|
JULY 20, 2007 |
OF BULLETIN
07GA1.04 |
PURCHASE CARD NUMBERING
SCHEMA FOR PURCHASE CARD TRANSACTIONS
1. PURPOSE.
This bulletin rescinds OF
Bulletin 07GA1.02 - Purchase Card Numbering Schema
for Purchase Card Transactions - dated March 14, 2007 and provides revised
procedures for the purchase card numbering schema for purchase card
transactions.
2. BACKGROUND. Many
vendors providing goods and services to the VA accept the ‘purchase card’ as
the method of payment. In some cases,
the vendors also submit a traditional “paper” invoice to the VA designated
agency office for the same goods and services for which payment was
accomplished with the ‘purchase card’.
Currently, the VA Document Number Schema does not provide a unique
numbering convention for ‘purchase card’ transactions. As a result, these “paper” invoices, for which
payment has already been made, cannot be distinguished from traditional
invoices on which payment is still due, without extensive research. This adds an unnecessary workload and creates
the potential for improper payments.
3. PURCHASE
CARD NUMBERING SCHEMA
a. Effective
immediately, facilities must use a 9-digit alpha numeric code as a unique
reference number for purchase card obligations.
(1) The
first three positions of the number will consist of the numeric station number.
(2) The
fourth position will consist of the alpha character P, Q or R to identify purchase
card obligations.
(3) The
fifth position will normally consist of the fiscal year of the appropriation.
(a) In
cases where there is a need for more than the assigned numbers in an alpha
series, the fourth position alpha character and the fifth position fiscal year
character may be reversed.
(b) VA
facilities must always begin with the alpha character in the fourth position
and not use the fiscal year in the fourth position until all available
combinations have been exhausted.
(4) The
sixth and seventh positions may be alpha or numeric characters.
(5) Alpha
characters are not permissible in the eighth and ninth positions.
(6) The
appropriate fiscal year will be used for ‘no-year-year’ appropriations instead
of an ‘X’.
b. Examples
of the common numbering schema for purchase card obligations are provided
below.
101P78923
654Q7A234
503R7AB34
6557PC567
5617QCD67
5837R3456
c. Alpha
character “O” is only available
should a facility’s volume of purchase card transactions exhaust all available
combinations of the P, Q, and R combinations that are outlined above.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES. The
Accounting & Payroll Policy Service (047GA), within the Office of Financial
Policy, is responsible for the information contained in this bulletin. Administration Chief Financial Officers
(CFOs), fiscal officers, and accounting chiefs within the Department are
responsible for ensuring compliance with the procedural guidelines set forth in
this bulletin.
5. QUESTIONS. Questions
concerning this bulletin should be addressed to:
|
VHA |
VHA Accounting Policy (Outlook) |
|
VBA |
Ed Marks (202) 273-6831 |
|
All Others |
Accounting Policy (Outlook) |
//s// July 20, 2007
Romano Mascetti III
Associate Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Financial Policy (047G)