Fiscal Year-End 2023 Reminder

• September 11th, 2023
• in News

With FY2023 ending in a few short weeks, it is important to note the below dates to ensure that Procurement Services can process all orders and post all transactions to Banner within the Financial Accounting deadlines:

• New bids should have been requested by Friday, September 1, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
• buyBama Purchase Orders must be created and approved by Friday, September 22, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
• Concur PO Invoices that have been assigned to users need to be submitted and approved as soon as possible for purchase orders where the product has been delivered.  For questions regarding Concur PO Invoices, contact Accounts Payable.
• Concur Invoices must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable for processing by Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
• Concur Expense Reports must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable and P-Card for processing by Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.

Banner Encumbrances will roll forward on Monday, October 16, 2023

Hobby Lobby Purchases

• September 11th, 2023
• in News

When making purchases at Hobby Lobby, a copy of the Hobby Lobby Tax Exemption Card and Certificate will need to be taken into the store for each purchase.  The Hobby Lobby Tax-Exempt ID, which is located at the bottom of the card, can also be provided at checkout.  For additional information, please see the UA Tax Office website or contact the UA Tax Office directly at tax@ua.edu.

Professional Services and Payments to Individuals

• July 10th, 2023
• in News

As a reminder, payments for professional services and payments to individuals (through PayPal, Venmo, Square, etc.) should not be made using the purchasing card (P-Card).  These types of payments should be made through Concur Invoice.  There are multiple requirements that must be met before payment can be made for these items.  If you have any questions, please see the Professional Services Guidelines website, the Independent Contractor website or contact the UA Tax Office at tax@ua.edu.

In-Store Sales Tax Exemption

• June 2nd, 2023
• in News

Purchases made within, or shipped to, the state of Alabama are exempt from state sales tax if they are charged to state funds (Chart A). Several merchants around Tuscaloosa have specific requirements for allowing purchases to be made without sales tax. Please visit the Tax Office’s website for specific instructions on making purchases with the following vendors: Dollar General, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot. In some cases, action is required before shopping in-store.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to pcard@ua.edu.

Delivery of Replacement P-Cards

• May 2nd, 2023
• in News

If a P-Card needs to be replaced due to fraud or a lost card, US Bank will cancel the current card and reissue a new card. When communicating with US Bank’s customer service team about card replacement, you may be asked how you would like the replacement card shipped. If you do not need your card urgently, please request regular shipping. In case of an urgent need, you can request expedited or overnight shipping to a UA address. When expedited or overnight shipping is selected, please be sure to provide the customer service representative with the street address for your UA building. This will prevent issues with cards being undeliverable and will ensure you get your card as quickly as possible.

Please visit the US Bank webpage for guidance on lost/stolen cards, fraudulent charges, and other helpful information about working with US Bank.

Tips for Minimizing Disruptions

• March 3rd, 2023
• in News

The P-Card is an easy and convenient way to pay for supplies and travel needed for UA operations. Since the purchases made by UA employees are essential to the goals and missions of departments and UA as a whole, it can be a major inconvenience when declines occur. This is especially important before business travel. Here are some tips for preventing issues that arise when using the P-Card:

• Be aware of your available credit. You can call US Bank’s customer service number or log in to Access Online to check your available credit.
• Know your spending limits. There are two spending limits on p-cards. The single purchase limit is the amount you can spend in one purchase. The monthly or cycle limit is the total amount you can spend in the cycle (26^th of the month through the 25^th of the next month). This can be increased if approved by your department.
• Determine whether your card is meant to be used for travel-only or both travel and supplies.
• Reconcile reports in a timely manner to avoid card suspension.
• Make sure you know the following information associated with your account: billing address, CVV, expiration date. Declines commonly occur because this information in entered incorrectly. It’s a good idea to confirm these details and try the charge again when your card declines.

Please feel free to reach out to P-Card Services at pcard@ua.edu with any questions.

P-Card Online Banking Software Access – Now Available!

• February 3rd, 2023
• in News

Access Online user profiles have now been set up for UA purchasing card holders. Access Online will allow cardholders to view posted transactions, single purchase and monthly limits, balances, available credit, and other account details. If you would like to use this resource, please view the registration instructions and then log into Access Online for the first time and finish setting up your profile. In the future this link will be added to the employee tab of MyBama.

Please note: Accountholders with a ghost account (no physical plastic) will not have access to their accounts in Access Online.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Pcard@ua.edu.

Fiscal Year-End 2022 Reminder

• September 6th, 2022
• in News

With FY2022 ending in a few short weeks, it is important to note the below dates to ensure that Procurement Services can process all orders and post all transactions to Banner within the Financial Accounting deadlines:

• New bids should have been requested by Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 5 p.m.
• buyBama Purchase Orders must be created and approved by Monday, September 19, 2022, at 5 p.m.
• Concur PO Invoices that have been assigned to users need to be submitted and approved as soon as possible for purchase orders where the product has been delivered.  For questions regarding Concur PO Invoices, contact Accounts Payable.
• Concur Invoices must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable for processing by Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
• Concur Expense Reports must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable and P-Card for processing by Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
• Banner Encumbrances will roll forward on Monday, October 17, 2022

Standard Single Purchase Limit Increase – Effective October 1, 2022

• September 6th, 2022
• in News

Effective October 1, 2022, the standard single purchase limit for all p-cards will increase to $25,000. For cards with monthly limits lower than $25,000, the single purchase limit will increase to the monthly limit amount. If you have any questions, please contact P-Card Services.

Did you know?

• July 22nd, 2022
• in News

Did you know that it is important to advise your vendor of Contract Management’s role in the contracting process?  This helps us keep your contract moving and makes the vendor aware that they will receive communications from the Contract Administrator assigned to your contract record.

Please encourage the vendor to respond directly with our Contract Management Team.  Often vendors will report that they saw an email but, because they did not recognize the sender, they dismissed it as spam.  Also, if they respond directly to you, be sure to pull your Contract Administrator back in.

We  appreciate your partnership!  Thanks for helping us continue to strive for accuracy and efficiency in contract execution!  If you have questions regarding the Procurement Contract Portal or would like to schedule a training session for your department, please contact Julie Love.