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  • 7.6 Open Comment Period: August 18 - August 24, 2023

    Aug 18, 2023 12:00 am by Policy Office

    The Office of the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Comptroller announces an open comment period for Policy 7.6 The University Purchasing Card (P-Card) from August 18 to August 24, 2023. This policy removes the prohibition on having credit cards on file, increases the single transaction limit from $5,000 to $7,500, the credit limit has increased from $25,000 to $35,000, and certain items from have been renamed or moved from Prohibited Purchases to Restricted Purchases.

    Highlights include:

    • Departments can now purchase minimal fuel for work equipment (e.g., boats, tractors, etc.) using a p-card.
    • Utilities are now exempt from the House Accounts prohibition.
    • Lab Animals has been renamed Live Animals
    • Drugs and Pharmaceuticals has been renamed Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
    • Cellphone monthly service, labor and/or installation services, tuition fees for employees and students, and uniforms have been moved from Prohibited to Restricted Purchases.

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    Contact

    • If you have questions about the updates to policy, please contact the CFO Business and Finance Policy Office at obfspolicies@uillinois.edu.

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Comments

mmarqua2@illinois.edu Aug 24, 2023 4:30 pm
I support these changes: -Removing the prohibition on having credit cards on file -Increasing the single transaction limit from $5,000 to $7,500 -Increasing the credit limit from $25,000 to $35,000 Stating the obvious - $5k doesn't buy what it used to - so this will make it easier to work with vendors and reduce the number of POs, paper checks, and ACH payments being processed through the system.
Reply to mmarqua2@illinois.edu at 4:30 pm
courtney@illinois.edu Aug 22, 2023 12:39 pm
I think the change related to keeping credit cards on file is a great idea. However, the proposed policy needs clarification related to how that change impacts the use of the P-Card Exception Request, Software Purchased by P-Card and Electronic Services Purchased by P-Card forms. I hope it means that those forms must be used the first time the software/service is purchased, but that it would not be required prior to each auto-renew charge to the credit card on file. The first paragraph on page 8 indicates these forms are still required for "purchase". Is the auto-renewal considered a "purchase"? For example, if the auto-bill charges monthly, surely the forms aren't required each month. Would that also be true for an annual renewal? If these forms are still required annually, we will not realize the huge potential savings in administrative overhead. Many of the comments in this blog are assuming that these forms will be needed less often.
Reply to courtney@illinois.edu at 12:39 pm
kamerer@uic.edu Aug 21, 2023 2:22 pm
Being able to save a card online will be helpful as there have always been an issue with vendors doing that without authorization. It will also ensure invoices are paid on time. I am wondering why pcard software is still referenced in a few places and not changed to say Chrome River.
Reply to kamerer@uic.edu at 2:22 pm
sbasra2@uic.edu Aug 21, 2023 1:06 pm
I absolutely support the changes in policy. Being able to keep credit cards on file and increasing the single transaction limits would make it easier for our P-Card holders in their supportive roles.
Reply to sbasra2@uic.edu at 1:06 pm
mlking2@uic.edu Aug 21, 2023 12:49 pm
I am in favor of the updated policy and the changes made. Our department was also hoping a policy change could be discussed to allow gift card purchases on p-card. The cash advance process can be cumbersome particularly if we are only buying a few $10 gift cards. At the same time, we don't feel it is fair to ask employees to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed. We understand this could open the door for fraud, so it would make sense to have p-card transactions using a gift card/certificate account code route to Payables for approval in Chrome River (like t-card transactions all do). There could also be limits in place where if a cardholder is purchasing gift cards over a certain amount ($100 or $200 perhaps), they would have to get approval in advance.
Reply to mlking2@uic.edu at 12:49 pm
pvarney@illinois.edu Aug 21, 2023 10:53 am
I have some reservations regarding the change to allowing "minimal fuel for work equipment." Currently fuel purchases are managed through the WEX fuel card and conditions exist for boat and tractor fuel needs while being centrally recorded. The WEX card accounts for removal of taxes as well as providing a central reporting system to comply with iCAP and other fuel data reporting needs.
Reply to pvarney@illinois.edu at 10:53 am
rdf@illinois.edu Aug 21, 2023 10:40 am
Keeping cards on file will be so helpful with subscription services - thank you for updating this policy to reflect current business needs. Please consider additional updates to the software purchases policy, such as providing the reasoning behind the approval process to assist business managers with providing UPay with the info needed. Streamlining that approval process with an online form showing status would also be helpful - perhaps in iBuy?
Reply to rdf@illinois.edu at 10:40 am
mint@uic.edu Aug 21, 2023 8:58 am
I am in favor of the changes. To be able to keep credit cards on file and increasing the single transaction limits would make it easier to support the office.
Reply to mint@uic.edu at 8:58 am
ericrw@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 4:05 pm
Great changes and much needed limit increases for many units! There are a few things that could be clarified a bit more though. (1) It would be helpful to quantity “fuels in bulk” and “minimal fuel.” The current language is very subjective and seems like it would lead to lots of potential non-compliant issues and/or inconsistent enforcement. (2) Does the change in wording from “Services involving labor and/or installation” to just “Services” as a restricted item mean that all services (even those not involving labor) are now restricted? For example, DNA sequencing, printing, etc. This change seems more restrictive than the current policy. (3) Again for Services, could “listed at University Contract Search” please be clarified? Does this mean any vendor with an active contract in C+? Only certain contracts? What is the process for units to check this?
Reply to ericrw@illinois.edu at 4:05 pm
hstites2@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 3:13 pm
I am in favor of the change to keep a credit card on file. Many things that I have had to purchase require this, i.e., electronic services, and this would reduce the need to file for an exception request and wait the three-week processing time for the exception request. An increase to the single transaction limit is not a huge deal in my current role but will help in other positions, and I, therefore, am in favor of the STL increase.
Reply to hstites2@illinois.edu at 3:13 pm
esahr@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 1:20 pm
I'm in favor of these changes and am curious to know about the items that are now restricted. The single transaction limit increase as well as credit limit increase will be incredibly helpful for service, retail and retail adjacent units. It will also reduce the amount of paperwork and Chrome River approvals if users are able to make one purchase instead of multiple. Additionally, the single transaction increase may help reduce PO requests.
Reply to esahr@illinois.edu at 1:20 pm
aw27@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 1:04 pm
I'm in favor of these changes! As someone who makes purchases for several orgs at the University, all of these will make my job easier. Being able to keep a credit card on file without applying for an exception for companies that will not remove it will save a lot of time. I would not give my card to an unreputable vendor. If I were to get a charge that I did not authorize due to this, I would file a dispute with the bank, the same as any other fraud.
Reply to aw27@illinois.edu at 1:04 pm
rchamber@uic.edu Aug 18, 2023 12:41 pm
I do not agree with keeping the credit cards on file. So many companies are online that it makes it difficult to contact anyone directly. This will possibly open the door to fraudulent behavior by vendors. It could also inadvertently make carholders less diligent in protecting the card and the university. Also, there is no need to raise the single purchase limit. There are other way to purchase rather than putting a $7,500 purchase on the card. Cardholders should manage the use of the cards just as they would their personal credit cards. As it stands, $5000 is probably too high.
Reply to rchamber@uic.edu at 12:41 pm
rab11@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 11:28 am
I'm not sure how removing the restriction of saving credit cards on file will make much of a difference for time-saving, and could potentially open the university to more fraudulent charges. Annual renewals will continue to require a new CVC to process the charge as they change annually. As a travel arranger, I wouldn't be comfortable leaving my credit card on file in a traveler's frequent flyer profile. Who will be responsible for any fraud resulting from misuse of credit cards on file?
Reply to rab11@illinois.edu at 11:28 am
sbingama@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 11:03 am
Changes sound good. Also wondering if there are plans to increase the price for purchase of furniture over $500 to be allowable on the p-card. Oftentimes a faculty or employee needs an ergonomic desk chair for instance and many of those are well over $500.
Reply to sbingama@illinois.edu at 11:03 am
tmcdade3@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 10:25 am
Very excited about these changes, with the exception of the change to services involving labor. Can more information be provided in this policy that would improve the process? We see a lot of specialized offsite labor from infrequently used vendors and it doesn't seem like this policy adjustment would change much?
Reply to tmcdade3@illinois.edu at 10:25 am
cooper21@illinois.edu Aug 18, 2023 10:00 am
Big fan of all of these changes! These help clear up some ambiguity as well as eliminate the need for many of our department's exception requests. One question that might be nice to clear up in this policy is what are the options for single transaction limits on a P-card? Can the DCM set it to any value from $0 to $7500 now? Or are the only options $1500, $5000, and $7500?
Reply to cooper21@illinois.edu at 10:00 am