Purchase Card Policy

Please be advised that before using your personal card, please contact the Finance Assistant at environment-finance@york.ac.uk or sei-finance@york.ac.uk to check if you can use the department card. For any inquiries not addressed here please also email the Environment or SEIY finance inbox.

A Purchase Card Policy has been released with an update on Section 4 - Application process. There is now a new purchase card application form. Barclaycard have said any applications using the old form will be rejected. For guidance in completing the form please see the purchase card website and please ensure to familiarise yourself with basic guide for cardholders.

Below are a few very important Sections to keep in mind when using the University of York Purchase card.

Purchase card payments

If you need a one-off item/service purchasing via a departmental purchase card, please email the relevant contact:

For lab/tech related purchases: Dave at dave.hay@york.ac.uk
For student related purchases (including for PhD students): Rachel at environment@york.ac.uk
For staff related/misc purchases: Annabel at environment-pa@york.ac.uk
For staff/student Amazon purchases, please use the Amazon purchase request form.

Please send proof of approval from the budget holder, as well as the workorder.

For all purchases on a core workorder over £1k, these also need to be approved by Lucy at environment-dhfo@york.ac.uk.

Please make sure you read the University's purchasing guidance ahead of your request.

Where use of a Purchase Card is required, it must only be used for:

Departmental Purchasers

● Purchasing low value goods and services (typically less than £5,000) from
suppliers who will be used infrequently or as a one-off to avoid having to set up
the supplier on YEP.

● Purchasing goods and services only available online.

● Paying suppliers quickly - exceptional cases only if supplier already set up on YEP or would otherwise be set up on YEP.

● Paying suppliers who raise PayPal invoices to the University as a means of
receiving payment. Staff cannot set up or use PayPal accounts for University
business or link them to their purchase cards.

Frequent Travellers

● Incidental expenses (including entertainment) whilst travelling on business
● Travel where it is not reasonable to book through the University’s contracted
travel management companies (see Expenses FAQs)

A Purchase Card must not be used for:

● Purchasing items for personal use.
● Making donations to charities.
● Purchasing goods and services from suppliers already set up on YEP (apart from
exceptional cases, as detailed above). Purchase orders must be raised for
purchasing goods and services from these (YEP) suppliers.
● Purchasing goods and services from preferred suppliers - in these cases, the
described ordering route must be used.
● Purchasing goods and services online using personal accounts. Cardholders
must not link their University Purchase Card to their own personal online account
(e.g. Amazon) - all University purchases must be made using University
email/delivery addresses.
● Purchasing fuel if using your own vehicle for University business. This must
always be claimed on expenses.
● Purchasing gifts for staff, including where funded by a staff collection e.g. leaving
gift, wedding gift, etc.
● Travel costs and incidental expenses unless the card has been issued
specifically for that purpose to a frequent traveller for use when travelling.
Otherwise, it is strongly recommended that staff use the University’s contracted
travel management companies or the expenses process.
● Any expenditure which does not comply with the University's Financial
Regulations and Travel and Expenses policy.
● Paying for goods/services supplied by other University departments e.g.
catering, printed stationery.

Cardholder Responsibilities:

● Cardholders must only use their cards in accordance with this policy.
● Cardholders must obtain receipts for all card transactions, including contactless ones.
● The Cardholder must code each transaction using the online portal within one month
of making the purchase. The User Guide explains how to do this and what
information must be provided. Failure to code transactions within two months will be
deemed to be serious misuse as defined in Section 9 of this policy.
● Receipts/invoices must be presented to the card approver so that they can check and
verify transactions and raise queries if required during the approval process. Failure
to retain/provide receipts will be deemed to be serious misuse as defined in Section 9
of this policy.
● All receipts/invoices must be retained by the cardholder and stored electronically eg.
on a shared drive within the Department for audit purposes.
● The Cardholder must not share their card and pin sentry device with other members
of staff e.g. job-share colleagues. The card must only be used by the named
cardholder as they are solely responsible for the security and usage of the card.
● Where cardholders are purchasing on behalf of others, they must have written
authority from the budget holder before purchasing and retain these for audit
purposes.
● Cardholders must not disclose their login details for the online portal, or other security information to others. Unauthorised disclosure may result in the withdrawal of the card and/or disciplinary action.