The University of Minnesota sponsors a purchasing card program to enable employees to make certain business-related purchases for goods and standard services up to $2,499 on non-sponsored accounts and less than $999 on sponsored accounts. The purchasing card provides departments a convenient method of purchasing goods and services, thereby reducing the volume of individual payments processed by the university to vendors.
The UMD Controller’s Office coordinates purchasing card activities for the Duluth campus. Todd Kochmann (extension 6094) is the Duluth campus Department Card Administrator. Sara Fitzgerald serves as a backup in his absence.
Requests to temporarily increase purchasing limits should be directed to Todd Kochmann. These requests are only granted occasionally and are generally not authorized for purchases from vendors who are already established in PeopleSoft.
To obtain a PCard on the Duluth campus:
- Complete Using the University PCard training.
- Download the PCard application. This is the same application form linked to at the end of the training course, but pre-filled with Duluth-specific information.
- Fill out the application, have it signed by the department head or designee, and return it to the UMD Controller’s Office for the Department Card Administrator signature. The Controller’s Office will forward the signed application to the Twin Cities.
To obtain a departmental PCard for student use:
- Determine appropriateness of students spending U resources
- Select one staff member to be responsible for card and reconciling transactions in EFS
- In academic units, this should be the departmental support staff - not the faculty member - as it needs to be someone who is readily available and able to reconcile the charges.
- Have that staff member apply for a departmental pcard (page 2, check “Additional Card” if the staff member already has an individual card)
- The card will come in the name of the department and the person’s name who will be responsible for the card under the department name on the face of the card.
- Students who will have access to use the pcard should be leaders in the organization.
- Students will need to complete the online training session, Using the University Pcard. The department can pull them all together to watch at once and document names/student IDs that they were there and then talk through procedures and expectations for the card. The department is responsible to ensure all students who will have access to use the pcard have completed the online training session.
- Students sign the student specific application for the pcard use and the Purchasing Code of Ethics. Department retains the signed copies.
- Students would check the card out from the responsible staff member and sign a log with anticipated return date of the card and receipts. Departments may design their own log or use this one.
- Upon returning the card, receipts and full justification would be required of the student. The person who made the charge should sign the receipt before turning it in. If receipts and justification are not provided, the student must be made aware that the charge can be made against their student account. (in the application they signed in a step above)