ProTrav
Procurement Card & Travel Expense Voucher
Did You Know?
April 2008

Timetable and Reminders for Closing Fiscal Year 2008

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, careful planning will be required in order to prevent overdrafts in State Appropriated expense accounts and to close all accounts for the fiscal year on a timely and efficient basis.

ProTrav Travel Vouchers
Travel Expense vouchers to be recorded in FY 07-08 for travel completed prior to June 1 should be in the Accounts Payable and Travel Department by June 9; this includes e-vouchers for travel.  Please keep in mind that it takes several days for a voucher to move through all the channels of approval and arrive for processing.  Therefore, for travel already ended, this process should be started immediately.  For travel ending after June 1, the voucher should be submitted immediately upon return if it is to be processed this fiscal year.  Unless travel is occurring in the last week of June, all vouchers that must be processed this fiscal year should be in the Accounts Payable and Travel Office no later than June 16.  For travel occurring after June 16, all vouchers that must be processed for this fiscal year must be complete thru workflow and all required documentation submitted to the Accounts Payable and Travel Department no later than 4:30 p.m., June 27, 2008.  ProTrav date questions may be directed to the Accounts Payable and Travel Department, Karen Housel at 5-0409.

Procurement Card Vouchers
The June billing cycle has been modified in order to accommodate fiscal year spending. 

Modified billing cycles: 
 
June billing cycle:  05/28/08-06/17/08
July billing cycle:  06/18/08-07/28/08

Procurement card transactions that have a POST date on or before 06/17/08 will be processed within FY 07-08.  Note: Post date is often days later than the actual transaction date.  It's the departments/cardholders responsibility to be sure they are monitoring their account to be sure transactions that need to post to this current fiscal year appear on their Procurement Card Statement on or before 06/17/08.

June Procurement Card Vouchers complete (approved through workflow) by 06/30/08 will post to the accounts (Master File Keys) listed on the voucher. 

Procurement Card Vouchers not complete (still in workflow, voucher has an audit error, or voucher not reconciled) by 6/30/08 will post to the cardholders’ "default" account.   The default entry can be reversed up until July 11, 08 once the voucher has been approved in workflow and approved by the Accounts Payable Department.

Keeping Your Procurement Card Secure

We encourage cancelling a card immediately if fraud occurs or if your card becomes lost or stolen.  However, it requires additional work for you when your card is cancelled and a replacement card is received.  We want to take this opportunity to provide information for keeping your procurement card secure.  Here are some ways to keep your card protected and decrease your chances of having to cancel your card:

• Keep your card locked and on campus unless being used at that time.
• Do not carry the Procurement Card in a purse or wallet unless the user is going to be making an imminent purchase or is in travel status.
• Do not make a photocopy of your card.
• If a card number is written down (ie on a receipt, fax, etc) make sure only the last four digits remain readable.
• Place the order yourself instead of giving your card number to a coworker.  This will also assist for reconciling the transaction that you were aware and obtained the receipt during the purchase.
• Online Purchases – make sure you safely make the transaction by using the suggestions below:
• Make sure you have the most current security software updates available for you operating system, application and browser
• Look for logos from organizations that feature trusted or credential websites like BBBOnline, TRUSTe, or Verisign
• Do not send credit card information or number through email
• Do not perform online transactions from a public computer or kiosk
• Do not enter personal information in a pop up screen
• A closed padlock at the bottom of the web page means the site is secure
• An “s” in the web address after or before http (ie www.https.uiowa...) also means the site is secure

If you are unsure if a site is secure,
please send the site address to ProTrav@uiowa.edu
and we will verify the site before you make the purchase

• Be aware of scams.  Discard any email communication solicitations from banks or other entities “phishing” for card information.  The University of Iowa’s card provider will never make contact to you via emailing asking for personal or card information.