Pcard Start Up

Gettysburg College’s purchasing card (Pcard) program allows authorized College employees the ability to purchase goods, services, and travel expenses directly from suppliers using their College issued Visa card.  The Pcard program is provided through PNC Bank and all Pcard holders must use the Visa Spend Clarity - Enterprise program to upload supporting documentation, code transactions to the correct general ledger account string and provide narrative details. 

 Questions related to any aspect of the Pcard program can be sent to pcard@gettysburg.edu.

Applying for a Pcard

Eligibility

Division heads as well as department directors and chairs may request a Pcard for any employee whose job responsibilities include business travel and/or purchasing goods and services. 

Division heads, department directors and chairs should ensure the cardholder reviews the information below and understands what type of card the supervisor has requested and then submit the Pcard Application (editable pdf) to be submitted with original signatures to Financial Services - Campus Box 409 or contact pcard@gettysburg.edu for a secure DocuSign application.

Step 1 – Choose Pcard Type

  • Type I - Chip & PIN general purpose purchasing card in employee name
    • Low limit pcard - Fixed single transaction limit of $1,000 and monthly limit of $5,000
    • High limit option - Fixed single transaction limit of $5,000 and monthly limit of $15,000
    • Can be used for travel, office supplies and other business related transactions. 
        • Please note:  The card will not work at all retailers.  The College has specifically excluded select merchant category codes (MCCs) to help mitigate fraud (specialty retailers, clothing retailers, etc).
    • Type II - Chip & PIN travel purchasing card in employee name
      • Limited to transportation, lodging, dining, and most routine business travel expenses
      • Fixed single transaction limit of $2,000 and monthly limit of $10,000
      • If a travel card is selected, please always carry a personal credit card as a backup.  A travel card is setup for merchant category codes (MCC) specific to travel.  This is setup at the merchant level.  The College and PNC Bank have no control over what MCC was used by the merchant to setup their credit card processing.  If they did not use a MCC that is travel related your travel card will be declined. 
    • Type III - Chip & PIN special purpose purchasing card in an employee name
      • Declining balance card in an individual name to facilitate a particular trip or event
      • Term may not exceed 6 months.
    • Type IV - Chip & PIN vendor specific purchasing card
      • Card dedicated to payments to a particular vendor
        • Include vendor name, single transaction limit and total monthly spend on Pcard application
    • Type V - Chip & Signature department purchasing card
      • Fixed single transaction limit of $1,000 and monthly limit of $3,000
      • To be issued in the name of a department or program
      • Convenience account for use by multiple individuals
      • Must note on the Pcard application the employee responsible for securing the Pcard and ensuring all transactions are correctly recorded in the Visa Spend Clarity – Enterprise program.

    Step 2 – Identify Pcard Management Roles

    • Cardholder – Individual responsible for Pcard usage and compliance with all College expense policies and related  Pcard reporting procedures.  The cardholder is responsible for the uploading of supporting documentation, coding transactions to the correct general ledger account string and provide narrative details in the Visa Spend Clarity – Enterprise system unless a delegate is named.
    • Delegate (for cardholder) –Individual named by the cardholder (if applicable) as the individual responsible for entering transaction account coding, transaction description and uploading supporting documentation. The delegate should be familiar with all College expense policies and Pcard reporting procedures but the cardholder is still the responsible party over transactions.
    • Delegate (for department or office card) – Individual named by department head responsible for Pcard usage and compliance with all College expense policies and financial reporting procedures for a card issued in the name of a department or office. Responsible for securing and loaning out the Pcard and uploading supporting documentation, coding transactions to the correct general ledger account string and provide narrative details in the Visa Spend Clarity – Enterprise system. 
    • Approver – Cardholder’s immediate supervisor authorizing card issuance and approving cardholder expenses.

    Step 3 – Learn Pcard Requirements

    • Cardholders or their delegates must review/reconcile all pcard transactions in the VISA/PNC solution regularly. All transactions must be finalized by the close of business on the first business day of each month. Review/reconcile includes:
    • Correct allocation of GL codes
    • Entering a text memo explaining the business purpose for the expense
    • Uploading transaction receipt image for the expense

    User basic training is available by contacting pcard@gettysburg.edu.

    Step 4 – Acknowledge Pcard Specific Expense Restrictions

    • Purchasing cards may not be physically presented to a merchant for payment by any individual whose name is not embossed on the card.
    • Merchants may not be asked to split a transaction to circumvent the single transaction limit on the account.  Visa rules strictly prohibit this practice.
    • Purchasing cards may not be used for:
      • Purchases at College owned venues including dining, the bookstore or the Majestic Theater.  These purchases should be facilitated via department charge.  
      • Charitable contributions
      • Fuel for an employee's personal vehicle
      • Any purchase that is both business and personal (typically combined at the point of sale such as personal preference travel upgrades or partner travel).
    • Purchasing cards issued in the name of a Department are for online, phone, or fax orders placed from campus and local Point-of-Sale use only.
    • The College has blocked card usage with some groups of VISA merchants for our own protection. Card transactions with vendors registered with VISA under the following classifications will be rejected at the point of sale:
      • Charitable, social, political organizations
      • Insurance payments
      • Real estate rental payments
      • Judicial fees and fines
      • Medical and legal services
      • Numerous Other Specialty/Consumer/Retail Merchants

    Step 5 - Understand the College’s Expense Policy and the Pcard Usage and Policy