Procurement & Payment Services

Procurement Card Program Updates

As The College at Brockport Procurement Card Program continuously evolves, program updates and changes can be found here. Please visit often to see the most recent information about the P-Card Program policies and requirements.

Computer Equipment Purchases
Increased Transaction Limit for Equipment Purchases
Program Updates & Audit Results 2011
Printer Purchases
Apple App Purchases
Campus Deliveries
Mandatory Use of P-Card

Computer Equipment Purchases

Per procurement card program guidelines, computer equipment purchases are NOT permitted using a P-Card for payment.

Computer equipment is defined as follows:

Anything that may require IT support including but not limited to: PC’s, laptops and tablet computers which include the Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface, Nook or KindleFire devices. As new technologies become available to compete with existing tablet computers or other processing equipment, they will also be restricted as purchases on the P-Card.

Please review the correct ordering procedure which includes seeking authorizations through the Technology Procurement System or TPS. Any computer equipment that is not purchased following these procedures will require reimbursement of payment to the state account using a non-state funding source and may not be supported by IT.

If there are any questions about what can/cannot be purchased using a P-Card account with regard to computer technology, please contact IT or Procurement & Payment Services before the purchase is made.

Equipment Purchases

Effective August 1, 2012, the per piece equipment limit on the Citibank VISA Procurement Card accounts were increased from $1,500 to $2,500 per piece of equipment.

Cardholders are still required to keep a separate departmental inventory sheet for equipment items less than $5,000 and place a property sticker on all equipment, to the extent possible. Additional property stickers are available by contacting Donna Napier at x5139.

All computer equipment continues to be restricted, regardless of cost, including all tablet computers. Printers may still be purchased using the guidelines previously provided.

Printer Purchases

Effectively immediately, the purchase of Hewlett Packard (HP) Printers must be purchased using a Citibank VISA account through Gholkar’s, Inc. only using the following procedures:

Pricing and purchases must be secured through Gholkar’s Inc, a local NYS certified MBE, by contacting Cathy Williams, phone: (800) 888-4920 x 110; fax: (585) 924-2084
Purchases for an HP printer through a source other than Gholkar’s must receive written authorization through Procurement & Payment Services prior to ordering. Consideration will only be given in circumstances where pricing and/or delivery by another source cannot be matched by Gholkar’s Inc.
Purchases for printers other than HP must still be purchased using a requisition process through Procurement & Payment Services or receive written authorization to use a Citibank VISA account through a specified source.
Purchases for high-end HP printers are encouraged to consider the inclusion of a maintenance contract following the warranty expiration. This cost and addition may be obtained through Gholkar’s at the time of purchase.
The cardholder is responsible for placing a College property sticker on all printers purchased using VISA. Additional property stickers may be requested through Procurement & Payment Services, as needed.

Any questions related to the policy change, please contact Donna Napier at x 5139 or Stacie Treahy at x5150.

Purchase of Apple Apps

With the increase in the use of Apple devices, such as iPads, across campus, it became obvious that there needed to be a better way to purchase the apps required to perform the tasks needed on these state-owned devices. The problem with purchasing apps online through the iTunes App Store using a Citibank VISA Card is that transactions always include sales tax charges. To obtain a credit for sales tax from Apple is quite a cumbersome process only to get a check returned for a very small amount.

The iTunes Volume Purchase Program will make purchasing apps using the Citibank VISA Card much simpler since it provides tax exemption at the time of purchase and volume discounts, where applicable. Only authorized Citibank Procurement Cardholders are permitted to use the iTunes Volume Purchase Program for the purchase of apps that are considered appropriate use of state funds on behalf of their department. For more information or to obtain access as a Program Facilitator, please contact the LITS Helpdesk at x5151. The purchase of apps on the Citibank VISA Card will no longer be permissible using the iTunes App Store.

NOTE: The purchase of iPads using a Citibank VISA Card is NOT allowed. All computers (including iPads) must be purchased using a requisition process and receive prior approval through LITS using the Technology Procurement System (TPS).

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Campus Deliveries

Facilities & Planning has issued a memo regarding proper delivery procedures on campus. Please be aware, that the shipping information provided on the Citibank VISA order form is for normal UPS deliveries ONLY. If you require a delivery other than UPS such as another carrier, USPS, express or desktop, please refer to the instructions provided and attached.

Regardless of the type of delivery, please be sure to request “VISA” be on the outside of the package and the cardholder name and room number for delivery. This same information should also be noted on the invoice to make distribution of invoices faster and easier as all invoices are initially sent to Procurement & Payment Services.

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Mandatory Use of Purchasing Card

In an audit performed by the SUNY Office of the University Auditor, the recommendation was made that The College at Brockport adopt a program encouraging, if not mandating, use of the NYS Purchasing Card for all small dollar purchases. In an effort to address the audit recommendation and to improve efficiencies in the procurement process so that procurement staff can focus on significant cost saving measures, the use of the Citibank VISA Purchasing Card for purchases and payments up to $250 became mandatory on July 3, 2006.

The only allowable exceptions will be for those purchases or payments where the payee will not accept a charge card. After verifying that a vendor will not accept a purchasing card, faculty/staff can:

Place an order with a vendor, request that the invoice be issued to your attention, and submit the invoice and requisition to Procurement &Payment Services for payment, OR...
Purchase the material, pay for the material, and request reimbursement using a requisition form and attaching an original itemized receipt.

The requisition paperwork must include a statement that purchasing card use was not possible and why.

Vendor acceptance of the purchasing card has improved signifiantly with the recent implementation of the VISA Purchasing Card Program (when compared to the previous American Express Program). Using a purchasing card increases departmental efficiencies and decreases administrative costs associated with the processing of small dollar purchase orders and payments. It also expedites purchases and payments. The purchasing card can be used for purchases/payments up to $2,500, but department heads can set lower limits, if necessary.

For those faculty/staff that do not currently have a purchasing card but are responsible for making purchases on behalf of the College or submitting small dollar requisitions to Procurement & Payment Services (conference registrations, subscriptions, memberships, etc.), we strongly encourage you to contact the Program Administrator, Donna Napier at x5139 to inquire about obtaining a P-Card.

In order to meet the audit recommendation, beginning July 3, 2006, requisitions under $250 that do not comply with this new policy will be returned and payment will have to be made using non-State funds.

This policy does not apply to travel (employee airline costs, car rental, lodging, etc.).

Please see Procurement & Payment Services Policies &Procedures for more information.

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