Purchasing Card
The University of Richmond Purchasing Card (PCard) is a corporate Master Card issued through JP Morgan Chase. The PCard is designed to provide an efficient way to process orders of University business-related goods and services, as well as allowing departments to make business-related travel purchases. Qualified purchases within a predetermined purchase limit can be charged directly to the PCard. All PCard transactions are posted to Chrome River daily; however, they are posted to the department's budget only after the cardholder (or delegate) allocates the transaction to the index and expense tile (account code) in Chrome River.
The following guidelines should be observed regarding the proper use of the PCard in conjunction with the University’s procurement policies and procedures. Please see the complete Purchasing Card Policy for more information.
Authorized PCard Use
- The PCard can be used to purchase office supplies, small replaceable equipment (calculator, etc.), classroom and laboratory supplies, subscriptions, books, videos, miscellaneous one-time purchases, and travel and entertainment expenses.
- Purchases that total less than $10,000 individually or in aggregate, that meet the "exception" criteria identified in the Procurement Policy, that are on a contract, or that was preapproved by the Procurement Office.
- Information Services (IS) should be contacted for any computer equipment or peripherals purchases.
Unauthorized Charges on the PCard
Personal expenses are not allowed on the PCard and may result in the suspension of the card. Additionally, items listed on the Non-Allowable Expenses Guide are not allowed on a PCard, are not reimbursable, and may not be billed to the University.
In some departments, there may be a need to make purchases that are normally not allowed. In those instances, the department must discuss with the purchasing card program manager the need for the exception. Card restrictions may be adjusted if the department can justify the exception.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Your personal credit history will not be checked or affected when applying for or using the Purchasing Card. The personal information on the application will only be used for identification purposes when activating your card for the first time.
Make sure that you use secure websites, and that the item being purchased is allowed according to University of Richmond Purchasing Card Policy.
Yes. Every Purchasing Card transaction requires a detailed invoice or receipt of what was purchased in accorance with the University of Richmond Purchasing Card Policy. All receipts and documentation must be uploaded into Chrome River during the allocation process.
Yes. JP Morgan (our PCard provider) pays the merchant within a few days of the merchant processing the transaction. Transactions that are not submitted or approved in Chrome River will not post to the department's budget, however.
No. Once the charge has been made, your credit card will be billed. The cardholder would need to make arrangements directly with the merchant to obtain a credit, which would be processed through the card.
No. Tell merchants you are tax-exempt and that you will be purchasing with a corporate MasterCard. Show them the tax-exempt number on the card or provide a copy of the Sales Tax Exemption. (For a copy of the Virginia State Sales Tax Exemption form, contact the Purchasing Office)
At a minimum, the cardholder, delegate, approver, and the program administrators can see a cardholder's transactions.
Yes. In instances where a single receipt has expenses that need to be charged to different expense tiles (account codes), use the Itemization expense tile in Chrome River. Refer to the Splitting Expenses Between Multiple Accounts quick guide for more information.
No. If there are any indices that are not listed in Chrome River, please contact the Budget Office (opb@richmond.edu) to ensure it is a valid index.
Yes. The cardholder must complete the PCard Account Maintenance form, and forward it to the program manager (pcards@richmond.edu) to make the change.
In most instances, PCard reports should be submitted on the 25th of each month so that approvers have ample time to review and approve the report by month end. This ensures the transactions are included in the monthly budget reports and that budget information is accurate in Banner.
If you have a lot of transactions, or will be out of the office, and cannot wait until the 25th of the month to submit the report, then you may submit the report earlier, or submit multiple reports to make the allocation process easier. Any transactions that post after the report has been submitted for approval may be added to a new report for the next month.
The missing receipt form is no longer required. If you do not have a receipt to upload, you are required to provide an explanation in Chrome River before you will be able to submit your PCard report for approval.
Please email pcards@richmond.edu.
Please contact JP Morgan at the phone number listed on the back of your PCard. Email pcards@richmond.edu to let the PCard team know that you will be receiving a new PCard.
Yes. Approval from the Controller's Office along with the gift form with the recipient's signature is required. A gift form is not required if the gift is for research study. Please review the Gifts, Prizes, and Awards policy for further information.
Yes. PaymentNet is available to review PCard limits, review declined transactions, dispute transactions, and activate new cards. It can no longer be used to allocate transactions. All allocations take place in Chrome River.
Please visit the Controller's website to see more information about Chrome River.
