Department/Unit Business Office Responsibilities

1. Department/Unit Business Office Responsibilities
   Department/Unit business offices are responsible for reallocation of expenses.  Departments/Units should coordinate with Disbursements to submit documentation for monthly state transactions and post payment audit requests.  Original documentation should be reviewed for accuracy/completeness and retained in the department/unit business office.
   
   
2. Business Office Resources
   1. Payment Card Approval Process
      1. Step 1.     Bookkeeper obtains receipts from cardholder & reallocates transactions in
         Pathway Net. 
         1. Cardholder must provide the receipts (and transaction log if required by the department) to the bookkeeper no later than 3 days after statement close. Bookkeepers prefer the receipts be given to them weekly or even daily for reallocation to the appropriate FAMIS expense account and code in Pathway Net.
         2. Receipts must be detailed and provide sufficient documentation for the transaction listed on the statement.
      2. Step 2.     Bookkeeper runs Report 121 Cardholder Statement in Pathway Net and reconciles receipts to the report. 
         1. If department requires log, the bookkeeper will reconcile the receipts to the log and then reconcile the log to the statement.
         2. Bookkeeper will contact the cardholder for any items on the statement for which they have not been provided a receipt or sufficient documentation. These items will be noted on the Cardholder Statement if they are not substantiated. 
         3. Any fraudulent or unauthorized charges must be disputed with JP Morgan Chase as soon as possible, no later than 60 days from the statement closing date.
      3. Step 3.     Department approver reviews for compliance and approves Report 121 Cardholder Statement. 
         1. The department approver must sign and date the Report 121 Cardholder Statement prior to the reallocation deadline. 
         2. If the approver has made purchases using the card, then they are not authorized to approve their own purchases.
      4. Step 4.     (State funded transactions only) Bookkeeper submits supporting documentation to the Disbursements office for audit. 
         1. Bookkeepers must submit all supporting documentation for any purchases expensed against a state account by the reallocation deadline which is usually 12 days after close of monthly statement. The Disbursements office must audit all state funded purchases prior to submitting to the State’s accounting system.
            
            
   2. Reconciliation Process
      The Department/Unit designee has thirty (30) days from the statement closing date to reconcile. All reconciliation documentation is retained in the Department/Unit business office. Reconciliation should reflect all reconciling items from previous months and all items from the current month. Any receipts that do not correlate with the current statement will be reconciling items.
      1. Reconciliation may be separate from the statement and should reflect:
      2. Balance forward
      3. Total of all items purchased for the statement period (total of monthly receipts)
      4. Total expected statement amount (balance forward plus (+) current monthly
         receipts)
      5. Balance per JPMorgan Chase statement
      6. Difference between JPMorgan Chase statement and expected statement amount
      7. List reconciling items in detail (vendor name, amount, action taken)
      8. Total reconciling items (balance forward to next month’s reconciliation form)
      9. Initials of the reconciler and date reconciled

      Any discrepancies identified should be promptly investigated and resolved by the Cardholders/Departments/Units. Documentation of any action taken to resolve a discrepancy must be recorded and attached to the statement.

      A reconciliation form can be found at http://agsupport.tamu.edu/purchasing/PurchasingCard.html. This form may be used as a helpful tool; however, this form is not required.