Procurement Card Best Practices

In This Section

Promote strategic buying by using preferred suppliers. Departments are responsible for purchases less than $5,000 by using established contracts, ensuring best price, following guidelines and ethics and act as a University of Iowa Buyer.
Whenever possible, use the University internal services to purchase items that are needed (General Stores, IMU Bookstore, and Printing). For a list of contracts and agreements obtained by the University of Iowa, see Find a UI Contract on PReq sidebar in ePro.
Require cardholders, buyers, and departmental managers to be educated and trained in the program to ensure that policies are consistently followed. See: for policy provisions. Key objectives listed below.

Be knowledgeable of those transactions allowed on the card and what is allowed.
Know your spend limits.
Understand the reconciliation dates and deadlines.
Obtain acceptable receipts and supporting documentation for review.
Acknowledge that the Procurement Card Returns and Incentive policy inhibits personal gain.

Utilize and promote departmental oversight/review of transactions through data review in the form of administrative reports/query available in ProTrav. See for a request form to access these reports.
Assign separate oversight roles, when possible, differentiating the person ordering from the person receiving merchandise on the Procurement Card.
Make staff aware that if they have a concern about possible financial misconduct or violation of University financial policy, that they are encouraged to file a confidential report through EthicsPoint®, a third-party reporting firm , or call EthicsPoint® toll-free at 1-866-384-4277, or see: Ethics and Conduct-Office of the President
Encourage timely review of transactions. Transactions are posted to ProTrav daily. Cardholders should monitor their transactions often-daily is preferred. This will help identify and reduce fraud potential.
Enforce safekeeping of card plate and card number. The Procurement Card should remain on campus in a safe locked unit unless being used. Cards should not be carried in a purse or billfold unless the user is going to be making an imminent purchase or is in travel status. At no time should a photocopy of a Procurement Card be made to provide to others. Doing so could subject the University to full liability of any fraudulent charges on that account.
While protecting your card plate is essential, it is also important to use precaution when selecting what devices are utilized to place online orders with your procurement card. With increased use of portable devices such as iPads, laptops, and smart-phones there is a higher risk of exposing confidential account information. In the event that a portable device is being used to make online procurement card purchases and that device is lost or stolen, immediately contact protrav@uiowa.edu for the appropriate course of action to protect your account. To prevent these situations, it is highly encouraged to only make online purchases from a secure University computer and not from any portable device.
When doing business online users should only utilize sites that are secure. Questions regarding whether or not a site is secure can be directed to the protrav@uiowa.edu team. Tips for a safe online shopping experience (from the TIPP desk-tipp@iowa.gov). Before you shop online, ensure you have the most current security software updates available for your operating system, application and browser

Before you shop online, ensure you have the most current security software updates available for your operating system, application and browser.
Know with whom you are doing business. You are safest when doing business with a reputable company.
Be sure “https” appears in the web site’s address bar when you are ready to provide payment information.
Look for logos from organizations that feature trusted or credential websites like BBBOnline, TRUSTe, or Verisign.
Do not send credit card information through email.
Do not perform online transactions from a public computer or kiosk.
Do not enter personal information in a pop up screen.
Check your credit card statement regularly. Immediately report any anomalies or transactions you didn’t make to Accounts Payable at 335-0115.

Know who your cardholders are. This will help to ensure that accounts are closed for terminating or transferred employees. This will also help to ensure only those users you intend to have cards are cardholders.
Be aware of scams. Discard any email communication solicitations from banks or other entities “phishing” for card information. The University’s card provider will never make contact to you via email asking for personal or card information.
Understand that the University of Iowa Procurement Card purchases are tax exempt. Know the tax exemption id: 42-6004813
Personal use of the Procurement card is considered a serious violation to the program. Intentional misuse may result in punishment up to card revocation and employee termination.
The Accounts Payable, Travel, and Purchasing Department strongly discourages sharing your procurement card or card number with other individuals. Cardholders are responsible for all charges processed on their procurement card. Sharing your account number or allowing others to use your card increases the risk of unauthorized use and the potential for fraud. Unauthorized use can lead to card revocation and/or disciplinary action. Individuals who make frequent purchases should consider applying for their own procurement card. For instructions see:
University policy prohibits the use of rewards programs for purchase because there is a potential for using rewards points for personal purchases. Because there is not a way to monitor such rewards in a way that is cost effective, the University's policy is that we should not participate in these programs. The purchase of an Amazon Prime membership falls under rewards programs and is not an allowable expense because this membership is not limited to UI business only and can be used for personal purchases.