Frequently Asked Questions

The PCard is another method of payment for goods and non-professional services that is more cost effective for the State in addition to a timelier way to pay vendors.

No - using the PCard does not change the requirements for making purchases. The PCard is just another form of payment. Items still must be procured as specified by law.

Yes - a PO/DO must be created in STAARS, then the PCard may be used to pay for the items.

Please visit cardservices.alabama.gov and click Training to view videos and job aids.

Yes - please click here to view the PCard manual.

No

No

The employee ID is necessary for security as well as the identification of transactions in STAARS.

An agency must be a State of Alabama entity that conducts their procurement activities through the State Purchasing. To learn more visit cardservices.alabama.gov or to request an informational meeting please email cardservices@comptroller.alabama.gov.

The Agency Administrator facilitates the PCard Program for their respective agency to ensure the State entity’s use of the PCard Program is conducted legally and is also responsible for card management.

Yes

Yes

PCard Agency Administrators manage the cardholder application process for their agency. Please contact your Agency Administrator.

Transactions will be allocated and approved in Access Online. The approved transactions will interface into STAARS as a PRCP1I payment document.

No - the issuing bank does not send paper statements. It is the responsibility of the PCard agency to retrieve their statement from accessonline.com:
• On US Bank’s Access Online homepage, select ACCOUNT INFORMATION
• Under Statement, select MANAGING ACCOUNT STATEMENT

STAARS does not immediately recognize a PCard payment. PCard agencies must use accessonline.com to allocate their PCard transaction which will create a PRCP1I payment document in STAARS.

Yes, if payment for PCard charges are not made within the allotted time frame, late fees will be assessed. It is the responsibility of the PCard agency to pay these late fees by submitting a GAX document to the Comptroller’s Office. A copy of the bank statement will be required for support.

PCard account statements begin on the 26th and end on the 25th of each month. However, you are encouraged to pay more often than monthly.

PCard transactions should be processed in Access Online to “Final Approved” daily or at least once a week. All prior month transactions must be submitted to the Comptroller’s Office no later than 10 working days after the end of the month.

No - only late charges are allowable on a GAX document. The bank statement will be required as supporting documentation.

A receipt is proof a payment has occurred and needs to be remitted within 48 hours of purchase. Cardholders must obtain an itemized receipt for all purchasing card transactions with the following information:
• Merchant name
• Date of purchase
• Grand total of expenditures and/or refunds

Receipts come in various forms and sizes. The following examples of receipts are all acceptable if they have the information listed above:
• Cash register receipts
• Counter receipts
• Faxed receipts
• Emailed receipts

Receiving cash, checks or store credit to resolve a credit is prohibited. The vendor should credit the PCard if that was the form of payment used for the initial purchase. A credit must be obtained for all merchandise returns at the point of sale, if local, or after the return is received by the vendor, if shipped. If the credit is not posted to your account in the same billing cycle as the original transaction is posted, the transaction must be allocated and approved as billed without the credit. The credit will appear on the next month’s billing cycle and will be allocated and approved at that time.

If the fee occurs on an awarded purchase, then you cannot pay the fee. If the fee occurs on a non-award purchase, then the fee can be paid.

It is the responsibility of the cardholder to ensure taxes are not paid with the PCard. If taxes are on the receipt, then you must follow the following steps:
1. Contact the vendor to alert them the purchase was a tax-exempt purchase.
2. Send the vendor a tax-exempt certificate.
3. If the sales tax credit is posted within the same billing cycle, approve both transactions in Access Online at the same time. If the credit is posted in a later billing cycle, pay the full amount to avoid late fees and take credit the next cycle.

Fraud occurs when there has been an act of deception or misrepresentation, i.e., intentional unauthorized purchases charged on the PCard. Suspected fraud must be reported to the issuing bank first, the agency administrator second and Card Services third. Your PCard will be cancelled and a new account will be established with all pending charges.

Generally, a dispute occurs if the cardholder is charged incorrectly for an item, received damaged goods, did not receive a credit, etc. and the merchant is not cooperative after the agency contacts the vendor and attempts to resolve the problem. Any communication should be documented and include dates, contacts with whom you spoke to, and a brief description of the problem. The agency has sixty (60) days following the billing cycle ending date to dispute the charge with the contracted bank provider. Please click here for the PCard manual.

When a transaction is declined, the cardholder should contact their Agency Administrator to find out the reason why the transaction was declined. This information is available in real time via Access Online.

Common reasons for declined transactions include:
• Card not activated
• Card spend or transaction limits have been reached
• Merchant category code is blocked

Cardholders should contact their Agency Administrator to request adjustments to MCCs and credit limits.

A Merchant Category Code is a four-digit number that classifies a business by the type of goods/services it provides. An MCC is issued by the payment service’s network to the business once it begins to accept credit cards as payment. MCCs are required by IRS standards for all businesses accepting credit cards as payment.

Please contact US Bank at the number on the number on the back of your card or your Agency Administrator depending on the issue.

Visit cardservices.alabama.gov and click on Tutorials to learn how to dispute a charge.

The cardholder is responsible for the charges on his/her PCard. Misuse of the PCard can result in PCard termination and/or disciplinary action. It is not recommended that anyone other than the cardholder use their PCards. If someone else uses a cardholder’s PCard then the cardholder is responsible for any activity on the PCard.

If you have your PCard on hand, please contact the bank at the phone number on the back of your card immediately. Then contact your Agency Administrator.

Contact your Agency Administrator immediately. The cardholder must issue a check to the State of Alabama to reimburse the funds. Misuse of the PCard can result in PCard termination and/or disciplinary action.

An agency administrator can log in to Access Online and change the account status of the PCard to be terminated. A job aid and instructional video are located at cardservices.alabama.gov.

Please contact your Agency Administrator to have your limits adjusted.

The cardholder should immediately contact US Bank customer service at 800-344-5696 (available 24/7) to report a lost/stolen card. Additionally, please notify your Agency Administrator.

Please contact Card Services in the State Comptroller’s Office to make changes with Agency Administrators.

Yes. A PCard is assigned to the cardholder through the agency where they are employed. If an employee leaves for another agency, then the cardholder would need to apply for a PCard with their new agency.

US Bank will automatically issue new PCards that are set to expire.

Please contact your Agency Administrator prior to an expected name change.