Here are program guides for principal bluCard Roles:
- bluCard Program Manual (currently in progress; please check back for an updated posting)
and a one-stop resource for reference:
(The above guides are currently being updated. Some of the links within are inoperable or no longer relevant; some of the contact information has changed. Check the Contact section in the top bar of this site under Card Programs for the most cuurent contact information.)
The program is summarized below with a simple graphic of the bluCard transaction cycle followed by a written overview:
How the bluCard System Works
The cardholder purchases directly from the supplier by phone, fax, over the Internet, or in person.
The vendor directly sends goods to the department, whenever possible, with packing slips and billing receipts.
U.S. Bank pays the supplier within 48 to 72 hours.
The bank batches all card transaction data and submits a daily summary bill by EDI (electronic data interchange)
Disbursements pays the bill, using EFT (electronic funds transfer).
The daily transaction data received by EDI is loaded into the Berkeley Financial System (BFS) and your department is automatically notified of new card charges by e-mail.
The departmental listserve is used to automatically distribute the email Verification and Download Statements to all cardholders and department accounting staff, established and maintained by your department.
The department uses the online BFS bluCard panels and has up to 15 days to verify and reconcile the online data with transaction paperwork provided by the cardholders and the suppliers. If sales tax is applicable, but was not applied, the department must add the appropriate use tax within the 15-day staging period.
After 15 days, transactions automatically clear from the bluCard screens and load to the General Ledger.
Your department prints the email Verification Statement for manager review and approval.
Default Chartstring
Each card is assigned a full chartstring, including BFS account number, to which charges will default. The Department designates which chartstring to use as the default and the bluCard Administration in Procurement Services enters that assignment in the Cardholder Profile in BFS. The default chartstring can be changed upon request .
Online Transaction Data
The supplier initiates online billing and notification by processing your transaction on a credit card terminal. Depending on the number of data elements the terminal can transmit, the transaction data will fall into one of three groups - Level I, II or III. Our system will accept all three levels of transaction data, but BFS will show only Level I or Level II data elements.
Level II Transaction Data
When processed at Level II by your vendor, the transaction data entering BFS includes two additional data elements:
- Sales tax showing as a separate item
- Your customer code if it was provided to the supplier when the order is placed
Distribution of Charges
When Level I transactions enter BFS, they automatically charge to the card's default chartstring.
When Level II transactions enter BFS, they are processed for customer code. A valid customer code will automatically charge the designated department chartstring.
The procode part of the customer code designates which department chartstring is to be charged. If BFS does not recognize the procode as transmitted by the supplier, the charge goes to the card's default chartstring.
All transactions can be modified using the online BFS bluCard panels to redistribute the charge as needed, within 15 days of the BFS staging date.