Express Card: Departmental Readiness Checklist

Has your central business office approved participation and indicated commitment to following program guidelines?

Has your department authorized one or more employees to become ECDAs?

Does your department have processes and controls in place that will allow for:

• Accepting transactions without traditional identifying Purchase Order (PO) number reference
• Reviewing individual purchases for procurement policy compliance
• Prompt submission of receipts and packing slips by cardholder
• Verifying charges in a timely manner by reviewing transactions
• Proper record retention
• Consideration of any special funding conditions

Is your department willing to:

• Invest time in learning a new process
• Accept a program that is evolving (through changes and refinement)
• Participate in ECDA and Cardholder training classes

Does your department understand that the Express Card is a valuable tool for purchasing a broad range of products and services, but with necessary controls due to policy and best practices? Controls include:

• Transaction amount is limited to $4,999 (including tax, freight, and handling charges).
• Built-in controls prohibit restricted commodities.
• Personal purchases are not allowed.
• Not all fund sources are appropriate for use with the Express Card.
• Cards can be assigned only to a person, not to a department or unit. Cards may not be lent or shared.
• Use of the Express Card should not replace procuring items from campus sources, such as STORE.