AFARS PART 5113

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AFARS -- Part 13

Simplified Acquisition Procedures

April 3, 2001

Subpart 5113.2 -- Actions at or Below the Micro-Purchase Threshold

5113.270 -- General.

(a) Delegation of micro-purchase authority.

(4) Agency Program Coordinators (APC) shall:

(d) Ensure accounts are not established or billing officials certify invoices until required letters of delegations and appointment letters have been issued to cardholders and approving officials /certifying officials

(5) Approving officials shall:

(b) Ensure that adequate documentation is available for individual transactions

(c) Ensure the facts presented in documents for payment are complete and accurate

(d) Take appropriate action to prevent two or more payments for the same transaction

(e) Ensure proper implementation of dispute procedures when transactions are questioned

(f) Provide copy of certifying officer appointment letter with signature card to the supporting payment office

(g) Certify and forward the official invoice to the paying office within 15 days of receipt. Electronic invoice is considered received on the first day following the end of the billing cycle.

(6) Cardholders shall:

(i) Reconcile purchases actually made within 5 working days of receipt of their monthly statement of account. Electronic statement of account is considered received on the first day following the end of the billing cycle.

(ii) Maintain a log of purchases. The log shall be the cardholder log within Customer Automated Reporting Environment (C.A.R.E.) when the cardholder has been given access to C.A.R.E.

(c) Training Requirements:

(i) Cardholders and certifying officials shall receive training and orientation covering the use of the card prior to being delegated authority under the program. Training may be locally developed, but specifically designed to cover federal, defense, and departmental regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to micro-purchases and simplified acquisition procedures, as applicable. Orientation shall address GSA, Card-Issuing Bank and installation-unique policies.

(ii) Cardholders shall receive procurement ethics training. Cardholders and Certifying Officials shall be advised of pecuniary liability under the program for certifying and accountable officials

(iii) The Chief of the Contracting Office may require additional training depending on the thresholds and circumstances established for the card's use.

5113.202. -- Purchase Guidelines.

(a) Micro-purchase authority should be delegated to the lowest possible level. Purchase cards shall be issued only to individuals who have received the orientation/training on the purchase card program as required in these procedures.

(b) Contracting Officers shall not issue cards to contractors. If contractors working on cost type contracts request cards, their request shall be forwarded to the contracting officer for the cost-reimbursable contract. If that office determines that they are eligible, the contractor will then file a Request for Eligibility Determination with the GSA SmartPay Contracting Officer.

(c) Cardholders may be authorized to utilize the Government Purchase Card as a payment instrument for orders exceeding $2,500 made against Federal Supply Schedule contracts, calls written against a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) or orders placed against Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts that contain a provision authorizing payment by purchase card.

(d) The purchase card may also provide a streamlined way of paying for contracts other than those above. Prior to using the card this way, the contracting office shall determine that use of the card for payment is in the best interest of the Government. The determination shall address any increase in price and/or administrative costs to use the card versus the costs of processing the payment without the card.

(e) The purchase card may also be used to pay for government-owned materiel or government-performed services received from other government sources (i.e., DAPS, GSA, DLA).

5113.270 Use of the Government-wide commercial purchase card.

Use of the purchase card must meet the following conditions in addition to conditions imposed by the General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule:

Subpart 5113.302 -- Purchase Orders

5113.302-3 -- Obtaining Contractor Acceptance and Modifying Purchase Orders.

It is not necessary to modify a purchase order to document a shortage in the final shipment, provided the shortage is negligible.

Subpart 5113.303 -- Blanket Purchase Agreements

5113.303 -- Establishment of Blanket Purchase Agreements.

5113.303-1 -- General.

(j)

5113.303-2 -- Use of Blanket Purchase Agreements.

(a) The contracting officer must --

(b) Training for use of BPAs is the same as that required for the use of purchase cards. Orientation must focus on the BPA process, except that if the same individual will also be a purchase cardholder, BPA orientation must be in addition to the Purchase Card Program orientation. The chief of the contracting office is responsible for approving training course content and instructor qualifications when training is provided by someone outside the contracting office.

5113.303-6 -- Review Procedures.

(b) In addition to the review procedures in FAR 13.303, contracting officers who authorize individuals to place calls under BPAs shall --

5113.306 -- Standard Form 44, Purchase Order-Invoice-Voucher.

(e)

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