The University of North Carolina
at
Chapel Hill
| Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Telephone: 919-962-3798 | CB# 1000, 302 South Building |
| Fax: 919-962-0647 | Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1000 |
| Email: James_Ramsey@unc.edu |
March 23, 1999
| To: | Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs | |
| From: | James R. Ramsey, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration | |
| Re: | Campus Departmental Purchasing Card (P-Card) |
We are pleased to announce the new campus department purchasing credit card (P-card). This card, a First Union VISA card, replaces the check request process for small order (under $2500) purchases. Presently, small order purchases are made in person or via telephone, the merchandise and invoice are sent to the department, the department prepares an electronic check request, mails the invoice to Accounts Payable, Accounts Payable issues a payment check, and mails it to the vendor.
With the P-Card, small order purchases are made in person or via telephone, but billing and payment are electronic. The P-Card allows departments to obtain goods much faster and easier while sharply reducing paperwork and processing time in the department as well as in Accounts Payable and Purchasing. If all departments convert from using check requisitions to using the P-Card for small order purchases, the number of check requests will be reduced by 30%, and the remaining check requests will be able to be processed much more quickly.
We encourage you to take advantage of this major administration improvement to our small purchase process. There are some restrictions on the use of the P-card (for example, it cannot be used for travel), and accountability for and security of the cards are of the utmost importance. Therefore, department heads must approve individuals for P-card use and each cardholder must attend a training session. Purchasing will arrange for a demonstration of the system for your business manager or other key administrative and accounting personnel, so that you can determine the best way to implement the P-card in your department. If you have a number of employees who should be issued cards, Purchasing will arrange for training sessions specifically for your department.
Further information and application forms can be found at http://www.ais.unc.edu/msd/. This web site can also be accessed through the UNC-CH Home Page through either Materials Support or Purchasing. Please contact the University Purchasing Card Coordinator, Jan Gross, Assistant Director for General Purchasing, at or telephone 962-3774 (fax: 962-0636), or e-mail Janice_Gross@unc.edu or her assistant Katherine Marlow at or telephone 962-2256 or e-mail Katherine_Marlow@unc.edu for answers to questions, or to schedule demonstrations or training sessions.