Purchasing Card Use at GSD
This is a summary of policies and procedures for GSD users of the Purchasing Card. This supplements but
does not substitute for Harvard policies and procedures. Please consult the on-line Purchasing Card Manual
for the complete Harvard policies at http://able.harvard.edu/pcard/pcard_index.shtml
The Harvard University Purchasing Card (P Card) can be used by Harvard employees and designated
students (Cardholders) to purchase low dollar goods for Harvard use. The P Card is a JP Morgan Chase
MasterCard, and can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted, subject to the policy limitations noted below.
The P Card is a MasterCard with corporate liability, and will not affect your personal credit history. Use of the
P Card for personal use is strictly prohibited.
Policies on Card Use
The Purchasing Card is strongly encouraged for appropriate uses because it is an efficient way to purchase
and pay for goods below your authorized spending limit. For guidelines on recommended use of P Card, go to
http://pcard.fad.harvard.edu/
Note, however, that improper use of the Purchasing Card may result in disciplinary action.
Restricted Uses. The card may not be used for the following:
 Travel and Entertainment purchases, such as:
Airline tickets
Travel agencies
Hotels
Car rentals
Restaurants outside the Boston/Cambridge vicinity
Automotive gasoline
Tolls
Theaters
Clubs
Railroad tickets
Bus tickets
Cruise ships
Cash advances
Traveler’s checks
Zip Cars
 Gifts
Any gift over $75
All gift certificates
 Animals and animal-related purchases
 Services of non-incorporated providers
Catering (non-incorporated)
Consulting (non-incorporated)
Repairs (non-incorporated)
Maintenance (non-incorporated)
 Internal Service Providers (i.e. any vendor using Harvard’s 33 digit chart of accounts), such as:
Harvard Faculty Club
Harvard Parking
Outings & Innings
 Prescription drugs and controlled substances
 Hazardous materials
Cautions. Be careful in the following circumstances:
 Conference fees may be put on the card, but make sure that no travel is included. The preferred
method of payment for conference fees is the JPMorgan corporate card.
 Telecommunications charges can be put on the P Card only if 100% business.
 Federal Express can be put on the card, but some individuals find shipment tracking difficult.
GSD Purchasing Card Policy and Procedures
Page 1 of 3
June 2005

Magazine and other subscriptions can be put on the card, but automatic annual charges can be
problematic due to forced charges.
Misuses include the following:
 Use of the P Card for personal use is strictly prohibited.
 Do not lend the card to anyone else. The card may only be used by the individual whose name
appears on the card.
 Do not split an order to avoid the single-purchase limit.
 Do not leave your card out on your desk. Keep securely in a drawer where less likely to be stolen.
 Cards may not be used by suspended or terminated employees. Turn in card when leaving job
position or university.
Cardholder Responsibilities
 Use the card in accordance with Harvard and GSD policies.
 Make sure that Harvard receives the Massachusetts sales tax exemption. Provide the tax exempt
status and tax exempt number listed on the front of the card to the vendor at time of purchase. Taxexempt certificates are available at http://able.harvard.edu/documents/search.do if vendors request
them.
 Obtain supporting documentation for each transaction. If a receipt is generated, the supporting
documentation must be the original receipt. If a receipt is not generated, obtain the packing slip with
pricing information, order or subscription form, conference registration form, or contract agreement. In
the case of a recurring charge, obtain a statement. The supplier should not send a bill or invoice to
the ordering local unit or Accounts Payable.
 Prepare and sign a Missing Receipt Affidavit (MRA) http://able.harvard.edu/forms/missing_receipt.pdf
if you cannot obtain a receipt.
 Give the documentation, business purpose, and coding information to your department’s reviewer.
GSD recommends writing the business purpose and coding on the receipt.
 Review monthly JP Morgan Chase Purchasing Card statement for accuracy and give to reviewer.
 Follow up with the vendor to resolve any delivery problems, discrepancies, or damaged-merchandise
issues. Follow up with the vendor, or with JPMorgan Chase at 1-800-270-7760 as needed, at to
resolve any billing or credit issues. See back of monthly JPMorgan Chase statement for dispute
resolution procedures. Also see the “Disputing a Transaction” section of the on-line Purchasing Card
Manual.
 Be on alert for fraud.
 Notify Mary MacLean and JPMorgan Chase if your card is lost or stolen.
 Contact vendors to cancel standing orders if your card is lost or stolen, or if you leave GSD.
 Turn in your card upon termination.
Reviewer Responsibilities
The designated reviewer is usually the financial staff person in the cardholder’s department. On an exception
basis cardholders may be given authority to review their own transactions. Reviewers have 10-14 days
(settlement period) before the transactions are posted (swept) to Harvard’s general ledger, usually Thursday
afternoons at 4 pm. Any account code errors noted after this period need to be journaled.








Obtain documentation, business purpose, and coding information from cardholder.
Log onto the P Card settlement system weekly by going to http://vpf-web.harvard.edu/applications.
GSD Finance Office sends reminders on Wednesdays, and recommends that P Card reviews be done
Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.
Complete the business purpose line. GSD requires a business purpose or transaction description for
every transaction, even if small dollar and repetitive.
Confirm or change the default 33 digit coding for each transaction. If the system will not allow you to
change the coding to a different org, the transaction will need to be journaled to the other org.
Mark each transaction as reviewed by selecting ‘Mark as Reviewed, Save and Return to List’.
Print Settlement Report page for each sweep period in which there are transactions. Staple all
receipts and MRAs to the back of the Settlement Report.
Forward to Mary MacLean in the Finance Office no later than one week after review date.
Obtain monthly statement from cardholder, review for accuracy, and then file locally or shred.
Local P Card Administrator
GSD Purchasing Card Policy and Procedures
Page 2 of 3
June 2005
The primary GSD Local P Card Administrator is Mary MacLean. Karen Kittredge is the backup.
 Receive settlement sheets and receipts from reviewers. The Finance Office will maintain the receipts
on file for the four years required by document retention guidelines for audit purposes.
 Review usage and conformance to policy.
 Answer policy questions.
 Send weekly reminders to reviewers.
 Coordinate requests for new and replacement. Distribute new, replacement, and renewal cards.
Cancel cards.
 Establish reviewer authorities.
Who is Eligible to Get Card
GSD encourages ladder faculty and staff who routinely purchase eligible low dollar goods to obtain a card
subject to department manager and Finance Office approval. If a department only has one staff member with
a P Card, there should be a backup plan in the event that the cardholder is on extended vacation or leaves the
department.
 GSD ladder faculty may receive cards. Visiting faculty are not eligible. In general faculty who have
internal or external grants are more likely to need a card. Studio and course expenses are typically
not sufficient to warrant need for a card.
 GSD exempt and non-exempt staff are eligible.
 GSD graduate students, longer term post-docs, and LTHTs may receive cards with demonstrated
need.
 GSD annual fellows are not eligible.
 Agency temps and temporary employees are not eligible.
Applying for a Card
 The application form can be found at
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic428680.files/pcard_application.pdf
 Designate the 33 digit default coding that will automatically be charged if the coding is not changed by
the time the transaction is swept. GSD recommends use of the department’s supplies budget coding
as the default coding. Depending on the purchase patterns of the department, the default object is
usually 6640 or 6680. The default fund coding should be an unrestricted fund, and may only be a
restricted gift or endowment fund with approval of the financial dean. Default coding may not be a
sponsored fund.
 Determine the spending limits in conjunction with the Finance office. P Cards have two limits, a per
purchase limit and a monthly maximum limit, established according to the business needs of the user.
 Indicate your Tub, Org, and Reviewer’s Name if known. The Finance Office will complete the System
User Privilege section.
 Carefully read the Cardholder Agreement and sign the form. Note that you are agreeing to comply with
all policies.
 Obtain your department manager’s signature on the Department Administrator’s Signature line at the
bottom of the first page, and send the original form to the Finance Office.
 Mary MacLean signs as the GSD Local Administrator and original form is sent to Holyoke.
 Finance Office contacts cardholder when card is ready. The standard application process is less than
three weeks.
 Before receiving the card, the Cardholder is required to attend a P Card training session. At GSD the P
Card training is provided on a one-on-one basis by the Finance Office at the time the card is picked up.
 The cardholder activates card by calling the 1-800 270-7760 number on the back of the card. When
prompted, enter the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you are transferred to a JPMorgan
Chase Customer Service Representative, provide your HUID number when asked for your mother’s
maiden name.
Additional Resources
Mary MacLean
5-4115 mmaclean@gsd.harvard.edu
P Card Manual http://able.harvard.edu/pcard/pcard_index.shtml
UIS Help Desk
6-2001
JP Morgan Chase
1-800-270-7760
GSD Purchasing Card Policy and Procedures
Page 3 of 3
Local GSD P Card administrator
Harvard policy
P Card settlement system questions
Declined charges, credits, lost card
June 2005