Payment Cards

Welcome!

WWU Payment Card Services manages, supports, and monitors Western's payment card programs to provide efficient purchasing options while complying with procurement regulations to mitigate risk for the university as a whole. Western's payment card programs fall under the guidance of local, state, and federal rules including POL-U5351.02 Issuing and Using University Credit Cards.

The WWU Pcard is available for faculty and staff, designed to reduce the use of small dollar purchases using purchase orders, and eliminate the use of personal funds. Pcard usage is restricted to WWU business purchases only, and may not be used for personal expenditures.

Questions? Contact pcard@wwu.edu 

How it Works

Payment Card Services is the administrator for the pcard program, while the responsibility of card usage lies with the individual cardholder and department.

Cardholder Responsibilities

• Discuss your request for a pcard with the appropriate department administrator.
• Review Standards for Securing University Credit Cards and Accounts.
• Complete the pcard Canvas training (link sent upon request).
• Complete and submit the Payment Card - Account Create eform.
• Activate your card when received and set up PaymentNet alerts.
• Understand your department's purchasing approval procedure.
• Familiarize yourself with purchasing rules.
• Review transactions in a timely manner.
• Maintain receipts and other pcard documentation for 6 fiscal years.
• Visit Payment Cards WWU SharePoint for additional resources.

*Pcards automatically renew every three years and will be sent directly to the cardholder.

Transaction Approver Responsibilities

• Understand your specific reviewing responsibilities in PaymentNet.
• Maintain source documentation for cardholder purchases in compliance with WWU retention policy.
• Approve/review transactions in a timely manner.
• Visit Payment Cards WWU SharePoint for additional resources.

Reviewing Transactions

Transactions should be reviewed weekly, but must be done by the monthly download date. Access the transaction review example  for details. **If you are using grant funds, follow instructions on reconciling RSP Grants.

Expense Codes - Each transaction needs to be assigned an expense code. For a full list, visit Accounting Services Expense Account Codes page. If you are using Chart 2 funds, run FWRCLST to determine what expense codes are available for chart 2 funds. Or, contact pcard@wwu.edu for assistance.

Default Fast Index - Most accounts are set up with a default fast index at the time the account is created. If a transaction should be directed to a different funding string than the default, update the fast index within the transaction, or delete it and enter Chart of Account information for the fund, organization (orgn) AND program code. 

For more information on Western's Chart of Accounts visit Financial Services - Accounting Services webpage or contact pcard@wwu.edu.

Pcard Download

Purchases will appear on your transaction list as soon as they are posted by the bank. Review and approve transactions in PaymentNet weekly rather than monthly. PaymentNet transactions are downloaded to Banner on the following schedule:

• Weekly
  • Scheduled for Mondays unless otherwise noted.
  • Weekly downloads capture approved transactions.
• Monthly
  • Scheduled the day before the fiscal period closes.  
  • Captures all transactions for the cycle whether or not they have been reviewed or approved.
  • Funding corrections require a journal voucher.
  • FY2025 Monthly Download Schedule
• Year-End
  • Captures all transactions approved by the end of the fiscal year (June 30).
  • Remaining transactions will be processed in the accrual period.
  • The expenses for goods and services purchased via pcard must post to the Fiscal Year in which they were received.
  • At the end of June and start of July, compare your PaymentNet Post Date to the date you received the related goods/services, they should be in the same fiscal year.

If the Post Date is in the incorrect fiscal year, email pcard@wwu.edu with the following:

• Transaction ID#
• Merchant Name
• $ Amount
• Correct Fiscal Year

What to Purchase

When buying goods or services for Western, all purchasing and procurement rules must be followed - regardless of payment method. Before seeking supplies or services from merchants, review the purchasing rules, including University Standards on Controlled and Prohibited Purchases STN-U5348.01B.

• The WWU pcard is used for official WWU business only, not for personal expenses.
• The default pcard single transaction limit is $3,000 and the monthly limit is $10,000.
• Completing multiple transactions to circumvent the single transaction limit on pcard is a violation of pcard policy.
• Purchases should be delivered to a department or business location address only, deliveries to a home address requires departmental and Purchasing approval.
• Anything needing signature must be submitted to the Contract Administration Team for review before requesting a card limit increase.

Additional Reference Materials

• Office of Financial Management – SAAM Chapter 45
• Procurement FAQs
• WWU Purchasing Policies - purchasing.department@wwu.edu
• Before traveling review travel updates and resources
• The Software Central website is dedicated to the process of acquiring new software