Colorado State University has been piloting the use of a purchasing card, so
far on non-sponsored research accounts.  We are now to the point where some
faculty are requesting to be allowed to use a purchasing card that will
directly charge sponsored research accounts (as the "default" account.)   We
are very reluctant to approve this direct charging for the following
reasons:
1)      It removes the opportunity to review purchases before the
expenditure is made to determine allowability, reasonableness, etc.
2)      The 10-day reallocation period allows sufficient time to move the
charge from a non-sponsored default account to a sponsored research account
should it be deemed appropriate/allowable.
3)      Most PIs have access to several accounts which would be more
suitable choices for a default account than their sponsored research
account.

We are considering approving a purchase card with a research account as the
default ONLY IF: the PI has only one large research project and that is the
only account that all charges made by the PI would ever go to.

I would appreciate input from other universities as to whether you are
allowing purchasing card transactions to be charged directly to sponsored
agreements.  If no, why not, and if yes, what procedures have you put in
place to ensure that transactions are properly reviewed and recorded.

Mary Atella
Director, Sponsored Programs Services
Colorado State University
phone:   (970) 491-2083
fax:   (970) 491-6147
email:   xxxxxx@colostate.edu

======================================================================
 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================