FlexCard Cardholder Training

1
FlexCard Cardholder Training
2

• This FlexCard Cardholder Training Presentation is
  divided into three sections
• 1. An overview of the FlexCard program and the
  policies and procedures
• that govern it, including information
  necessary for Cardholders to pass
• the exam required for participation.
• 2. The procedure for obtaining a FlexCard,
  including taking the exam,
• submitting an application, and setting up an
  account with Access Online
• (U.S. Bank).
• 3. Making purchases with FlexCard, including
  retaining necessary
• documentation and audits.
• All of the material in this presentation is
  available, in full detail, on the
• FlexCard website at
• http//www.busserv.ucsb.edu/purchasing/flex/i
  ndex.htm

3
FlexCard Overview

• UCSBs FlexCard is a Visa credit card issued by
  U.S. Bank to UCSB employees who have authority to
  buy goods and services on behalf of their
  departments. The FlexCard is issued to an
  individual, not to a department, and cannot be
  used by anyone other than the Cardholder.
•  
• The FlexCard cannot be used for personal
  purchases and will not provide cash advances. It
  does not replace the US Bank Corporate Travel
  Card and cannot be used to charge travel or
  entertainment expenses.
• The FlexCard is essentially a low value
  purchasing card, and current commodity
  restrictions apply. The FlexCard can also be
  used to pay for certain repetitive purchases,
  such as shredding services or bottled water, as
  long as the good or service is purchased from the
  approved campus contract or UC Strategic Sourcing
  vendor. A complete list of allowable purchases
  is found on the website under the section
  entitled What Can I Buy with the FlexCard?

4
FlexCard Overview

• FlexCard Benefits
• Can be used with all merchants that accept the
  Visa card
• Internet purchases made without the need to use a
  personal credit card
• Merchant paid almost immediately (no invoices
  sent to Accounting)
• Reduces the need to use petty cash and/or
  employee reimbursements
•  
• Special Features
• Variable maximum per transaction limit (including
  tax)
• Up to 2,500 all Cardholders
• Up to 5,000 Cardholders who have attended
  Purchasing 101
• Variable maximum monthly limit (the default is
  20,000), as determined by department purchasing
  needs
• Built-in controls that prohibit restricted
  purchases
• Fraudulent transactions and merchant disputes may
  be resolved by working with U.S. Bank

5
Consequences of FlexCard Misuse

• Repeated purchases of restricted commodities (for
  example, food or beverage purchases postage
  stamps employee awards that exceed the limits
  established under UC Policy G-41 or that are not
  supported by an EMPLOYEE NON-CASH AWARDS APPROVAL
  form), or other repeated abuses such as
  intentionally splitting orders, may result in
  suspension or cancellation of a FlexCard.
• Repeated personal purchases, even if all promptly
  reimbursed, may result in cancellation of a
  FlexCard.
• Be careful, if you carry your FlexCard in your
  wallet or purse, that you do not accidentally use
  it when making a personal purchase.
• Be careful, if you make both personal and
  business purchases at a website such as
  Amazon.com, where you save a credit card number
  as part of your user profile. Your FlexCard
  account number may be your default card number.
  If you are not careful when checking out when
  making a personal purchase, your FlexCard may
  accidentally be charged.

6
Reimbursing an Accidental Personal Purchase

• If you accidentally make a personal purchase on
  your FlexCard
• 1. If possible, reverse the charge off of
  FlexCard and have it billed to your personal
  credit card.
• 2. If you cannot reverse the charge, reimburse
  your department by preparing a Deposit
  Recording Advice (DARA) and depositing the full
  amount of the purchase to your FlexCards default
  account.
• 3. Notify your Reviewer and Department
  Administrator of the mistake.
• 4. Document the purchase and reimbursement your
  department must retain a copy of the order and
  the DARA form that reimburses the personal
  purchase it will need to produce these documents
  during an audit.

7
Fraudulent Misuse of a FlexCard

• Fraudulent misuse of a FlexCard for personal gain
  (the purchase of items for personal use with no
  reimbursement to the department) may be grounds
  for disciplinary action up to and including
  termination and legal action.
• Whatever other disciplinary action is
  administered by the Cardholders department and
  the University, the Cardholders FlexCard will be
  revoked immediately and permanently.

8

• OBTAINING YOUR FLEXCARD
• The UCSBnetID and Password
• Separation of Duties
• Taking the Cardholder Exam
• Initiating a Cardholder Application
• Receiving and Activating a FlexCard

9
The UCSBnetID and Password

• All FlexCard program participants must have a
  UCSBnetID and password.
• If you do not already have a UCSBnetID and
  password, go to the front desk in Information
  Systems Computing (fourth floor of the Student
  Affairs and Administrative Services Building
  SAASB). Bring a picture ID.
• Once ISC has verified your identity, you will be
  issued a token and instructions on how to
  complete your set-up when you return to your
  office.
• IMPORTANT REMINDER Once you have established
  your UCSBnetID and password, write down both and
  store the information in a secure location. If
  you forget your UCSBnetID or just your password,
  you will have to go back to ISC to obtain a new
  token and go through the entire process all over
  again.

10
Separation of Duties

• If you are a Cardholder, you
• can be an Allocator (Allocators can only set up
  the accounts to be charged for a purchase, they
  cannot approve them)
• cannot be a Reviewer (of your own FlexCard
  purchases in a small department, you can be a
  Back-Up Reviewer, but you can only review /
  approve charges made by other Cardholders)
• cannot be your Reviewers supervisor
• cannot be a Department Administrator or
  Department Head

11
Taking the Cardholder Exam

• 1. Using your UCSBnetID and password, log onto
  the FlexCard Management Module at
  https//apps.purc.ucsb.edu/FlexcardManagement.
• 2. On the Main Menu, click EXAM.
• 3. On the Participant Exam Menu, click TAKE EXAM.
  
• 4. On the FlexCard Exams screen, click CARDHOLDER
  EXAM.
• 5. Read the instructions on the Exam Introduction
  page remember that you MUST NOT use your
  browsers BACK or FORWARD buttons, as doing so
  will cause you to exit the exam and record an
  incomplete exam.
• IMPORTANT REMINDER THE EXAM WILL TIME OUT, AND
  RECORD AN INCOMPLETE EXAM, IF YOU LEAVE IT
  INACTIVE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.
• 6. Click START EXAM.

12
Taking the Cardholder Exam

• Proceed through the 20 exam questions. Each time
  a response is selected, you are automatically
  advanced to next one.
• When you reach the end of the exam, with answers
  recorded for all 20 questions, the SUBMIT EXAM
  FOR SCORING button becomes active.
• Once you have reviewed your answers, click SUBMIT
  EXAM FOR SCORING.
• If you do not pass the exam, click REVIEW EXAM
  RESULTS. Review your incorrect answers before
  attempting to take the exam again. Some
  questions appear on each version of the exam
  others appear in slightly modified format. You
  do not want to continue to answer the same
  question incorrectly, especially when the pass
  score is 18 out of 20.
• If you pass the exam, click APPLY TO BE A
  CARDHOLDER.

13
Initiating a Cardholder Application

• In section 1 of the Application, edit your name,
  if necessary and enter your Card Description (do
  not use your department name).
• In section 2 of the Application, correct any
  address information (it is auto-filled from your
  Campus Directory entry) that may not be complete
  or accurate. Be sure to enter your departments
  Mail Code in the zip code plus four field.
• 3. Once all Cardholder information has been
  updated and verified, click SUBMIT APPLICATION.
• 4. A screen appears confirming that the
  application has been sent to your Department
  Administrator. An automatic email notification
  will inform him/her that the Application is ready
  for processing.

14
Completing the Application Process

• 1. Your Department Administrator completes the
  Application by entering a default account number,
  assigning a Reviewer, choosing card limits and
  then submitting it to FlexCard Program
  Administration.
• 2. Program Administration approves the
  Application and submits a new card request to
  U.S. Bank notifying the Cardholder of the
  submission.
• 3. The FlexCard arrives from U.S. Bank, typically
  within 2 business days.
• 4. Program Administration emails the Cardholder
  to schedule card pickup. A copy of the FlexCard
  User Agreement is attached to the email. The
  Cardholder must print and complete the form and
  present it when picking up the FlexCard. A
  FlexCard will NOT be distributed without a
  completed User Agreement.
• 5. The Cardholder meets with Program
  Administration, presents picture ID and a
  completed User Agreement, and picks up the
  FlexCard.

15
Activating a FlexCard

• In order to activate your new FlexCard, call U.S.
  Bank at [phone].
• You will be asked by U.S. bank to provide
•  
• 1. your 16-digit FlexCard account
  number
• 2. your Social Security Number.
•  
• When asked for your SSN, you must provide your
  UCSB EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER.
•  
• If you key in your SSN, it will not match the
  number on file at U.S. Bank and your card
  activation will be suspended and routed to a live
  operator.
•  
• Whenever you call or are contacted by U.S. Bank
  and are asked for your SSN, you must always
  provide your UCSB EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER.

16
Access Online Website

• NOTE Use only Internet Explorer to log onto
  Access Online all other browsers will fail.
•  
• Access Online (https//access.usbank.com/) is the
  U.S. Bank website where a Cardholder creates a
  user account. A Cardholder can view and print
  monthly statements, run reports on transactions,
  and view current authorization limits and
  available credit.
• If a transaction is declined, Access Online does
  not provide the Cardholder with any information
  regarding the reason for the decline. The
  Cardholder must contact FlexCard Administration,
  which has access to this information.
• ONLY Cardholders have the ability to log onto
  Access Online. Reviewers and Department
  Administrators cannot log onto the system.
• If a Department Administrator needs access to
  Cardholder transactional information, he or she
  must contact FlexCard Program Administration.

17
Setting up an Access Online Account

• 1. Once logged onto Access Online, click REGISTER
  ONLINE.
•  
• 2. On the Online Registration page, enter the
  following information
•  
• a. Organization Short Name UCSB (not case
  sensitive)
• b. Account Number your 16-digit FlexCard
  account number
• c. Account Expiration Date month and year, as
  inscribed on your FlexCard
• d. Account Zip Code 93106 for all campus
  departments
•  
• 3. Click I Accept at the bottom of the
  Licensing Agreement page.
•  
• 4. Complete all required fields on the Password
  and Contact Information page and submit your
  request.
•  

18
Access Online User ID and Password

•  Your Access Online password must be AT LEAST 8
  CHARACTERS LONG and must be ALPHANUMERIC.
• Write down your User ID and password. If you
  forget your password, but remember your safety
  question answer, you can reset your password.
  But if you forget your User ID, you will need to
  contact U.S. Bank by telephone and request a
  reset.
• You only have 3 chances to correctly enter your
  User ID and password at Access Online. If you
  fail, you must contact U.S. Bank by telephone and
  request a reset.
• U.S. Bank requires you to change your password
  every 2 months, and you cannot reuse the same one
  for at least 12 months. Therefore, it is
  important to write down your new password so (1)
  you do not forget it the next time you log on,
  and (2) you do not attempt to reuse it before 12
  months have passed.

19
U.S. Bank Monthly Statements

•   
• UCSB does not require departments to reconcile
  the Cardholders monthly U.S. Bank statement to
  the General Ledger. The FlexCard Allocation
  Module contains all transactions that appear on
  the statement.
• If departments are viewing new transactions as
  they appear daily in the FlexCard Allocation
  Module, and reviewing them, they are in effect
  reconciling their U.S. Bank statement.
• Individual departments, however, may choose to
  incorporate monthly cardholder statement
  reconcilation into their internal processes.
• If this is the case, it is important to remember
  that only the statement for the most recent
  billing cycle (typically, U.S. Bank statements
  are issued on the 25th of the month) and the two
  prior periods are available for viewing and
  downloading on Access Online. Earlier statements
  cannot be recreated.

20
Printing Your Monthly Statement

• 1. On the Welcome to Access Online main page,
  enter
•  
• a. Organization Short Name UCSB (not
  case sensitive)
• b. User ID (as created above)
• c. Password (as created above)
•  
• 2. Click LOGIN.
•  
• 3. From the left hand menu, select ACCOUNT
  INFORMATION.
•  
• 4. On the Account Information screen, select
  CARDHOLDER STATEMENT.
•  
• 5. If you have more than one FlexCard account,
  select the account number.
•  
• 6. Select the Billing Cycle for the statement and
  click VIEW STATEMENT.
•  
• 7. The statement appears as a PDF document for
  you to view or print.

21
Reporting Lost and Stolen Cards

•  
• 1. If your FlexCard has been lost or stolen,
  IMMEDIATELY call U.S. Bank at 800-344-5696.
  Prompt action on your part will reduce your
  department's liability for fraudulent charges.
•  
• 2. U.S. Bank will cancel your FlexCard and issue
  a new card that will be mailed to FlexCard
  Program Administration within 2 business days.
•  
• 3. Notify your Department Administrator who will
  notify FlexCard Program Administration by logging
  onto the FlexCard Management Module.
•  
• 4. Monitor the Allocation Module for any
  fraudulent charges that may have been made before
  the card was canceled.

22
Fraudulent Charges

• Your department may become aware of fraudulent
  (or potentially fraudulent) charges on a FlexCard
  during a Department review of charges received in
  the FlexCard Allocation Module or via a call from
  the Fraud Division of U.S. Bank.
• 1. Attempt to resolve the problem with the
  merchant.
•  
• 2. If the charge is fraudulent, IMMEDIATELY
  call U.S. Banks fraud hotline
• directly at 800-523-9078. Do not call or
  email FlexCard Administration! Only the bank
  can help you resolve a fraudulent charge.
•  
• 3. Inform your Department Administrator who
  will notify FlexCard Program
• Administration by logging onto the FlexCard
  Management Module.
•  
• 4. Monitor the Allocation Module for any
  further fraudulent charges.
•  
• 5. Allocate any fraudulent charges that appear
  in the FlexCard Allocation
• Module to the cards default account. When
  the credits appear, allocate
• them to the default account, where they
  will zero each other out.

23
Disputed Charges

• 1. If there is a billing problem, contact the
  merchant and attempt to correct the
• problem. Most billing problems are easily
  resolved and credits issued by
• the merchants.
•  
• 2. If the billing problem cannot be resolved
  directly with a merchant, you may
• enlist U.S. Banks assistance by calling
  Customer Service at 800-344-5696
• and filing a DISPUTE.
•  
• NOTE CARDHOLDERS NEED TO PRESERVE THEIR DISPUTE
  RIGHTS BY NOTIFYING U.S. BANK WITHIN 60 DAYS OF
  THE DATE OF THE FIRST STATEMENT ON WHICH THE
  DISPUTED TRANSACTION APPEARS.

24
What to do if contacted by U.S. Bank

• U.S. Bank will not contact FlexCard cardholders
  except when fraudulent activity is suspected. In
  this case, they will contact cardholders BY
  TELEPHONE.
•  
• U.S. Bank Fraud Division will first verify that
  you are the Cardholder by asking several
  questions. It is important that you be able to
  respond correctly
•  
• 1. Your name (as embossed on your FlexCard)
•  
• The last 4 digits of your Employee ID Number
  (remember, they will
• probably ask for your Social Security
  Number)
•  
• 3. Your Billing (Mailing) Address, as displayed
  on either
•  
• a. the mailer to which your FlexCard was
  attached, or
• b. your U.S. Bank Monthly statement
• The information displayed on the line
  immediately below the Cardholders
• name is NOT part of the billing address
  it is the Card Description.

25
Billing Address U.S. Bank Mailer

• As displayed on the mailer to which the FlexCard
  is attached when delivered by U.S. Bank.

26
Billing Address Card Statement

• As displayed on the U.S. Bank Monthly Statement.

27
What to do if contacted by U.S. Bank

• If you cannot be reached, U.S. Bank will leave a
  voicemail message and will SUSPEND YOUR FLEXCARD
  in order to prevent any more possible fraudulent
  transactions from being processed before you can
  be contacted.
• It is important for you to call U.S. Bank as soon
  as possible. With your card temporarily
  suspended, you will not be able to make any new
  purchases. In addition, having a suspended card
  can affect previously placed orders because
  merchants should not process a credit card charge
  until they ship the items, your card could be
  declined for existing, legitimate orders.
• If U.S. Bank cannot reach a Cardholder, they will
  contact Program Administration, which will
  contact your Department Administrator, and work
  to resolve the situation if you are unavailable
  due to vacation, illness, etc.. 

28
Email from U.S. Bank

• You will NEVER be directly contacted by U.S. Bank
  via email.
•  
• Any correspondence or communication from U.S.
  Bank will be relayed to you by FlexCard Program
  Administration.
•  
• Do not open any email from U.S. Bank any such
  email will be a phishing request intended to
  obtain your confidential information in order to
  commit credit card fraud. Forward the unopened
  email to FlexCard Program Administration which
  will inform U.S. Bank.

29
The FlexCard Pre-Purchase Process

• Your department should follow its existing
  pre-purchase process. The Cardholder should
  observe the following general process
•  
• 1. Determine whether the purchase is an
  allowable low value purchase
•  
• a. Does the total (tax included) exceed
  your cards per transaction limit?
•  
• b. Is the commodity restricted, such as
  inventorial equipment, a controlled
• item such as ethyl alcohol narcotic
  firearm precious metal explosive or
• other hazardous material or personal
  services?
•  
• If the answer to either question is Yes,
  the FlexCard cannot be used.
•  
• 2. Obtain the necessary pre-purchase approval
  including any EMPLOYEE
• NON-CASH AWARD APPROVAL OR MEMBERSHIP
  forms.
•  
• 3. Obtain purchase specifications from the end
  user an e-quote or website
• printout, or the information supplied on a
  Request for Delivery.
•  
• 4. If used by your department, obtain the low
  value number, dash number, cost

30
Purchases Requiring Additional Documentation

• Your department can make purchases related to
  retirement, service anniversaries, bereavement
  and employee recognition using FlexCard.
• These purchases must be documented by completing
  the EMPLOYEE NON-CASH AWARD APPROVAL form, which
  has a signature line for the required department
  head approval. This form is available on the
  FlexCard website.
• These purchases must conform to the rules and
  dollar limits set forth in Appendix A of UC
  Policy G-41, Employee Non-Cash Awards and Other
  Gifts.
• Your department can also pay for memberships
  using FlexCard.
• These purchases must be documented by completing
  the MEMBERSHIP AND PERIODICAL SUBSCRIPTION
  APPROVAL form, which has signature lines for the
  required approvals. This form is available on
  the FlexCard website.
• Memberships must conform to the rules set forth
  in Policy G-43, Policy on University Membership
  in Organizations.

31
Gift Cards and Certificates

• If an award takes the form of a Gift Card or
  Certificate, there are several additional
  requirements
• 1. The gift card cannot be redeemable for cash
  or services
• 2. The recipient of the gift card must sign for
  it (he or she can sign and date the
• EMPLOYEE NON-CASH AWARD APPROVAL form)
• If your department purchases a quantity of gift
  cards to distribute over a period of time in the
  form of on-the-spot awards, it must prepare a
  Roster on which the total number of cards is
  indicated, and which is signed by each recipient
  as he or she is awarded one of the cards. All
  gift cards must be accounted for and the final
  balance must be zero. This roster is necessary
  to prove that no diversion or misappropriation of
  gift cards has occurred.
• IMPORTANT NOTE Per IRS rules, no employee may
  receive more than 75 in any calendar year
  otherwise, the amount in excess of 75 is
  considered to be taxable income.

32
Making the Purchase

• 1. Document the order
•  
• a. Internet print a copy of the Order
  Confirmation, confirmation email, order page, or
  other similar document not just the Shopping
  Cart.
•  
• b. Telephone order write down the
  confirmation number, etc. on the Request for
  Delivery or other form that you used to place the
  order.
• If there is no order document, when the shipment
  is received, write a note on the receipt document
  (packing slip or paid invoice) indicating that it
  was a phone order.
• c. Fax order a copy of the fax.
•  
• d. In-person purchase retain a copy of
  the itemized cash register receipt, not just the
  credit card receipt.
• 2. Retain the order documentation to match with
  the receipt documentation (packing slip, paid
  invoice, etc.), and to assist (if necessary) with
  allocation of the charges.
•  

33
New Transaction Email Notifications

• Each time you receive an email notification of a
  new transaction, you should review it, and if
  necessary, log onto the Log onto the FlexCard
  Allocation module to verify that the transaction
  is legitimate.
• The FlexCard Allocation Module is accessible
  through the Espresso Single Sign-On Portal at
  https//uwa1.isc.ucsb.edu/loginas.html.
• 1. Log onto Espresso using your UCSBNetID and
  password
• 2. Click FlexCard on the list of Staff
  Applications
• If you never placed an order with the Merchant,
  and the transaction is fraudulent, IMMEDIATELY
  call the Fraud Division at U.S. Bank at
  800-523-9078. Do not call FlexCard
  Administration!
• If you placed an order with the Merchant, but the
  amount seems incorrect, or the transaction
  appears to be a duplicate, contact the Merchant
  to resolve the situation. If the billing was a
  duplicate, a credit can be issued other errors
  can also be resolved. If you have difficulties
  with the Merchant, you can contact U.S. Bank at
  800-344-5696 to initiate a DISPUTE.

34
Receiving the Order

• If at all possible, someone other than the
  Cardholder should receive the order and verify
  its contents. This is a protection for the
  Cardholder. However, in smaller departments
  where this separation of duties cannot be
  maintained, the Cardholder may also be the one
  who receives the order.
• Whoever receives the order should follow standard
  procedure
• 1. Review the shipment for completeness were
  all the items shipped or are
• some on back order? Do the items received
  match the items ordered?
•  
• 2. If there are any problems with the order,
  contact the Merchant and take the
• necessary steps to remedy the situation.
  There is no need to file a Dispute
• with U.S. Bank unless you cannot resolve
  the problem with the Merchant.
•  
• 3. Check off each item on the packing slip/or
  paid invoice enclosed with the
• order.

35
Receiving the Order

• 4. Sign and date the packing slip or paid
  invoice and attach it to the order, to
• form a complete documentation package.
• Not signing and dating the receipt document is
  the number 1 finding during FlexCard audits!
  ALL receipt documents FlexCard, low value and
  purchase orders must be signed and dated
  according to UC policy.
•  
• 5. Pass the complete documentation package to
  the Allocator or Reviewer, as
• appropriate.
• WHAT DO I DO IF THERE IS NO PACKING SLIP OR PAID
  INVOICE ENCLOSED WITH THE ORDER?
• If no packing slip or paid invoice is enclosed
  with a shipment, or if there is none because of
  the type of purchase - such as software
  downloads, memberships or magazine subscription
  note this fact (on the order document or a
  separate sheet of paper). This added notation
  will be important during an audit.

36
Audits and Record Retention

• Policy requires that FlexCard Administration
  conduct audits of FlexCard transactions. These
  audits are currently being conducted annually,
  per department. Random weekly audits of all
  transactions will soon begin. In addition,
  FlexCard transactions may be audited by Audit
  Advisory Services, UCs external auditors and by
  other agencies such as the State Board of
  Equalization and Federal contracting agencies.
• Because your department retains all copies of
  documentation related to FlexCard purchases, it
  is the OFFICE OF RECORD and must retain original
  copies of all FlexCard purchase documentation for
  the period of time mandated by University of
  California policy.
•  
• For purchases made with non-extramural funds
  (19900, etc.), documentation must be retained for
  FIVE years following purchase.
• For purchases made with extramural funds, as a
  rule of thumb, FlexCard purchase documentation
  should be retained for SEVEN years following
  acceptance by the awarding agency of the final
  Closeout Report.

37
Canceling or Suspending a FlexCard

• If you are going on an extended leave, notify
  your Department Administrator, who will log onto
  the Management Module to Request a Card
  Suspension. When you return to work, your
  Department Administrator will inform Program
  Administration in order to reactivate your
  FlexCard re-activated.
• If you are no longer going to be a Cardholder,
  because of a change in job duties or departments,
  or a separation from the University, cut up your
  FlexCard and hand it over to your Department
  Administrator, who will log onto the Management
  Module to Request a Card Cancellation.
• NOTE Your FlexCard should not be canceled until
  all pending transactions have been received in
  the Allocation Module. In addition, if any
  recurring expenses (i.e., Arrowhead) are being
  charged to your FlexCard, they must be
  transferred to another card before your FlexCard
  is canceled.

38
What to do if your FlexCard is Declined

• A FlexCard transaction may be declined for one of
  several reasons, including
• 1. The amount exceeds the per transaction limit
  on your FlexCard.
• 2. The transaction brings your total monthly
  expenditure above the per cycle limit on your
  FlexCard.
• 3. The merchant code for the vendor from which
  you are attempting to make the purchase is not
  open on the UCSB and/or your departments
  template (for example, an airline, car rental
  company, hotel, jeweler, liquor store).
• 4. The billing/mailing address that you provided
  (generally for online orders), does not
  correspond to the one on file with U.S. Bank.
• If a vendor informs you that your card declined,
  do not panic. Call FlexCard Administration and
  report the decline. We can go online at U.S.
  Bank and confirm the reason. Depending upon the
  circumstances, a solution may be possible.

39
What to do if your FlexCard is Declined

• Most FlexCard declines occur because of blocked
  merchant codes. If it is determined that the
  merchant code should be open for your department
  because the commodity falls within its business
  needs (for example, if you are in Theater and
  Dance and need to buy wigs), we can open that
  merchant code for your card.
• If there is a billing address issue, we can help
  you complete that section of the online order by
  reminding of your official address as it is on
  file at U.S. Bank. Some online vendors require a
  street address for deliveries, which can be an
  issue on the UCSB campus. The official UCSB
  street address may be found on the UCSB Mail
  Services website.
• If the decline was due to your monthly spend
  limit being exceeded, your Department
  Administrator can submit a request for either a
  one-time increase or, if you will be buying
  consistently at this higher monthly level, a
  permanent increase.

40
What to do if your FlexCard is Declined

• If your single transaction limit was exceeded,
  there are several possibilities
• 1. If your current limit is 2,500, you can
  attend Purchasing 101 and your Department
  Administrator can then request a increase to
  5,000 per transaction. (In the meanwhile, an
  exception may be granted for the current
  purchase, or you may need to place a confirming
  purchase order and make the payment via the
  Accounts Payable system.)
• 2. If your current limit is 5,000, an exception
  may be granted, but you will need to submit a
  requisition to Purchasing, for approval of the
  transaction by a Buyer, who will ensure
  cost-effectiveness. In most cases, a FlexCard
  Purchase Order will also be created, to document
  the approval.
• Cardholders should always be aware of their
  FlexCard limits, prior to making a purchase.
  Exceptions cannot, and will not, be granted in
  all circumstances.