Each agency has an Agency Payment Card Administrator who is responsible for the overall administration of the agency’s payment card program. You should contact this person with issues and concerns.
No, card numbers should never be communicated via fax as there is no assurance that the intended recipient will receive the fax. Instead, in the space provided for a card number, write, ‘Please call [Cardholder Name & Phone No.] for card details.
Card numbers may only be communicated via email if the email is encrypted, requiring that the recipient use a password protected service for retrieval of the email.
Yes. It is recommended that the cardholder set up an account with US Bank Access Online and place alerts on their card to receive notifications of potential fraudulent activity.
A cardholder can determine if a website is secure in two ways. First, check to see if the URL begins with https://www. Second, click the site information symbol ( 
) to the left of the URL and look for the “connection is secure” message.
To avoid additional risk of fraudulent activity you should not use your Pcard over public wi-fi or free VPNs.
Yes, the Pcard can be used with PayPal. Please note that many cardholders have difficulty using PayPal due to their security protocol. Credit card numbers are sometimes recycled. If PayPal ever encounters a fraud issue with an account number, the number is recorded in their database forever. If the card number is presented, PayPal’s system will reject the transaction before it is attempted through the card network. Cardholders can contact PayPal directly to attempt to have their card number removed from their fraud database.
No, state policy prohibits recurring charges billed to your Pcard.
If your card is declined at the point-of-sale, call US Bank at 1-800-344-5696. US Bank’s customer service representatives can tell you why a transaction declined, and in some cases help to get the transaction processed. If the decline is due to spending limits or Merchant Category Codes, you will have to seek further assistance from your agency Pcard Administrator.
Any payee or merchant that accepts Visa can accept the Payment Card. When making a purchase, follow these procedures:
-
- Be certain that your purchase complies with all State Purchasing rules and guidelines.
- Obtain approval for purchase from your supervisor.
- Tell the payee/Merchant that you will be paying with your State of Ohio VISA Payment Card and that your purchases are tax-exempt.
- Retain all receipts and log the transaction. Make sure that the invoice or sales slip clearly shows no sales taxes were paid and the amount charged is accurate.
- Make sure that all receipts have at least: (1) merchant name, (2) date of purchase and (3) description of items purchased.
- Make sure all receipts do not have the 16-digit account number or expiration date printed on it. If they do, redact the numbers.
- Documentation:
- Payment Card Reconciliation Portal users - attach all documentation when reviewing and approving the transaction.
- Reconcile Statement users - complete your agency payment card log packet, and follow your agency’s procedures for forwarding the log with receipts.
The payment card log is a document used to list all purchases and returns made using the payment card. The log provides a detailed description of the purchase and credit. Each transaction listed must be supported by an itemized receipt/invoice, total owed, proof of payment. Check with your agency PCA as the payment card log usually only applies to agencies using the OAKS Reconcile Statement page to settle Pcard transactions.
A Merchant Category Code (MCC) is a four-digit number that is used to classify the business by the type of goods or services it provides. A MCC code is assigned to a merchant by the card company.
The State of Ohio contract with the bank states that all Pcard transactions must be settled within 10 days from the date the transaction is available in OAKS. The State receives an annual rebate for transactions processed timely and is penalized for each day over the 10 days. The State Payment Card Administrator may suspend or terminate a cardholder account if transactions are not processed within 10 business days of availability in OAKS, or there is a pattern of delinquent payments.
By registering for access to US Bank’s system you can access information about your Pcard account including transactions, disputes, and fraud alerts.
If there is a problem with a charge or an item purchased, the cardholder should immediately call US bank and request a dispute to resolve the issue with the payee. Cardholders have 45 days to file a dispute with the bank. Pcard portal users must also identify the disputed transaction and include a comment explaining the dispute.
Valid dispute reasons are:
- Goods/services not received.
- Merchant charged the Pcard more than the agreed upon amount.
- Suspected fraudulent activity.
State sales tax charged by the merchant is not a valid dispute reason for US Bank. The agency must work with the merchant to resolve sales tax issues.
Transactions must be processed within ten business days from the date the transaction is available in OAKS. This includes all levels of approval and a voucher created in OAKS to reimburse US Bank the amount of the transaction.
Pre-paid debit cards Cash advances Debt service, judgements or settlements, or any good/service for personal use or gain
The billing address is the address associated with an account in the bank’s system. The billing address will always be OBM, 30 E Broad Street, 34th floor, Columbus, OH, 43215 and should never be changed.
The shipping address is where the goods should be shipped and should never be the same as the billing address. The shipping address may change depending on which department/division will receive the goods. Orders shipped to the billing address will not be accepted.
The State of Ohio is not required to pay Ohio sales tax. The card itself should be sufficient identification to allow tax-free purchases. Merchants should be informed prior to the purchase that the state is sales tax exempt. Merchants may request a tax ID number (31-1334820), a Sales and Use Tax Blanket Exemption Certificate, or a W9 form to confirm tax exempt status. Merchants located outside of Ohio, with a payment remit to address outside of Ohio, may charge sales tax for the state the merchant is based in.
Cardholders are restricted to a standard single transaction limit of $5,000. Cardholders shall not intentionally split a purchase that exceeds $5,000 with the intent of processing two smaller transactions to avoid the single transaction limit.
Any document verifying and order was placed and the goods/services received. Documents can include (but not limited to): Order Confirmation, Invoice, Receipt, Delivery Receipt, and Packing Slip. Reconcile Statement users should also include the approved payment card log as documentation. Documents should clearly show the merchant name, agency name, date of purchase, description of items with cost per unit, and total amount owed. Invoice/receipt should clearly show no sales taxes were paid.
Cardholders must complete the payment cardholder training in OhioLearn. Additional training may be required when cardholder is consistently making errors.
Automatic and recurring charges to the Pcard are not permitted. It is a violation of policy to allow merchants to store Pcard information for automatic billing purposes.
Lost or stolen card should be reported to US Bank as soon as possible. Call 1-800-344-5696 (24/7 coverage). Report the lost or stolen card to your Agency Pcard Administrator. Card will be sent to OBM within 2 business days of being reported Lost or Stolen. Do not request expedited shipping. When a cardholder requests expedited shipping the card order is put on hold waiting for OBM to approve the request. 2-day shipping is the fastest method available. The state gets 2-day shipping on all card orders by contract.
Agencies may request waivers to cardholder profiles by submitting the “Special Approval Request” form to OBM. Each request must document the justification that explains the need to increase the limit(s). OBM’s Payment Card Section will review the request and respond within 2 business days. The State Payment Card Administrator may deny requests due to a history of delinquent payments by the cardholder or the agency.
Payment card may be declined if
- Merchant Category Code has not been authorized for the cardholder.
- Payment card has been suspended or terminated.
- Single transaction limit or monthly limit is exceeded.
- Merchant is registered as a type of merchant the State prohibited (hotels, restaurants, etc.)
- Visa has a concern because of cardholder’s spending pattern.
- “Bill To” address does not match the State’s official “Bill To” address on file with bank.
Using the Payment card to pay an inter-agency payment is prohibited; however, the billing agency may request from the paying agency an exception to this policy if the following requirements are met and the paying agency agrees to pay with a Payment card. If the paying agency doesn’t agree to pay with a Payment card, the billing agency must issue an ISTV through OAKS
Requirements for Exception
- The payment is a fee (e.g., service fee, permit fee, registration fee) for service performed by billing agency.
- No accounts receivable entry has been recorded in OAKS.
- The fee is one that is charged to both the general public and a state agency by the billing agency.
- The general public is encouraged to use a credit card for payment by the billing agency.
- The fee is less than $5,000
Payees are not permitted to charge a service fee unless the service fee is disclosed with the cardholder upfront at the time of purchase. OBM does not set a limitation on the dollar amount of the service fee and provides the agency with the flexibility to determine what is fair and reasonable. Any agent or credit card fee that is not disclosed to the agency should be disputed immediately regardless of the dollar amount of the fee.
