Procurement and Contract Services Policy & Procedures Manual
Section 300: Purchasing
Effective: 7/1/2010
Revised: 1/10/2019

 

Departments should utilize one of the methods of purchasing and payment for direct purchases.  As is the case with purchases, payments should not be separated or fragmented in order to circumvent rules and policies.

 

306-001: Procurement Card

Even though the purchasing card is a quick and convenient way for units to obtain goods and services it should only be used for purchases of immediate or urgent need, or for purchases which cannot be facilitated through the eProcurement system.

 

306-002: Reserved

 

 

306-003: Credit Accounts and Applications

There are rare instances where use of the Procurement Card is not feasible and the Vendor will only accept a Purchase Order after OSU has been approved for a credit account with the Vendor. In those rare cases, departments may initiate establishing such accounts as long as it does not exceed a credit limit of $5000, and does not result in a credit card payment.  Only those individuals with Contract Signature Authority are authorized to sign the credit application.  All applications must be provided to PaCS prior to submission to the vendor.

 

306-004: Prohibited Procurement Mechanisms

 

The following procurement mechanisms are prohibited:

  • Credit cards other than the OSU Procurement Card, ghost card or other procurement cards maintained through Accounts Payable.
  • Any method that circumvents applicable approvals or procurement rules.

 

306-005: Reserved

 

306-006: Reserved

 

306-007: Pre-Payment

Prepayment to vendors is highly discouraged because it renders payment for goods or services that have not yet been received. This omits OSU’s ability to withhold payment when goods or services have not been delivered. When a vendor requires prepayment the following conditions must exist:

  • There is no other vendor from which OSU can purchase the goods or services; and
  • Prepayment is specifically called out on the purchase order.

306-008: Reserved