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Introduction:The objective of the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Purchase Card Program is to provide non-Procurement personnel with the authority to make purchases within an authorized dollar limit. The KSC Purchase Card Homepage provides links to Agency Procedures, Training, and Job Aids; links to Government-wide and Agency Regulations; and KSC Specific Job Aids and Information. Coordinators:Cicely Simmons, Coordinator, 867-3912 General Information:Cardholders will use Internet
Explorer to access the web-based version of P-Card
at: https://bankcard.ifmp.nasa.gov.
The Online Quick Reference (OLQR) can be used before or during the use of
P-Card and is available at: http://olqr-cf.ifmp.nasa.gov. The cardholder is delegated a single purchase limit which shall not exceed $3,000, and a 30-day dollar limit. A single purchase may be for multiple items, but total purchase amount cannot exceed the single purchase limit. The 30-day limit is the dollar limit of purchases a cardholder can make in a calendar month. This limit is set up when you receive your card usually $10,000. Your approving official can increase your monthly limit by sending a request to the Bankcard Coordinator via the form provided online. You cannot split requirements to stay under the single purchase limit. Splitting a purchase into smaller dollar purchases to avoid exceeding your SPL or spreading the purchases out over a few days is prohibited, and violation of this could result in the loss and cancellation of your credit card. You should ALWAYS use the comments section of your order log to document what you are buying and who you are buying it for.
Cardholder Responsibilities:The Cardholder is authorized to make purchases through the use of Government issued Purchase Cards. As an authorized holder of the Government issued purchase card, you have a responsibility to ensure that your card is properly used for purchases in support of the Agency and Center mission. The Cardholder Responsibilities include the following:
Approving Official Responsibilities:The Approving Official reviews the reconciled Purchase Card transactions of the Cardholder for accuracy and appropriateness and then approves or disapproves the transactions. The Approving Official must be at least one level higher in position than the cardholder, generally the immediate supervisor. The Approving Official’s responsibilities include the following: · The Approving Official is the primary internal control representative responsible for monitoring cardholder activity for compliance with credit card program procedures. · During the monthly reconciliation Approving Officials should review the appropriateness of the purchases and to ensure that there is no appearance of splitting requirements. · Report any potential misuse to the KSC Purchase Card Coordinator. · Keep the Coordinator informed of any changes in your Directorate that might impact the Purchase Card Program such as the departure of former employees or the addition of new one. · Ensure that all of your Cardholders have reconciled and you have approved those purchases by the date established by the KSC Purchase Card Coordinator.
Purchase Card Coordinator Responsibilities:The Purchase Card Coordinator sets up and maintains accounts for Cardholders and Approving Officials. The Coordinator’s responsibilities include the following: · The Coordinator will notify Cardholders and Approving Officials each month when the statement is available for reconciliation, and assist them as necessary. · Establish the date for completion of the reconciliation / approving each month and track the names of users that are late. · Provide reconciliation assistance to Cardholders and Approving Officials as necessary. ·
Work with the · Forward reconciled transactions to Accounts Payable. · Hold training for Purchase Card Program participants and serve as the Dispute Office Contact. · Conduct monthly review of purchases and complete a full audit report of Center activity once each year. Finance Organization Responsibilities:The Finance Organization works with the Technical Organizations to establish the budgetary funding codes each fiscal year and then provides those to the Cardholders. In addition, the Finance Organization is responsible for the disbursement of payments in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act. Alternates:The P-Card software provides
cardholders the capability of designating an alternate who may prepare order
logs, enter receipt information, reconcile, and prepare dispute forms in the
cardholder's absence. Approving officials may also designate an alternate who
may approve cardholder reconciled transactions in their place should they be
unavailable. Cardholders and Approving Officials should always set-up
alternates and advise them if they are going to be away from duty during the
reconciliation period. The alternate is not permitted to place orders against another Cardholder’s account. And, alternates must complete the web-based P-Card training, attend instructor-led Purchase Card training/briefings, and submit required security access paperwork prior to performing as an alternate. Purchase Card Receiver:The Purchase Card Receiver is responsible for physically receiving and verifying that goods or services have been delivered. The BR displays the record of purchase and records the receipt of goods and services against the Order Log. At KSC the Joint Base Operations and Support Contract (JBOSC) logistics personnel act as the Purchase Card Receiver for goods delivered to the Central Receiving Warehouse and are responsible for the tagging of controlled property. If the item IS A CONTROLLED ITEM (on the Sensitive Item List) and is being
shipped, instruct the vendor to mark the box as follows: In the event that the items are received at the Cardholders desk or are picked up in person and the items require tagging, the Cardholder is responsible for contacting NASA/TA-E1 for instructions. See the Important Numbers page for property and tagging contact information. All purchases not picked up directly from the vendor's location by the CARDHOLDER, will be delivered to a Government location (e.g. KSC and NASA Vandenberg). Off site delivery to a non-Government location is prohibited. Before the Purchase:When making purchase you need to comply with the
Simplified Acquisition Procedures and Regulations (FAR Part 13); the Small
Purchase and Other Simplified Purchase Procedures (NASA FAR Part 1813); the
Required Sources of Supplies and Services (FAR Part 8); and the Required
Sources of Supplies and Services (NASA FAR Part 1808). When
placing orders to the vendors, let them know that all purchases are tax
exempt ( a tax exempt form can be provided to you by
the Bankcard Coordinator). The following steps should be
taken prior to making your purchase:
508 Compliant Items:When purchasing any Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) equipment you must buy 508 compliant items and mark your order log accordingly. Attached is a helpful check sheet to guide your through this process. · Section 508 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d) refers to a section
in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was amended by the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). Its primary purpose is to provide
access to and use of Federal executive agencies’ EIT by individuals
with disabilities. The statutory language of Section 508 can be found at http://www.section508.gov. · Starting on April 1, 2005, micro-purchases (generally
those purchases made through the P-Card process) will be required to conform with the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. For
more information go to the Guide to Section 508 Standards for Electronic and
Information Technology website (www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/index.htm)
which provides an explanation of the various criteria in easy to understand
language. Also contact your 508
Coordinator in your Center CIOs office. A listing of the 508 Coordinators may be
found at: http://www.section508.nasa.gov/coordinators.htm
Are there consequences if
I don’t buy compliant products? Yes – persons with disabilities can file administrative complaints or bring civil actions in Federal court against the agency. Court orders compelling compliance can also be issued. What documentation is required on my Order Log? • As a minimum, you must indicate that the product or service is EIT and identify the sources that you contacted to find commercially available accessible products, i.e. commercial vendors, internet market research, contacts with other federal agencies, etc. The file must also indicate that the goods or services: a. Are E&IT and, either b. meet the applicable accessibility standards, or c. is for a commercial item (or service) and that some or all of the applicable Access Board standards cannot be met in time to satisfy the delivery requirements. • The market research documentation shall be included in the comments section of the order log or maintained in a separate file referenced back to the order log to support the purchase of a 508 compliant product. Mandatory Sources of Supply:These include JWOD (Javits Wagner O'Day Act) sources, Stock Room, Federal Supply Catalog items, and mandatory GSA contracts. Use existing computer hardware and software contracts such as ODIN whenever possible. The Federal
Acquisition Streamlining Act did not abolish the priorities for use of the
Government supply sources as stated in Part 8 (Required Sources of Supplies
and Services) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Micro-purchases are not
exempt from this requirement. The following information is provided to assist
you in locating sources that can supply required supplies and services:
*Under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program, each purchase of a
SKILCRAFT or other JWOD/NIB/NISH product or service helps to generate employment
and training opportunities for individuals who are blind or have other severe
disabilities. How to Make a Purchase:The following steps should be
taken during the purchasing process:
After the Purchase:Keep the following
responsibilities in mind after the purchase: 1. If the item(s) is a controlled item and picked up at the vendor's location by the CARDHOLDER in lieu of being shipped, the Cardholder is to notify SGS-157 (7-1698) for tagging instructions. 2. Upon receipt of the item(s) at KSC, visual inspection of the shipping container will be accomplished by JBOSC Receiving. All controlled items will be tagged, the appropriate data will be transmitted to NEMS Control (JBOSC), and the items will be delivered to the Cardholder. All non controlled items received will be delivered to the Cardholder. 3. Once the item(s) has been delivered, the Cardholder should check for damage, verify contents, and quantity order against the relevant Purchase Card Order Log as follows: a. IF THE ITEM(s) IS UNDAMAGED b. After Customer pick-up, it is the Customer's responsibility to contact the Cardholder if the item(s) does not operate properly. c. IF THE ITEM(s) IS DAMAGED, the Cardholder retains the item(s) with all packaging, contacts the vendor for resolution, and contacts Freight Traffic (7-3501) to process a freight claim for damages. d. IF THE ITEM(s) DOES NOT CORRESPOND TO THE ORDER, the Cardholder retains the item(s) with all packaging, contacts the vendor to correct the discrepancy, completes KSC Form 7-248 to ship the item(s) back, and informs JBOSC Shipping (7-7998) when item(s) is ready for pick-up. The vendor will be responsible for the associated shipping cost. JBOSC Shipping will assist the Cardholder in this matter. Refer to the OLQR modifying Order Logs for procedures when rejecting or returning goods. Reconciliation:Each month, the Coordinator will
download transaction files from Bank of America to the P-Card Solution
Software. You will receive an e-mail alerting you that your transactions are
ready for reconciliation around the 25th of each month. All purchases, made
and shipped on or before the 23rd of each month will appear in your monthly
transaction file. When you receive your monthly transactions, it is your
responsibility to verify that all the purchases listed in your monthly
transaction file were made by you, at the prices you agreed to, and for which
you received fund certification. Verify that you have, in fact, received the
items for which you are being charged. Reconciliation is performed on-line
within the P-Card Solution software. Charges for partial shipments can be
reconciled. NASA as an Agency has implemented a "Pay and
Chase" policy. This means that the entire invoice will be paid
regardless of whether items are disputed. However, you must still complete a
Dispute form. See the Disputes Section for more information. As a cardholder,
you still have a responsibility to scrutinize your purchase card transactions
and ensure that the Government is being properly charged for products bought
and services rendered. Failure to verify your charges may result in
overcharges to the Government as well as a warning letter to you or possible
suspension of your account. All reconciled transactions must be approved by the
Approving Official, generally an employee one level above the cardholder.
Approvals are also accomplished on-line within the P-Card Solution software.
Even though the P-Card system notifies the approving official, once the
cardholder has completed reconciliation, it would be prudent to email your
approving official as well to notify him/her that you have completed
reconciliation Transactions must be reconciled and approved by the date
established by the Center Coordinator each month. Cardholder's Absence:
The P-Card software allows for a delegation which means the cardholder should
always delegate an alternate to reconcile the transactions and file disputes
in his or her absence. (Be sure a copy is made for your records!) Approving Official's Absence: Approving
Officials should also always appoint an alternate to approve reconciled
transactions when they are going to be absent Disputes:As with any credit card, if you identify an incorrect
charge in your monthly transactions, you must dispute the charge. Call the
vendor! This is always the first step in resolving any dispute. This
section deals with dispute forms as well as examples of what is involved in
filing a dispute. Your training package included a copy of a dispute form or
you can access one by clicking on the following link: Dispute
Form. The dispute form is essentially self explanatory. The major
difficulty for you is making sure that the vendor follows through in issuing
the credit. Briefly, here are the steps required to dispute a charge: ·
Call the vendor for
an explanation of the difference in cost or to identify the charge. ·
If the charge is
higher than the amount originally quoted
contact the vendor. It is possible that the additional amount charged is due
to shipping costs, in which case you must modify your order log in P-Card to
reflect the change (adding a new line item for shipping). If not, you must
work with the vendor to get the amount in question credited to your purchase
card. You would then dispute this portion of the charge. ·
Instruct the vendor
to issue a credit to your account for the charge in question. ·
In order to document
in P-Card that you are disputing part of the order, enter a note in the
"Comments" field of your order log stating that the charge for Item
2 is disputed, and the reason why. ·
Complete the Dispute
Form. ·
Make a copy of
the dispute form for your records. This is important. You may be double billed for a charge in a subsequent
monthly transaction file. Your copy serves as a record of all approved
charges and disputes. ·
E-mail the completed
Dispute form to government.claims@bankofamerica.com -
OR - Fax the completed Dispute form to 1-888-678-6046. ·
Make sure the credit
appears in your next monthly transaction file. Credits will appear in
parentheses. ·
If the credit does
not appear within you next monthly transactions, call the company again. You
must keep calling until the credit is obtained. Dispute forms must be filed within a reasonable time, or
else the Government will lose its rights. The bank defines a timely dispute
form as one filed within 60 days of the transaction date. Types of Infractions:Below are selected types of
infractions and the penalties. Under this program, you may be required to
have items returned to the vendor if they are found to be inappropriately
bought and / or your Cardholder privileges revoked. You must not... ·
split requirements
to stay under a threshold ·
place orders for
material that should not be bought under this program ·
place orders without
documentation in P-Card ·
place orders without
successful save in P-Card (i.e., fund certification) ·
purchase any items
that require Special Approval without first obtaining the approvals and
documenting the comment section of the order log ·
purchase personal items (either consumable or
non-consumable) ·
use other than your own funding without
authorization from the funding organization Corrective Actions for Bankcard Misuse:The following are general procedures that may be taken for occurrences
of purchase card misuse. In all cases
of Cardholder misuse, the Cardholder will be required to repay the Government
for unauthorized purchases. While the nature and circumstances of the misuse drives the corrective action to be taken, the following steps are generally followed when indications of misuse are found. On the first instance of misuse, the cardholder’s supervisor and the cardholder will be notified either verbally or in writing. The supervisor shall provide counseling/warning to the employee. On the second instance of misuse, a written warning letter/email will be sent to the cardholder’s supervisor and the cardholder. This may lead to temporary “deactivation” of the card until it can be demonstrated that adequate additional controls have been established. Further abuse of the purchase card will result in “cancellation” of the account and may result in disciplinary action in accordance with established Center Personnel guidelines for offenses and penalties. These are general guidelines for corrective actions, and as mentioned earlier, actions taken for misuse are dependent on the nature of the misuse. For example, even if the instance of misuse is a “first,” but it is determined that it is an egregious misuse; it could result in “cancellation” of the purchase card and further disciplinary action. When appropriate, misuses of the purchase card are referred to the Office of Inspector General for further action Penalties for Abuse:Use of the Purchase Card requires adherence to the general and specific instructions governing the program, which are contained in this Purchase Card Users' Guide. You are cautioned that making expenditures without creating an Order Log may be a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act. The Act provides for criminal penalties for knowingly and willfully violating this restriction. Splitting of a requirement to fall within the $3,000 limit is prohibited. The Purchase Card Holder and Purchase Card Approving Official may be held personally liable for unauthorized purchases, which may result in restitution or disciplinary action. Fraud:
Fraud is any felonious act of corruption or attempt to cheat the Government or corrupt the Government's agents. Fraud may be committed either by Government employees or by merchants. There are two responsibilities each cardholder has relative to fraud: You must be alert to the indicator of fraud and report suspected fraud immediately. Indicators of potential fraud by Government employees include:
You must report all indicators of fraud. Identify the responsible official(s) and report them through the proper channels. You can make reports to any of the following as appropriate:
Notice: Any intentional use of the Government purchase card for other than official Government business is considered an attempt to commit fraud against the U.S. Government and may be cause for disciplinary actions. The cardholder is held personally liable to the Government for the amount of any non-government transaction. Under 18 U.S.C. 287, misuse of the purchase card could result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to five years or both. Military members who misuse the purchase card may be subject to court martial under 10 U.S.C. 932, UCMJ Art. 132. Records Retention Schedule:Cardholders must retain all purchase card records for three (3) years, in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule 5 (NPG 1441.1, Item 1A.b). The P-Card software, as we know it presently, has the capability to electronically archive purchase card order logs/reconciled transactions indefinitely. Because of this, the only paperwork you would need to retain is any receipts, specials approvals (those should be annotated in the comments section as well), or other miscellaneous documentation that is not stored in the P-Card System. When a Cardholder leaves the Center, this documentation should be turned over to the Approving Official. Leaving NASA Or Turning in Card:The Cardholder is required to contact the Center Purchase Card Coordinator if they are changing organizations of if their Approving Official changes, so the correct procedures in assigning another Approving Official are followed. If the organization decides that they no longer need you as a cardholder, a brief memo needs to be sent to the Center Purchase Card Coordinator including your signature as well as your Approving Official’s signature. The Cardholder is required to contact the Center Purchase Card Coordinator for instruction if they are leaving NASA and will be turning in their Purchase Card. |
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