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Placing Your Order
Over the Counter
By using the purchase charge card, you can just step into a store and pick out the items to purchase. Take your items to the sales clerk and identify the purchase as an OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASE. The purchase is therefore totally exempt from federal taxes and, in most cases, also exempt from state or local taxes. However, be sure you bring a copy of the State Tax Exemption letter from the GSA SmartPay® website. When making an over-the-counter purchase:
- The sales clerk should itemize your purchases
- Sales taxes should not be charged on your order
- You should sign the receipt
- Get a copy of the itemized receipt
- Upon return to your office with your purchases, place the receipt in a safe place to use in reconciling your monthly invoice statement
- Record the purchase in your purchase log
By Phone or Fax
To place your order by phone or fax:
- Contact the merchant and identify yourself as a government employee who is making a purchase with a government purchase charge card
- Indicate that the purchase will be tax exempt
- Note the total purchase price after going over the price of individual items
- Be careful in giving out your purchase charge card number. Cardholders should not include their purchase charge card account number when faxing orders. Instead, we recommend the fax request for the vendor to contact the cardholder for account information.
- Identify the items to be purchased and reach agreement as to the price of each item (including shipping charges)
- Record the purchase in your purchase log
- Give your name and address for shipping, making sure your name appears on the mailing label and making sure that an itemized shipping document or invoice is included in the shipment
- When the item arrives, make sure you have what you ordered, at the price you agreed to pay
- If there is any discrepancy, call the merchant immediately
- Keep all purchase documentation for your records
On-line Orders
Before placing an order online, familiarize yourself with the online merchant’s general information for placing orders and processing returns, as well as site security and privacy policies. If the site’s terms of use appear acceptable, proceed to place your order. Note: If the website is not government managed (such as GSA Advantage! or DoD eMall), registering your charge card account is not recommended.
To place an online order:
- Identify the merchant you wish to use and bring up the merchant's ordering screen
- Make sure the site is a secure website before transmitting any information
- Enter the requested data
- Make it clear that you are a government employee
- Use your business address only, and indicate your purchase is tax exempt
- Make sure the merchant will include an itemized shipping document or invoice with the shipment
- Record the purchase in your purchase log
- When the items arrive, make sure you are satisfied with the purchase. If not, notify the merchant immediately
- Keep all purchase information for your records
Get an Accurate Quote
Sometimes you will encounter problems in reconciling your statement. Price differences between quotes and the invoice occur most often because the price billed includes shipping or handling or a tax charge. That's why it's important for you to ask the right questions when making your purchase. Price differences between quotes and statement amounts cannot be disputed with the purchase charge card contractor. You must contact the merchant and ask for a credit. The charge must be paid as it stands on your monthly invoice.
Avoid "Splitting the Requirement"
It might seem logical for you to divide a purchase into parts so each purchase would then be below your agency limits. It is NEVER permissible to intentionally divide purchases into parts just to get under your limits. This is called "splitting the requirement." When you have a defined need, all the parts of that need are considered one purchase.
Maintaining Your Records
Keep all necessary information on each purchase charge card transaction, In accordance with FAR 4.805. At a minimum, you must have the following information:
- The item purchased (including a description, unit number and quantity)
- The amount of the purchase
- The name of the merchant
- The date you received the item purchased
Remember to keep your receipts!
Annotate any receipts that are too general in the product description area so that it is very clear what you purchased. Your agency procedures will tell you how long you must keep your documentation on your purchases. Failure to retain records can result in excess administrative burden when you attempt to reconcile your monthly invoice statement. In some agencies, you are responsible for keeping all documentation on your purchases. In other agencies, you must forward your records for retention to a central location. Check your agency procedures.
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