the charge is for the most recent billing cycle. If the charge is older then a month, you must use the Reallocation of Expenditure form which requires a signature of the financial manager, the department chair (60 days after the date of original charge), and Dean or VP (90 days after the original charge).

Who do you contact if you forget your VIM password?
Lisa Redding in Purchasing (lmreddin@mtu.edu, 487-2510) can reset your password.