Cardholder Guide
Introduction
The PNC Bank Purchasing Card can be used anywhere VISA is accepted. Look for the
VISA symbol and you will know that you can use your card at that location, permitting it
is a college-approved merchant.
A PNC Bank Purchasing Card is a corporate liability charge card. This means that all
charges are billed directly to Augustana, rather than to you, the cardholder. This will cut
down on paperwork and streamline the entire process.
A PNC Bank Purchasing Card has special controls built into the card to prevent misuse.
If ever you are declined contact PNC Bank Cardholder Customer Service at
1-800-685-4039 for information about your decline. If you feel this purchase should be
approved, contact your Program Administrator for further assistance.
Cardholder Responsibilities
The Purchasing Card is for business purposes only. It may not be used for personal
purchases. The Purchasing Card will be issued in your name; this means that only you
are authorized to make purchases with this card. You are responsible for keeping track of
how the card is used, and for keeping it safe. You will not be responsible for paying the
account however you will have to keep track of your purchases.
How the process works







You make a purchase
The merchant will receive approval for the purchase
You sign the receipt and keep a copy for your records
The merchant will receive payment from PNC Bank within 48 hours
The transaction will appear on your PNC Bank memo statement
You will match the receipt to your statement and submit for manager approval
Your manager will forward to Accounts Payable for audit and storage
When you give your card to the merchant they will swipe your card through a reader, this
is how they receive approval. The approval process will verify that your card is active,
has available credit and the vendor has been approved. If the card is declined contact
PNC Bank’s Customer Service at 1-800-685-4039 for information about the decline.
This phone number is conveniently located on the back on your PNC Purchasing Card. If
you feel you this purchase should be approved, contact your Program Administrator for
further assistance.
Lost or Stolen Cards
You must notify PNC Bank IMMEDIATELY AT 1-800-685-4039. PNC Bank is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Contact your Program Administrator the next business day. They will need to know that
your card has been reported lost or stolen.
PNC Bank will send a new card within 7-10 business days.
You must notify PNC Bank
IMMEDIATELY when you card is
lost or stolen. 1-800-685-4039
Getting Started
Activating your card
Your PNC Bank Purchasing Card will arrive with an activation sticker on the face of the
card. Contact the toll-free number on the sticker to activate your account. You will be
asked to provide the last 4 digits of your Activation Code which may be your social
security number, employee ID, etc.; the last 4 digits of your SSN are only used to activate
your account not for any personal credit reporting purposes. A non-activated account
will be declined for all purchase attempts. If you are unsure of your activation code,
contact your Program Administrator.
Signing your card
Sign your card immediately after activating your card. The signature panel is located on
the back of your card.
Using your Card
Types of transactions
In Person transactions: You will be present for the transaction and will be able to
receive and sign for the merchandise in one step. It is important that you keep all
information pertaining to the transaction including the signed sales receipt.
Telephone or Internet transactions (not in person): You will not be present for the
transaction and will need to provide more information for the vendor. Make sure you
have your card available for these purchases, the vendor will need you to provide, your
name, your account number, the address on your account and the expiration date. The
vendor may also ask for the three-digit number on the back of your card in the signature
panel.
Sales Draft
You will be requested to sign the sales draft. The vendor will match your signature to the
signature on the back of your PNC Bank Purchasing Card. Please retain the sales draft
and any documentation the vendor provides with your purchase.
If you are doing a transaction over the phone or via the internet, it is important that your
vendor still provide you with a sales draft and verification that the item was paid for by
VISA. They will need to send this information with your merchandise, please remind
your vendor to always include a sales draft with your purchase.
Always get copies of your
Sales Draft.
Receipt Retention
You are required to keep the receipts for each transaction. You may want to create a log
or a file to assist you with this responsibility. This is an important record, as you will
need it when your monthly memo statement is sent to you from PNC BANK.
Reviewing your PNC Bank Memo Statement
Your statement will arrive approximately 7 business days after your cycle date. When
you receive your statement match each transaction to the receipts you have retained.
Make sure the transactions are billed correctly and that all transactions are valid.
Transactions made in foreign currency will always be converted to US Dollars. If you
notice any discrepancies you will need to contact the merchant and/or complete a billing
inquiry form located on the reverse of each statement. (See: Billing Inquiry Section, for
further information about discrepancies)
Manager Approval
Once you completed your review you must turn your statement into your manager for
approval. Your manager will review your statement then send the documentation to
Accounts Payable for audit and storage.
Billing Inquiry
If you notice a discrepancy with your memo statement you will need to resolve this
discrepancy. Generally the vendor with which you made the transaction will be able to
resolve this directly. Contact the vendor you made the transaction with and attempt to
resolve the issue. If you are unable resolve the issue with the vendor complete the
“Billing Inquiry Form” on the reverse of your statement and send to the P.O. Box or fax
number provided on the form. The “Billing Inquiry Form” must be received within 30
days of the statement date that includes the transaction.
Always contact your vendor first with
discrepancies on your PNC Bank Memo
Statement. They should be able to
resolve 9 out 10 issues directly.
Common Billing Disputes
Credit not applied to your PNC Memo Statement
The merchant may have not submitted the credit in time to post to your current statement.
Contact the merchant and inquire about the status of your credit. If you are unable resolve
the issue with the vendor complete the “Billing Inquiry Form” on the reverse of your
statement and send to the P.O. Box or fax number provided on the form.
You will need a copy of the credit slip for this type of dispute.
The amount that appears on your PNC Memo Statement is incorrect
Contact the merchant to find out why it is different than your sales draft. The merchant
should adjust the charge to your signed sales draft. If they are going to issue a credit
make sure you get a copy of the credit slip. If you are unable resolve the issue with the
vendor complete the “Billing Inquiry Form” on the reverse of your statement and send to
the P.O. Box provided on the form.
Unauthorized transaction(s)
If you do not recognize a transaction or a group of transactions you should begin the
dispute process immediately. If you have a group of unauthorized transactions contact
your Program Administrator immediately. Your card number may have been
compromised and your account may need to be closed. Your Program Administrator can
help you decide if you should close your account. After you have contacted your
Program Administrator complete the “Billing Inquiry Form” on the reverse of your
statement and send to the P.O. Box or fax number provided on the form. Your Program
Administrator may ask that you supply copies of all the documentation pertaining to the
un-authorized transactions.
In the instance when your card has been compromised,
make sure you do not cut up or destroy your card. Your
card may be required to resolve this type of dispute.
Product not received
If a product hasn’t been received and it appears on your statement, the vendor may not
have sent it yet. The item may also have been lost during shipment. Contact the vendor
immediately and find out when and where your shipment was sent. If you are unable
resolve the issue with the vendor complete the “Billing Inquiry Form” on the reverse of
your statement and send to the P.O. Box of fax number provided on the form.
General Disputes
Always try to resolve any issue with the vendor first. If you are unable resolve the issue
with the vendor, send as much information as possible to the P.O. Box or fax number
provided on the form. Please be as complete as possible when explaining your inquiry
and remember to include all relevant documentation. The more information PNC Bank
has, the more likely they are to resolve the dispute in your favor.
Declines
A PNC Bank Purchasing Card has special controls built into the card to prevent misuse.
If ever you are declined contact PNC Bank Cardholder Customer Service at
1-800-685-4039 for information about your decline. If you feel you this purchase should
be approved, contact your Program Administrator for further assistance.
Common Transaction Declines
Exceeded spending limits
Your PNC Purchasing Card has certain spending limits that you cannot exceed. There is
a cycle limit and you may have a per transaction limit. If your transaction exceeds these
limits it will be declined. If ever you are declined, contact PNC Bank Cardholder
Customer Service at 1-800-685-4039 for information about your decline. If you feel this
purchase should be approved, contact your Program Administrator for further assistance.
Vendor not approved
Your PNC Purchasing Card may be opened to certain types of vendors. If you attempt a
purchase with a vendor type that has not been approved, your transaction will be
declined. If ever you are declined contact PNC Bank Cardholder Customer Service at
1-800-685-4039 for information about your decline. If you feel this purchase should be
approved, contact your Program Administrator for further assistance. Your Program
Administrator may want to have this vendor type added to the program, or will be able to
suggest another vendor that is approved.
Card not activated
Your PNC Bank Purchasing Card arrived with an activation sticker on the face of the
card. If you do not activate your card, all transactions will be declined until the card is
activated. If you are unable to activate your card, contact your Program Administrator
for assistance.
Expiration date incorrect
When you make a telephone transaction the merchant is going to hand-key your
information into the terminal. If the expiration date they input does not match the
expiration date that PNC Bank has on their system, the transaction will decline. If you
are declined for this reason, have the merchant try the transaction again.
Remember when you are declined to contact PNC Bank
Customer Service at 1-800-685-4039 to find out why. If
you feel that this purchase should be approved, contact
your Program Administrator for further assistance
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my PNC Purchasing Card show up on my credit report?
No. This account is secured by your college’s’s credit and not your personal credit. The
activity on this account cannot be reported to any credit bureau by PNC Bank.
Can someone else use my card to make a purchase for me?
No. This account is in your name and must not be used by anyone else.
Can a vendor charge me a surcharge to use my card?
No. If this occurs contact your Program Administrator and they will be able to file a
claim with PNC Bank.
What if my vendor does not accept VISA?
Have your vendor contact their bank or they can contact PNC Merchant Services at
1-888-562-2300.
What if my card is lost or stolen?
Contact PNC Bank IMMEDIATELY at 1-800-685-4039 to report your card lost or
stolen. Contact your Program Administrator after you have cancelled your account.
A card that has been reported lost cannot be re-opened; your Program Administrator will
have a new card for you in 3 business days.
What is a cycle date?
The cycle date is when all activity for the previous month is reported to the bank for
payment. Your limits will also be refreshed and you will receive your memo statement
approximately 7-10 business days after your cycle date. Contact your Program
Administrator to find out your cycle date.
How do I make changes to my account?
Contact your Program Administrator to make any changes to your account.
Phone Numbers
PNC Bank Customer Service
1-800-685-4039
Program Administrator
Co-Administrator
1-309-794-7616
1-309-794-7351