UW Purchasing Cards (P-Card, Department P-Card, Shared Liability/Corporate Card)
Definition 
- Individual Purchasing Card (P-Card): A university-liability credit card issued to a UW–Madison employee for business-related purchases <$5,000 reconciled through the Expenses module. The card is assigned to a specific UW–Madison employee and may only be used by that individual.
- Department Purchasing Card (P-Card): A university-liability credit card issued to a UW–Madison employee which can be used by both the cardholder and other authorized purchasers for business-related purchases < $5,000 reconciled through the Expenses module.
- Shared Liability/Corporate Card: Individual-liability credit card issued by U.S. Bank to a UW–Madison employee for business-related purchases.
Before submitting, ensure the expense is allowable, budgeted, and adheres with policy. For travel related expenses, utilize the Travel Guidance Tool.
Related Reference Guide(s): UW Refund of Expenses
Who
UW-Madison employees are eligible to be purchasing card holders.
Department/Unit Initiators
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- Employee as Self (UW purchasing card holder)
- Expense Data Entry Specialist - This role has the ability to enter reimbursements or reconcile p-cards on behalf of other employees.
Department/Unit Approvers
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- Gift Manager
- Grant Manager
- Program Manager
- Project Manager
- Cost Center Manager
*There are other approver roles at the campus level listed within the Reconciling UW Credit Cards in Workday job aid.
Contract Approvers
Only individuals in Purchasing Services at UW–Madison are authorized to sign contracts with external vendors on behalf of the university. If department staff receive a contract, agreement, or lease requiring signatures, the staff must attach the related document to the requisition and route the requisition through normal approval channels. For purchases of $5,000 or less that do not require a requisition and the vendor is external to the university, any associated contracts must be emailed to Purchasing Services for signature.
(NOTE: Internal UW–Madison vendor contracts may be signed by appropriate designated department staff.)
Obtaining Access
How to Obtain and Manage a Purchasing Card
- Request a Purchasing Card (individual or department)
- Request a Shared Liability/Corporate Card
- Request a Change to a Purchasing Card (credit limit, personal information)
Setting Up Access to Submit Expenses on Behalf of Someone Else (Expense Data Entry Specialist)
If you need any security roles, including Expense Data Entry Specialist (EDES), to complete this process, discuss with your next level leader. If approved, reach out to your department/unit’s Workday Role-Based Access Requester.
To check your security role access set up prior to Workday:
- Click on the Employee Lookup tab in Tableau.
- Enter your name in the legal name field (last name, first name).
To find your department/unit’s Workday Role-Based Access Requester:
- Go to your Workday profile and click "Job” in the left navigation menu.
- Click “Support Roles” in the top header.
- In the Assignable Role column, scroll to find the Role-Based Access Requester.
See the How section for Workday job aids on reconciling card expenses for someone else.
Training
- Expense Reports and Credit Cards in Workday Part 1
- Expense Reports and Credit Cards in Workday Part 2
- Workday for Finance: Expenses for Support Staff
- Card Reconciliation How-To Video
Prerequisites
How
SMPH Standardized Workday Pre-Transaction Process
Core Workday Job Aids
Related Workday Job Aids
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- 3024.2 How to Use “Hold” Business Purposes in Expense Reports and Identify Reports on Hold via Reporting
- 3024.3 How to Find Expense Report Payment Details and Process Payment Void/Reissue Requests
- 3024.4 Working with Shared Liability Card Transactions in Workday Expenses
- 3024.7 How to Process an Expense Report Not in Compliance with the University’s Accountable Plan Procedure
- 3024.8 Using UW Foundation Funding in Workday Expenses
- 3024.9 Expense Report Review and Approval Procedure (for Driver Worktag Managers)
- Addressing Fraudulent Charges on a UW Credit Card
- Award Header and Award Line Lifecycle Status
- Business Meal Calculator
- Expenses Hub Overview
- How to obtain a policy exception for a noncompliant expense report or expense lines (Claimant/Cardholder/Submitter)
- Reassigning Purchase Card Transactions
- Scan Receipts, Enter Quick Expenses, and Submit Expenses Through the Workday Mobile App
- Terminate an External Committee Membership
- UW Division of Business Services Expense Report Fix-It Guide (PDF)
- Workday Expenses Business Purposes for Expense Reports
Related Reports
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- SMPH Fiscal Master Report Inventory (Excel) – Filter the Category column to include both Expenses and Procurement.
Questions
For help with content questions or technical issues, please visit the ATP in SMPH – How to Get Help section. It includes instructions for submitting tickets and connecting with SMPH subject matter experts or technical support teams.