1. Barclaycard Purchasing Cards (currently VISA-badged but moving to Mastercard) are issued at the discretion of the Finance Director.
2. The card remains the property of Barclays Bank Plc and is to be returned to the Finance Director or Deputy Finance Director upon request. New/replacement cards are sent to Finance and the cardholder will be requested to collect the card from the Finance Office. Proof of identity will be required and the cardholder will sign for the card.
3. Cardholders are responsible for the security of their card, card number, card PIN and statements. The loss of a card must be reported immediately to Barclaycard Customer Services Centre on 01604 230230 (open 24 hours) and to Geetha Gnanendran (ext 3107) in Finance. Finance will confirm the loss to Barclaycard and request a replacement card. Cards are only to be used by the cardholder themselves and should not be loaned or their details passed on to anyone, including their colleagues.
4. Cards will be withdrawn by the Finance Director or Deputy Finance director if these policies are not adhered to. Additionally, any breach of the policy could lead to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Use of Purchasing Cards
1. Purchasing cards are intended solely for use in connection with SGUL business and should not be used for personal benefit.
2. Purchasing cards are intended to be used for departmental expenditure and not for individuals’ expenses or items which should be purchased using purchase orders and paid by invoice. Purchasing cards should not be used to avoid SGUL’s policies and normal procedures e.g. they must not be used for purchases of computers and other IT products, furniture, office equipment, stationery, photographic or audio visual products. All travel should be made through SGUL’s preferred travel supplier.
3. Cards should not be used to pay for entertainment or hospitality. This should be paid for by individuals and reclaimed through expenses.
4. Purchasing cards should not leave the office under any circumstances.
5. Unlike corporate cards, purchasing cards have a transaction limit. No individual items over £500 can be purchased without prior agreement from Finance. Cards have a monthly spend limit of £5,000.
6. Purchasing cards cannot be used to withdraw cash.
7. With all purchases, the cardholder should request that they are sent a VAT invoice.
Administration of Purchasing Cards
1. Application forms can be obtained by emailing Finance on purchcards@sgul.ac.uk). Applications must be agreed by the Head of Institute/Professional Services Department and then approved by the Finance or Deputy Finance Director. Finance reserve the right to decline any application if there is not a genuine need for a card (i.e. other methods of purchase are more appropriate) or the department currently has an excessive number of cards. By applying for a Purchasing Card, individuals are confirming acceptance of this policy and procedures.
2. A new card will be issued approximately 14 days in advance of the expiry date of the current card. If a new card is not received at this time, the cardholder should contact Finance.
3. If a cardholder changes name or the card becomes damaged, the cardholder should notify Finance and a new card will be issued. The old card should be brought to Finance and destroyed on collection of the new card.
4. On leaving the employment of SGUL, the card should be brought to Finance for destruction. Prior to this, the Deputy Finance Director must be informed as soon as possible, so it can be arranged that the account is closed before the cardholder leaves SGUL, as simply cutting the card up does not close the account. Any outstanding payments appearing on statements after the cardholder's departure must be reconciled by the department, who take full responsibility for the clearing of debts incurred on their behalf.
5. Inactivity of cards for a period of six months may render an account to be closed by the Deputy Director of Finance.
Payment of Purchasing Card
1. Currently, Barclaycard will submit a statement monthly to each Purchasing Card holder at their SGUL address. If you do not receive a statement by the 15th of the month, you should contact Barclaycard and request a copy statement. Alternatively, or in addition to this, cardholders can register for the Barclays online banking service to view statements.
2. If there is a discrepancy on the statement received from Barclaycard this must be advised immediately and Barclaycard will investigate it. Cardholders should also advise Finance that they have disputed an item. Queries regarding items charged to the card should be referred to Barclaycard Customer Services on 0870 1540124.
3. Payment for the card is made directly by SGUL via direct debit. Cardholders are then required to carry out the following:-
Procedures for Clearance of Purchasing Card Expenses
1. Complete the transaction log (Excel) for each months’ transactions matching to the statement.
2. Have the log and backup receipts approved by an authorised signatory
3. Submit a signed log (or have the authorised signatory send it on to show approval) to Finance on purchcards@sgul.ac.uk
4. Each month’s purchasing card transactions must be cleared by submitting the log by the end of the 5th working day after the end of the calendar month. Failure to clear transactions (excluding those placed in dispute) will result in the Purchasing Card being withdrawn.
5. FAQ available here.