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CASH MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES HANDBOOK

APPENDIX A. SMARTPAY CARD

Introduction:

This appendix comprises five sections:

1.0 General - applies to all Individual Account Cards;

2.0 Travel Card Program;

3.0 Purchase Card (BankCard) Program;

4.0 Convenience Checks, which are issued as an extension of the Purchase Card

(BankCard) program; and

5.0 Fleet Card.

Convenience Checks are issued to holders of "Purchase Cards" for use in situations

where 'Credit Cards' are not acceptable in payment.

Section 1.0 General

Individual Account Card: There are several types of Individual Account Cards. This

General section applies to all Individual Account cards. Material contained herein is not

repeated for each separate type of Card.

.01 Background and Intent

a. Basic Relationships

There have been previous contracts with other Financial Institutions. However, the

Department of Commerce is currently contracting for all card services with JPMorgan

Chase under the SmartPay2 program.

b. Key Definitions

'Smart Pay Card' is a general term used by GSA and DOC to designate a method of

payment, under the SmartPay2 program, utilizing an Individual Account Card. It may

comprise the functions of any of the following card services.

• 'Travel Card' -- includes both the ' Individually Billed Travel Program', and the

'Centrally Billed Travel Program' for common carriers and expensed incurred during

travel.

• 'Purchase Card' ('BankCard') -- used for small purchases.

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• 'Fleet Card' -- used to pay for gasoline and services to Government vehicles.

• 'Individual Account Card' is a general term. It comprises any and all single-party or

single-entity account(s) that are accessed by cards. Such accounts may be classified

by several means, including the following.

• Type of Account e.g., 'Credit Card', which is a term used to describe an individual

account card that is used repeatedly to borrow or to purchase on credit. Typically, a

Credit Card will contain six elements:

1. the Cardholder's name;

2. an individual account number;

3. a coded magnetic strip for point-of-sale transactions; and

4. The Expiration Date.

5. General Category e.g., 'Plastic Card’ or 'BankCard'

6. Purpose e.g., 'Travel Card', 'Fleet Card', or 'Purchase Card'

• 'Payment Office' refers to the administrative accounting office making payments for

bureau transactions. Organization of Payment Offices is not the same in all bureaus.

For example:

In the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are

several payment offices located across the U.S.

The International Trade Administration's payments are being made by NIST

under a cross-servicing arrangement.

.02 Purpose

All Individual Account Cards are classified as 'Electronic Fund Transfer' (EFT) media.

As such, they offer the benefits of cash savings, cost avoidance, operational flexibility,

and simplified record-keeping.

The Individual Account Card is intended to:

1. simplify, clarify, and expedite purchases, cash flow, and control;

2. extend the use of EFT;

3. minimize the traveler's need to carry cash while reducing travel advances

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4. simplify record-keeping; and to

5. reduce reliance on imprest funds

.03 OMB Circular A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control, Appendix

B, Improving the Management of Government Charge Card Programs

Appendix B Revised, of OMB Circular A-123, prescribes policies and procedures to

agencies regarding how to maintain internal controls that reduce the risk of fraud, waste,

and error in government charge card programs.

Appendix B maximizes the benefits to the Federal Government when using government

charge cards to pay for goods and services in support of official Federal missions. The

provisions of this guidance apply to all Executive Branch departments and agencies.

.04 Policy

It shall be the practice for all DOC employees to use Individual Account Cards, wherever

possible, to help advance the EFT and Prompt Pay initiatives.

Payment offices should receive invoices electronically, if practical.

To optimize refunds from JPMorganChase under the SmartPay2 program, payments must

be made as expeditiously as possible. Payments to JPMorgan Chase must be made

electronically.

Refunds under the SmartPay2 program are distributed to the bureaus based on their

respective refunds earned

Travel and Fleet Card program refunds may be retained by the Office of the Secretary

Working Capital Fund as determined by Department of Commerce management.

The Cardholder has custodial responsibility for the Smart Pay Card and is responsible for

all billed charges for cards that have not been reported as missing or stolen. The

Cardholder must therefore promptly report the loss or theft of a card to avoid

responsibility for unauthorized charges.

The 'Responsible Cardholder' is a Government entity in all cases except for the

individually billed Travel Card, for which the responsible cardholder is the employee to

whom it is issued.

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The Department is not liable for charges made by unauthorized users of a card.

Expeditious payment is desirable even under less-than-desirable conditions. For example,

in certain circumstances, the ordinary practice of basing of payment upon the receipt of

merchandise can become an impediment to the establishment of a timely payment

process. In such circumstances, the "Fast Pay Procedure" (a "Simplified Acquisition

Method") may be available to Payment Offices. If so, the Fast Pay Procedure is

encouraged.

.05 Accounting and Fund Control

Use of an Individual Account Card can result in the skipping of procedural steps –

especially those relating to recognition which have traditionally marked the `audit trail'.

While this expedites purchases and improves cash flow, it introduces accounting and

internal control problems.

For example, when a card is accepted in payment, the Commitment and Obligation steps

cannot be easily isolated. This diminishes traditional Fund Control. Recognition of the

transaction within the financial system is delayed because such recognition cannot occur

until a Statement is received at the end of the card issuer's reporting cycle. Furthermore,

the expense may not appear on the current periodic (usually monthly) statement. This is

the basis of the cardholder's custodial responsibility for timely capture of transaction data.

To safeguard against Antideficiency Act Violations, Finance Offices should assure that

responsible officials establish adequate controls such as:

• Budgetary limits;

• Authorization procedures; and

• Card spending limits.

Note: For the Purchase Card, the setting of spending limits is a Procurement Office

function.

The application for each card must include a default code, which is the accounting code

of the cardholder. This default code will appear on the cardholder's monthly statement. A

transaction made without the entry of an appropriate accounting code, will be charged to

the default code. It will then be the responsibility of the cardholder to research the true

source of the transaction in order to achieve an accurate posting.

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.06 Responsibilities

a. Issuer Responsibility— The GSA Master Contract for SmartPay2 and the Task

order with the Department specify the issuer's responsibilities. The Master Contract

for SmartPay 2 may be available at the GSA SmartPay2 website: GSA SmartPay2

Website. The Department’s SmartPay 2 servicing bank is JP Morgan

Chase/MasterCard association for all commercial charge card services (purchase,

travel and fleet business lines). JP Morgan Chase’s automated solution includes

PaymentNet reporting tool and Account Center web based card application tool.

MasterCard association’s automated solution includes Expert Monitoring System

(EMS), a comprehensive risk management tool, and their Enhanced Merchant

Reporting (EMR) tool.

b. Agency / Bureau Responsibility agencies and bureaus are responsible for

maintaining adequate controls and records pertaining to Cardholder Accounts.

c. Cardholder Responsibility Upon receipt of the monthly 'Statement of Charges' from

the issuer, the cardholder must verify each transaction and reconcile the amounts to

retained sales receipts. For those purchases which are not to be charged to the default

accounting code (see above), the card- holder will provide the proper account coding

on the statement, including the 'Object Class'.

When a receipt is not furnished (e.g., because goods were ordered by telephone), a

signed 'Telephone Ordering Log' or similar document should be prepared and

submitted by the cardholder instead. The Cardholder must forward a 'package'

(comprising the 'Statement of Charges' and supporting Sales Receipts) to the

Approving Official within five workdays of initial receipt of the statement. The

cardholder shall notify the Approving Official when purchases have been made and a

'Statement of Charges' is not received within 10 days after the end of the billing cycle

(i.e. 21

of each month).

When an item on a Statement is disputed, the cardholder must immediately follow

Department of Commerce prescribed procedures for disputed transactions.

When an item is ordered and appears on a Statement without having been received,

the cardholder should contact the vendor to determine the status of the goods. If the

goods are in the process of being shipped, this is not considered a 'questioned item.'

The cardholder shall follow Department of Commerce prescribed procedures for

resolving the verification of receipt of goods.

Note: Payment should not be withheld for questioned or disallowed items. JPMorgan

Chase will issue credits to the account affected upon receipt of the disputed

transaction.

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d. Purchasing Agents Responsibility—a Purchasing Agent must be furnished with a

separate card for each Payment Office for which they will be making purchases.

Purchasing Agents are responsible for using the correct card for each purchase. This

will assure that the purchase will appear on the proper Invoice and will make charges

easier to identify on a statement.

e. Commerce BankCard Center (CBC) Responsibility

The CBC performs a variety of functions with regard to Individual Account Cards as

follows:

(1) Operations:

• Processes Individual Account Card Applications

• Maintains Card Accounts with ongoing updates of account information

• Processes all card transactions

• Endeavors to ensure timely payment to JPMorgan Chase

• Conducts Quarterly Reviews of cardholder data for indications of abuse or misuse

of cards

• Manages the processing of Credits to ensure that the Agency receives all that is

due

Note: Questioned and disputed amounts are credited immediately and show-up on

subsequent statements and invoices as Credits. The CBC will provide a report to

JPMorgan Chase and will monitor the issuance of Credits on the next month's

statement so that they can be posted by the appropriate bureau accounting office.

(2) Reporting

• Provides the requesting agency's Finance Office monthly and (upon request)

special reports of Purchase Card transaction data

• Provides special reports and data files to the Office of Inspector General for audits

(3) Customer Support

• Serves as the contact for the handling of problems for cardholders, approving

officials, the ordering agencies Finance Office, and JPMorgan Chase.

• Assists in the resolution of disputes between cardholders and vendors.

• Assists in the resolution of problems associated with lost and stolen cards.

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(4) Information Services

• Maintains a website linking purchase / travel policy news about the Purchase Card

and Travel programs

• Provides introductory information for new cardholders and approving officials.

• The CBC provides for a coordination of Individual Account Card processing,

extending various levels of service to all cards, but providing the widest range of

services to the Purchase Card (BankCard).

f. Payment Office Responsibilities—Payment Offices should pay JPMorgan Chase

invoices through 'Electronic Funds Transfer' (EFT) via the 'Automated Clearing House'

(ACH). The ACH system is governed by the ACH Rules of the National Clearing House

Association (NACHA), which provides for interbank clearing of electronic entries for

participating financial institutions. The authority governing disbursing practices with

regard to the ACH is 31 CFR Part 208, Management of Federal Agency Disbursements.

A discussion of the context of disbursements itself, which references ACH, appears in

Chapter 4 of the Cash Management Policies and Procedures Handbook, Disbursements.

(1) Accounting for Charges

Accounting Offices must record all transactions and should reflect proper

accounting codes as reported by cardholders. This includes making corrections on

late statements where an invoice is paid in advance of receiving all approved

statements. The organization unit administrative offices must assure that each

cardholder's default coding is current and the Commerce BankCard Center is

immediately notified of changes. This will minimize the number of transactions that

must be changed from the default coding. Disputed items are credited immediately

and will show up on the next statement and invoice as a credit. The CBC will

review the issuance and processing of credits and will provide reports on

'Questioned Items' to:

• Inform JPMorgan Chase of "Questioned Items" to facilitate the proper

issuance of credits; and to

• Facilitate the monitoring process by the Bureau's Accounting Offices to

ensure the proper receipt and recognition of credits due.

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(2) Method of Receiving Invoices

Payment offices may receive invoices and related management reports on paper;

Electronically - Electronic transmission is encouraged. The CBC receives an

electronic file from JPMorgan Chase and generates invoices for each Payment

Office.

(3) Unauthorized Charges

The Department is liable, and payment shall be made to the contractor, for any

unauthorized purchases made by authorized cardholders. When such unauthorized

purchases are made, a receivable shall be established in the name of the cardholder

for the amount of the unauthorized purchase(s) and the associated administrative

fee. Collection shall be made under policy provided in the Department's 'Credit and

Debt Management Operating Standards and Procedures'. (Revised: 1/2000 TM No.

11 Handbook, Appendix L, entitled "Federal Employee Salary Offset".)

Although the Department is not liable for charges made by unauthorized users of a

card, the issuer must be notified as soon as the card is recognized as lost or stolen.

Transactions subsequent to card loss that appear on a statement should be

authorized for payment, but should be disputed.

(4) Questioned and Disallowed Items

The Payment Office will review current month invoices to assure that all credits

related to the prior month have been included.

(5) Prompt Payment

Payments for purchases are subject to the Prompt Payment Act (P. L. 97-177, as

amended by P. L. 100-496), as set forth in 31 USC Chapter 39, Prompt Payment.

Please see Department of Commerce Cash Management Handbook, Appendix F,

Prompt Payment Requirements.

A complete and accurate invoice must be received. Submission of an inaccurate or

incomplete invoice will be regarded as no submission at all and will therefore be

returned to the contractor as required by 'Prompt Payment Requirements'. When an

invoice is received more than five days after the end of the billing period, a

notification should be sent with the payment clearly indicating the invoice receipt

date to establish the proper payment due date with the contractor. Prompt Payment

interest should be paid as separate remittance, i.e. not combined with the payment

of the invoice.

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(6) Certification of Invoice

Payment Offices should establish procedures for contacting approving officials

whose statements are not received timely. A reasonable effort should be made to

gather all statements to support the invoice.

Payment offices must, according to the contract, pay Smart Pay Card Invoices in

full. Any adjustments to such invoices are to be credited to the Government's

account by JPMorgan Chase the following month. Because the refunds make it

economically advantageous, Payment Offices are authorized to utilize accelerated

payment procedures, in which the invoice is paid as fast as possible prior to the

receipt of all statements. The Departmental Finance Office will notify payment

offices when the Treasury Current Value of Funds rate changes to make accelerated

payment. All statements should strive to reconcile the invoice within 30 days after

the invoice is paid.

(7) "Billing Account Numbers (BAN) and Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN)

The BAN, a 16 digit numeric code assigned by JPMorgan Chase, and the TIN must

accompany the payment to ensure that the payment is applied appropriately. This

may be accomplished by either:

• Requesting the inclusion of the BAN and the TIN on the "Schedule" that is sent

to Treasury to generate the payment; or by

• Including them in the "Addendum Record" that accompanies EFT payments.

• It might be best to enter both codes on both the "Schedule" and the "Addendum

Record" for ease of retrieval of information.

(8) Fast Pay Procedures

When Government receiving and disbursing sites are separated both geographically

and by inadequate communication facilities, basing timely payment to

JPMorganChase upon full reconciliation of the invoice can be unduly difficult, and

would reduce the amount of refunds received by the Department of Commerce. A

simplified acquisition method, known as the "Fast Pay Procedure", may apply in

such circumstances if all of the following conditions are met. · The purchasing

instrument is a "Firm-Fixed-Price" Contract, Purchase Order, or Delivery Order.

• Individual purchasing instruments do not exceed $25,000.

• Title must pass to the Government.

• The Invoice must certify that:

• Delivery has occurred; and

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• The contractor will correct nonconforming merchandise.

• Purchasing Instruments using the "Fast Payment Procedure" must include the

following requirements:

• Supplies be shipped transportation or postage prepaid;

• Invoices must be submitted directly to the Finance or other office designated in

the Purchasing

Instrument; and the consignee's copy must state "Consignee's Notification to

Purchasing Activity of Nonreceipt, Damage, or Nonconformance."

Where goods are not received, damaged, or non-conforming, the Consignee shall so

notify the Purchasing Office.

g. Organization Unit Finance Office Responsibilities

(1) Reviewing Organization Unit Activity

To minimize vulnerability to unauthorized or excessive purchases, finance offices must

review cardholder activity monthly. Finance offices must also evaluate cardholder

purchase activity in view of budget limitations, mission requirements, and prohibitions on

card usage. Resolution of questionable transactions should be pursued as necessary by

contacting the approving official, payment office or Agency Program Coordinator (for

Purchase Cards).

(2) Failure of Cardholders/Approving Officials to Forward Statements

Organization unit finance offices, in coordination with their Head Contracting Officers

(HCOs) and Payment Office(s), shall establish policy and supporting procedures for

cardholders and/or approving officials who fail to forward statements to their payment

office in a timely manner. Whenever a statement is not forwarded to the payment office

within 15 days of receipt, the payment office is to contact the approving official to

request the statement. Organization unit policies shall require the following minimum

action for additional instances of a cardholder's statement arriving late in the payment

office:

• Second occurrence--The payment office notifies the HCO who is to contact the

approving official to determine why the statement(s) are late and who has been

responsible.

• Third occurrence--The payment office notifies the CBC and the HCO and

requests either termination of the card(s) or the transfer of approving official

duties to another employee, based on the HCO's assessment of responsibility.

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Section 2.0 Travel Card Program

.01 General

The Final Rule, Amendment 90, Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), Mandatory Use of the

Travel Charge Card, changes GSA FTR provisions pertaining to payment by the

Government of expenses associated with official Government travel. It thereby

implements the requirements of Public Law 105-264, Travel and Transportation Reform

Act of 1998. Specifically, these changes require:

• Mandatory use of the Government-issued travel charge card for all official travel

expenses;

• Reimbursement to employees for travel expenses within thirty calendar days of

submission of a proper 'Travel Voucher' to the Approving Official;

• Payment by the Agency of a late fee to the employee in the event such

reimbursement is later than thirty calendar days; and

• Collection by the Agency of undisputed delinquent amounts owed to JPMorgan

Chase from an employee's salary (upon written request of the contracting bank).

• The provisions of the Final Rule were effective July 16, 1999. Those provisions

governing official travel apply to travel performed after February 2000, or upon

the issuance of Agency implementing regulations, whichever occurs first.

Further information regarding federal travel regulations can be found at the Department

of Commerce’s Travel Management Division's web site. Furthermore, the bureaus

should follow the Department's Travel Handbook.

.02 Types of Travel Card Accounts

There are two types of travel card accounts.

The Individually Billed Travel Card contains the Cardholder Name, an account

number, and a magnetic strip to enable point-of-sale transactions to be charged.

The responsible Cardholder is the individual employee The Individually Billed

card is arranged by way of a general contract between the issuer and the

Government, under which the issuer does not conduct a credit review of the

account holder and does not charge interest. However, it results directly from a

contractual arrangement between the cardholder and the issuing Financial

Institution, to which the Government is not otherwise a party.

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The Centrally Billed Travel Card is generally not a true credit card. It will carry a

name and an account number, but usually will not have a magnetic strip to enable

point-of -sale transactions. A typical example is the plastic card centrally billed to

the Scheduled Airline Ticket Office (SATO) that is used only for common

carriers. There are exceptions to this 'common carrier limitation, however. For

example:

The International Trade Administration (ITA) utilizes a "Lodging Account Card";

and the Census Bureau utilizes a "Corporate Account Card" to pay for the lodging

expense of its Enumerator employees. Both of these cards contain magnetic strips

and can be used for point-of-sale transactions, but cards falling into these

categories are billed centrally and remain in the custody of managers who account

for the point-of-sale transactions involving numerous employees.

.03 Accounting and Fund Control

1. Individually Billed Travel Card Program -the individual pays the JPMorgan

Chase bill. Traveler submits a 'Travel Voucher' and The Government reimburses

the Traveler, based on the 'Travel Voucher'.

2. Centrally Billed Travel Program. The Centrally Billed 'Travel Card' is issued

pursuant to a direct contractual arrangement between the Government and

JPMorgan Chase. These accounts are used to obtain transportation on common

carriers through Travel Management Centers under contract with the Department.

Funds are committed when a traveler purchases a ticket on a common carrier;

obligated when the service in consumed; and expended when the Payment Office

pays the bill.

.04 Cardholder Responsibilities

All travel card applicants must complete the applicable GSA and Department of

Commerce training courses for travel cardholders.

For individually-Billed Travel Cards, the Cardholder is responsible for timely payment of

the issuer's periodic invoice / statement. Payment-in-full from the card holder to the

issuer is due on or before the next Billing Statement Date. The Cardholder is personally

liable to the issuer for all charges incurred, even if they exceed the amount reimbursable

under Department Travel Regulations. Failure of the Cardholder to pay could result in

garnishment of salary.

.05 Approving Official Responsibilities

The Approving Official approves the issuance of the Travel Card. Subsequent to

issuance of the Travel Card, the Approving Officials involvement is on an 'exception

basis.'

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.06 Payment Office Responsibilities

The Payment Office has no direct involvement with the payment of the Individual Travel

Card. Centrally billed Individual Travel Card payments are made to JPMorgan Chase by

the Payment Office upon reconciliation of data from the Travel Management Center and

the JPMorgan Chase Invoice.

.07 Organizational Unit Finance Office Responsibilities

The Finance Office monitors the use of the Travel Card on an 'as-needed' basis.

Section 3.0 'Purchase Card' Program

.01 Background

The "Purchase Card" is a Credit Card issued to individual employees for purchases

necessary in the course of conducting Government business. Such individual employees

are the 'Responsible Cardholder's.' NOAA administers the Purchase Card program at the

Commerce Bankcard Center (CBC), located in Kansas City, Missouri (see Commerce

Bankcard Center website, for more information). Purchase Card policies developed by

CBC are incorporated into this Handbook by reference.

.02 Policy

The Commerce Acquisition Manual (CAM) 1313.301: Department of Commerce

Purchase Card Program (Revised – January 2010), is required reading by all cardholders

and approving officials. Prior to receiving a purchase card, cardholders and approving

officials must certify they have read and understand the CAM.

The Department of Commerce guidance for the Purchase Card program, CAM 1313.301,

provides policy and guidance regarding the use of the Government-wide Commercial

Purchase Card and Convenience Checks issued under the purchase card program.

The Government-wide commercial purchase card shall be the preferred method to

purchase and pay for micro-purchases.

Further information regarding the Department of Commerce’s Purchase Card Program

can be found at the Department’s Office of Acquisition Management website for

acquisitions.

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.03 Responsibilities

a. Issuer Responsibilities

The issuer is responsible for performing the following actions:

• Establishing and maintaining cardholder accounts.

• Preparation and transmittal to cardholders of periodic "Statement of Charges"

reports within seven days after the close of the billing cycle.

b. Agency/Bureau Responsibilities:

The Agency/Bureau is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of adequate

records and controls pertaining to cardholder accounts.

c. Cardholder Responsibilities:

Primary responsibility for the Purchase Card rests with the Cardholder. The Cardholder

has the following specific responsibilities:

• Assuring that the card is used only for appropriate purposes.

• Timely capture of all relevant transaction data.

• Researching the true source of any transaction charged to the default code.

Timely review of 'Statement of Charges' (for accuracy, completion, and validity of

charges) and: Effecting payment; or (in the event of a disputed charge) Preparing and

sending a 'Government Cardholder Dispute Form' to the Issuer, with copies to the

Commerce BankCard Center and attached to the statement for the Finance Office.

Note: Charges must be disputed within 60 days of the Statement date.

As required by FAR 4.805, and GAO Report GAO-080368R, cardholders are required to

keep copies of all documents pertaining to each purchase for 3 years, including:

• Request for purchase with available funds, signed and dated by the requester;

• Required pre-approvals;

• Copy of online transaction, cash receipt, itemized receipt, or faxed verification of

order;

• Delivery receipt or packing slip;

• Copy of CD-509, if accountable property;

• Memorandum to the file to explain any unique circumstances for the transaction;

and

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• Independent receipt and acceptance or subsequent review of items obtained with

the purchase card.

d. Commerce BankCard Center Responsibilities

Responsibilities specific to the BankCard include, but are not limited to the following:

(1) Administration of Individual Account Card Operations

• Process card applications.

• Maintain card accounts by updating account information.

• Prepare and provide introductory information for new Cardholders and Approving

Officials.

• Process all account activity.

• Ensure that agencies pay JPMorgan Chase on time.

• Mediate disputes between Cardholders and vendors.

(2) Monitor Individual Account Card Usage

• Conduct quarterly reviews of Cardholder data for abuse and misuse of cards.

• Facilitate the processing and recognition of card loss, theft, and replacement

situations.

(3) Report on Individual Account Card Operations

• Prepare and distribute month-end Purchase Card activity reports for the ordering

agency's APC and Finance offices.

• Maintain a website providing links to important purchase/ travel policy and news

relevant to the Purchase Card and Travel programs.

• Host conferences to discuss new developments and technology relevant to the

card program.

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e. Approving Official Responsibilities

(1) Reviewing Cardholder Statements

'Approving Officials' are designated for the Purchase Card program only. They receive a

monthly "Statement of Charges" reflecting the activity of all Cardholders under their

authority. From this statement, the Approving Official can determine from whom he/she

should be receiving cardholder statements. The approving official shall perform the

following functions for the main flow of activities.

• Review cardholder statements for accuracy, completion, and propriety. This will

provide assurance that all items listed therein are necessary and in compliance

with Federal Acquisition Regulations.

• Reconcile the amounts of each individual cardholder statement with the approving

official statement.

• Indicate verification and approval by signing and dating each statement. When a

purchase is listed for a cardholder who has not been authorized, the Approving

Official should so indicate on the Statement forwarded to the servicing Payment

Office. Immediately thereafter, the Approving Official shall notify the

organization unit's Head of Contracting Office (HCO) of the unauthorized

purchase.

(2) Forwarding Approved Statements

These items must be sent in sufficient time to assure that they are received in the Payment

Office no later than 20 days after the Statement date. An Approving Official should make

a reasonable effort to obtain all cardholder statements, but should not delay forwarding

statements to the payment office because of a cardholder statement that has not been

received. Instead, the Approving Official should send received statements; along with a

notice identifying cardholders who’s Statements have not been received, to the Payment

Office by the due date. Delinquent cardholder statements should be verified and

forwarded by the approving official to the Payment Office as soon as they are received.

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Section 4.0 Convenience Checks - Issued Under Purchase Card Program

.01 Background

A number of disbursement methods have developed to cover purchases of a great variety

of goods and services in different circumstances. As needs and technology change,

however, so too must disbursing methods. For example: when a vendor refuses to accept

a Purchase Card (BankCard) as a means of payment, the Card Holder may offer a

'Convenience Check' as an alternative means of payment.

.02 Purpose and Authority

It has been deemed desirable to reduce funds held outside the Treasury and to reduce

reliance upon Imprest Funds. Individual Account Cards contribute to both of these ends.

However, for some circumstances where cards are not accepted, Convenience Checks

may be used on a limited basis. Under the GSA SmartPay contract, purchase card

accounts may be issued Convenience Checks to make payments to vendors who do not

accept credit cards. While Convenience checks may be accepted as a tool to reduce

operational reliance on Imprest Funds, they should be used only when payment by EFT

or SmartPay Purchase Card is refused by the vendor.

Purchases made using convenience checks shall comply with Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) provisions. In overseas areas, Convenience Checks may also be used

where Credit Cards are not generally accepted.

.03 Policy

Commerce Acquisition Manual (CAM) 1313.301: Department of Commerce Purchase

Card Program (Revised – January 2010)

The Department of Commerce guidance for the Purchase Card program, CAM 1313.301,

provides policy and guidance regarding the use of the Government-wide Commercial

Purchase Card and Convenience Checks issued under the purchase card program.

The Government-wide commercial purchase card shall be the preferred method to

purchase and pay for micro-purchases.

Further information regarding the Department of Commerce’s Purchase Card Program

can be found at the Department’s Office of Acquisition Management website for

Purchase Card Program.

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Issuance of SmartPay Credit Cards, including the authorization to hold and use

convenience checks, is determined under policies and procedures established in the

Commerce Acquisition Manual. Convenience checks are not automatically issued to each

purchase cardholder, but will be made available to properly approved SmartPay

cardholders with a demonstrated need. There are limitations upon the use of Convenience

Checks. The use of convenience checks is expressly prohibited for several items; please

refer to Commerce Acquisition Manual 1313.301, Purchase Card Program, Section 4

(Revised - January 2010).

.04 Accounting and Fund Control

Additional Accounting Consideration: Convenience check issuers should be aware that

the vendor's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and 1099 information may be

requested by Departmental reporting offices, and that the convenience check issuer will

be responsible to provide this information to the Finance Office for 1099 reporting

purposes.

.05 Agency / Bureau Responsibilities

Bureaus shall ensure that internal control measures for convenience checks include at

least the following provisions:

• Store convenience checks under adequate physical safeguard measures

• Account for All convenience checks numerically -- including lost, spoiled, void

and issued checks.

• Maintain a log of convenience checks issued, including documenting the reason

why a convenience check was utilized.

• Review each credit card account randomly each year -- including a 100% review

of convenience checks issued.

• Reconcile purchase card and convenience check transactions with account

statements on a monthly basis, taking appropriate action to resolve any improper

or disputed charges.

• Consider the use of carbon copy (duplicate) convenience checks to verify

transactions for proof of accuracy

• Immediately report lost or missing credit cards or convenience checks as provided

in the Commerce Acquisition Manual.

• Inventory Convenience check supplies monthly.

• Signature authority is restricted to the account holder, and may not be further

delegated.

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• Managers or supervisors approve only convenience check use by personnel under

their control.

• Cardholders promptly comply with official requests to review the cardholder's

files.

• Any emergency use of a convenience check is promptly reported to the agency's

CFO or financial officer.

.06 Account Holder Responsibilities

Smart Pay purchase card holders who desire a supply of convenience checks must make a

Written request to the approving official for their credit card account. The approving

official must forward the approved request, including a statement of operational

necessity, to the credit card issuing office designated by the Commerce Acquisition

Manual.

a. Prior to Receipt of Checks

(1) Prepare a 'Check Register' showing:

• Check Number;

• Date of Issuance;

• Payee;

• Accounting Codes (including Budget Codes);

• Purpose of the Check; and

• Amount of the Check

(2) Prepare a Lock Box or locked file cabinet with limited controlled access to store the

checks as received.

(3) Establish a 'Convenience Check Transactions' file to receive transaction documents

generated and received as convenience checks are used.

b. Upon Receipt of Checks from the Issuer

(1) Post Check Numbers in ascending order to the Check Register.

(2) Secure the checks in the previously established lock box or secured file

cabinet.

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c. As Checks are used in Payment.

• Obtain proper supporting documentation, including a receipt (if available) and the

recipients TIN for transactions of $600 or more, for each check written.

• Enter the remaining `line items' to complete the `line' opposite the appropriate

Check

• Number on the 'Check Register'.

File all supporting documentation for each expenditure in the 'Convenience Check

Transactions' file.

Note: All supporting documentation must be maintained for 6 years and three months to

satisfy audit requirements.

d. Upon Receipt of the 'Account Statement' from the Issuer

• Review each transaction listed on the statement for accuracy and the entire list for

completion. Refer any altered or forged checks to the OIG.

• Forward the certified 'Account Statement' to the Approving Official within 5

working days of receipt from the Issuer.

• If necessary, request replenishment checks from the issuer.

e. Contingencies

In the event a check or checks are lost or stolen, notify the issuer immediately, providing

as much information as possible (including the Check Number of the missing check).

.07 Purchasing Agent Responsibilities

The Purchasing Agent will verify the existence of a 'Cash-Oriented Environment' that

justifies the use of Convenience Checks.

.08 Approving Official Responsibilities

Review Statements and Supporting Documentation to verify that:

• All checks were issued for official Government business;

• Alternate methods of procurement and / or disbursement were impractical or

uneconomic;

• Check usage was necessary and in compliance with Department issuance policy;

• Accounting Codes for each line entry are correct; and

• Items approved for payment were received.

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.09 Payment Office Responsibilities

Reconcile the Account Holder's Statement with the Invoice.

• If the statement is accurate and complete, so indicate by signing.

• If the statement is inaccurate or incomplete, resolve all differences before

forwarding it to the Payment Office.

• Forward the verified and approved statement to the Payment Office, while

maintaining a copy. Payment Offices may receive Convenience Check Invoices /

Statements as hard copies or electronically from the CBC.

The Payment Office will review the Invoice and Statements for legality of purchases,

accuracy and completion. Upon completion of the review, the Payment Office will timely

pay all billings that meet the criteria for payment and return those statements not meeting

the criteria. Where the charges on the statement comprise appropriate and questioned or

disallowed items, partial payment will be transmitted to the issuer.

.10 Organizational Unit Finance Office Responsibilities

The Organizational Unit Finance Office will conduct annual reviews of the Account

Holder's records to ensure adherence to applicable policies and procedures.

Where the Finance Office discovers a misuse of checks or irregularity, it will

immediately close the account. If a VISA checking account that is not part of an imprest

fund is closed, it shall not be replaced with an imprest fund.

Section 5.0 Fleet Card

.01 Background

These Individual Account Cards are not assigned to individual employees. Rather they

are assigned to individual Government-owned vehicles that are used by eligible

Government employees for payment of fuel and related expenses associated with official

travel using such Government-owned or leased vehicle. Additional information can be

found at the GSA Transportation and Vehicles web site.

.02 Accounting and Fund Control

In all cases, the eligible employee, as the user of the Travel Card, is responsible for the

judicious use and safety of the Card while in possession of it. Beyond this, however, the

level and type of responsibility will depend upon the ownership of the vehicle.

Government-owned vehicles, to which Fleet Cards are assigned, fall into two categories:

GSA-owned vehicles; and Agency owned vehicles.

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Each operating unit has a Fleet Manager who is responsible for requesting new and

replacement charge cards. The operating unit APCs maintains all records for fleet cards

under their purview. The GSA Guide to Federal Fleet Management provides additional

guidance regarding fleet charge cards. See Section 5.12, Fleet Charge Cards, in

particular.

a. GSA-owned Vehicles

GSA-owned vehicles are leased to the Agency / Bureau by the GSA. Fleet Cards

assigned to such vehicles are paid by GSA. The Issuer will send periodic Statements to

GSA where they are verified and paid. Their costs are assigned to specific vehicles and

the amount paid is added to the rental for the vehicle and charged-back to the Lessee

Agency or Bureau. In this situation, payment of charges against the Fleet Card is the

responsibility of the GSA as lessor. GSA, not the lessee Agency or Bureau is the

Cardholder. Therefore, though charging expenses against the Travel Card, the Agency or

Bureau does not directly account for them.

b. Agency or Bureau-owned Vehicles

Where the Agency or Bureau owns the vehicle, that Agency or Bureau is the Cardholder.

Responsibility for accounting for the Travel Card falls upon the Cardholder in such

Agency or Bureau, just as for any other Individual Account Card.

.03 Cardholder Responsibilities

DOC drivers utilize training on the GSA website. The training includes “dos and don’ts,”

reporting of lost or stolen cards, types of purchases, and bank contact information. In

addition, DOC fleet operators use the pamphlet titled “Helpful Hints for Fleet Card Use,”

which provides GSA customer information for the fleet service cards. In addition,

attendance at the GSA Annual Fleet Conference is encouraged as it offers opportunities

for training and updates regarding the latest fleet requirements.

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Exhibit A-1

Cardholder and Approving Official Account Information Required for Contractor

Master File

1. Cardholder Information:

• Name;

• Account number;

• Identification number;

• Work address;

• Agency/department, bureau, and component;

• Spending control limitations;

• Commercial telephone number; and

• A default 50-digit accounting code.

2. Cardholder’s Approving Official Information:

• Approving official name;

• Account number;

• Work address;

• Agency/department, bureau, and component; and

• Commercial telephone number.

3. Cardholder's Administrative Office Information:

• Administrative office name;

• Work address; and

• Contact point with commercial telephone number.

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4. Cardholder's finance Office Information:

• Finance office name;

• A minimum four-line address; and

• Contact point with commercial telephone number.