Handbook of Business Procedures
Date published: February 21, 2012
Last revised: January 21, 2020
Issued by: Purchasing
7.8 THE PROCUREMENT CARD PROGRAM
What is the Procurement Card (ProCard) Program?
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts awarded a contract to Citibank to provide procurement cards for State of Texas agencies. The University of Texas at Austin (hereafter referred to as UT Austin, or the University) elected to participate in the program and incorporate Citibank within its current ProCard program. All of the information included in this section of the Handbook of Business Procedures (HBP) is intended to foster knowledgeable, safe, and efficient use of the ProCard program by eligible users.
ProCard Policy Statement
The Policy Statement for the ProCard program at UT Austin is as follows:
Purchases that support the daily business needs of the University should utilize the appropriate procurement method. Trained and certified UT Austin employees are issued credit cards, also known as ProCards, from the state-approved bank to be used only for the purchase of allowable low-dollar and low-risk goods and services for university purposes.
Some staff within each college, school, or unit (CSU) may be issued a higher limit credit card for the purchase of more expensive allowable goods or services when other methods of procurement are not more appropriate. In addition to the basic procurement card training, these individuals must train and be certified in all procurement rules and methods, and thus act as an extension of the central procurement staff.
The following key elements need to be incorporated into policy considerations and understood by individual Cardholders:
- A ProCard draws directly on UT Austin’s funds; therefore, all procurement and accounting procedures required by state law and university policy apply to its use.
- The Cardholder is personally responsible for all purchases made on their ProCard.
- Failure to follow the procedures related to the use of ProCard may result in the loss of card privileges and/or other discipline up to and including dismissal.