Effective September 2017, the Postal Service™ revised Handbook AS-709, Credit Card Policies and Procedures for Local Buying, to:
n Change the title of Handbook AS-709 to Purchase Card Local Buying Policies and Procedures.
n Delegate purchase card local buying authority to Postal Service PCES managers, who may re–delegate authority electronically through the eAccess Purchase Card electronic Reconciliation System (PCeRS) application.
n Require both cardholders and Credit Card Approving Officials (CCAOs) to take a refresher training course every 3 years and document its completion in the PCeRS application.
n Clarify other responsibilities of cardholders and CCAOs, including the addition of a description of the steps cardholders must take to perform electronic reconciliation, ensure the accuracy of statements, and identify discrepancies.
n Require CCAOs to review cardholders’ charges and determine if the charges are consistent with purchase card policy requirements and the limitations on use.
n Require cardholders, upon request by a PSSC auditor, to provide documentation of purchases, such as requisitions, receipts, and invoices. A cardholder’s failure to comply with the request in a timely manner may result in suspension of his or her purchase card account privileges. The Purchasing Shared Services Center (PSSC) performs daily audits of selected purchase card transactions for all posted cardholder activity. The purpose of the audits is to detect purchase card fraud and misuse and to query suspect transactions for compliance with purchase card local buying policies and procedures.
Revised Handbook AS-709, Purchase Card Local Buying Policies and Procedures, is available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column under “Essential Links,” click PolicyNet.
n Click Handbooks.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Supply Management Infrastructure,
Supply Management, 3-1-18
