1. Faculty members interested in obtaining a Declining Balance Procurement Card should submit a Triage ticket using the Ask a Question form. Please include the following information/documentation:
   1. A copy of the one-page IRB Approval Letter for the study.
   2. A completed copy of the Budget Form.
2. The A&S Business Center (ASBC) will then review the request and attach two additional forms partially completed by the ASBC. These are the Procurement Card Application Form and the Procurement Card Application Supplemental Information.
   1. The faculty member must ensure everything is accurate, complete remaining fields, sign with an Adobe certified signature, and upload to the ticket.
3. The ASBC will review the documents and acquire the necessary approvals from the applicant’s supervisor and the A&S Business Officer.
4. The ASBC will send the completed forms and other necessary documentation to the Procard Team for their final review and approval.
5. After the Procard Team has reviewed and approved the application, the applicant will receive an email with details on the card including how it will be delivered, the P-Number, the starting balance, and other helpful information.

For a standard application, this process typically requires three to four weeks from step 3 before the faculty member has a Declining Balance Procurement Card in-hand.

There are two broad steps for making purchases using a Declining Balance procard. The first is creating a ticket with the college and selecting a vendor. The second is completing a Concur Report.

1. Submit a Triage ticket using the Independent Contractor form. Please provide the vendor, set the payment type as “Research Subject,” select the department, provide a business purpose including a description of the purchase(s) as well as indicating that this is a Declining Balance purchase, the account to charge in the appropriate field, and upload any applicable documentation. There are several options for paying research subjects using a Declining Balance procard.

Prolific

• Prolific is a platform that helps researchers recruit participants for their online research. Researchers can create a study and upload it to Prolific. They then estimate the time, set a reward per hour, and add participant criteria. You can learn more about Prolific on their website.
• To utilize Prolific for research participant payments, you can add money to your Prolific account using your declining balance procurement card. These funds will also be used for the service fee charged by Prolific.
  • Note: Funds should only be added for a single month’s worth of expenses.

Amazon Mechanical Turk / CloudResearch

• Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing marketplace enabling individuals and businesses (known as Requesters) to engage a 24/7, global distributed workforce (known as Workers) to perform tasks. A Human Intelligence Task (HIT) is a single, self-contained task a Requester creates on MTurk. Researchers can utilize this platform to have participants complete surveys and gather data. You can learn more about MTurk on their website.
  • CloudResearch, formerly TurkPrime, offers an MTurk Toolkit. Their tools are built directly on top of MTurk and are specifically designed to meet the needs of online researchers. Examples include ensuring data quality with CloudResearch-Approved Participants, simplifying the set up and execution of studies, profiling participants based on demographic and psychographic characteristics, and providing powerful tools that expand the type of studies that can be conducted. You can learn more about CloudResearch on their website.
• Important notes on funding MTurk and/or CloudResearch.
  • Funds must be added to an MTurk account to cover its fees.
  • Additionally, funds must be added separately to any CloudResearch account to cover its fees.
  • These funds are added using the declining balance procurement card. 
  • Funds should only be added for a single month’s worth of expenses.

Physical gift cards purchased online and mailed through a postal service.

• e.g., gifts card(s) for Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, VISA Prepaid Gift Cards, etc.
• Purchasing physical gift cards from and for Amazon.com requires placing orders using the UK Amazon Business Account.
  • Login to myUK, select Enterprise Services, and click Amazon.
    • If you do not see the Amazon link, please email the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) and request access.
  • Click the link on “Enterprise Amazon Business Account.”
  • Search for the gift card(s) you wish to purchase and add them to your cart.
    • If the specific gift cards you are attempting to purchase are labeled as "Organization blocked", please email the link to the product to the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) and they can submit a request to unblock this item.
  • Select Proceed to checkout.
    • Group
      • Select your department (if applicable).
    • Business order information.
      • Under Comments for approver input "Amazon gift cards for research participants (IRB #####) using Declining Balance Procard P#######."
      • (The P-Number is not the credit card number. The P-Number is the unique identifier assigned to the procard as provided in the approval email.)
    • Shipping address.
      • Physical gift cards must be shipped to campus.
      • Select Add a New Address.
      • Full name: Input your first name, last name, and the associated ticket number
      • Phone number: Input your office phone number.
      • Address: Use one of the following three A&S locations for delivery, depending on which is more convenient for pick-up.
        • 120 Patterson Drive, 273 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY 40506-0027
        • 506 Library Drive, 18 Chemistry-Physics Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0055
        • 195 Huguelet Dr, 106G Thomas Hunt Morgan Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0225
      • Click Add address.
    • Add payment method.
      • Select Add a credit or debit card and input the information for your declining balance procurement card.
    • Items and shipping.
      • Select your desired delivery date.
    • Place the order.
  • Once the order has been placed the A&S Business Center will review and approve the order.
  • Central Purchasing will review and approve the purchase.
  • Once your item(s) have arrived, you will receive an email from A&S Shipping & receiving. Go to the location as indicated in the email to sign for and pickup your package.
  • More information about UK’s Amazon Business Account can be found at https://purchasing.uky.edu/amazon-enterprise-business-frequently-asked-questions-faqs.

Physical gift cards purchased in-store.

• e.g., gifts card(s) for Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, VISA Prepaid Gift Cards, etc.
• Purchase with the declining balance procard.
• Retain the receipts and be prepared to add them to your Concur report. For further details on creating a Concur report, please see below.

Digital/e-gift cards, purchased online and often provided by email to the recipient(s).

• Purchase with the declining balance procard.
• Retain the receipts and add them to the ticket.
• Please note, to purchase digital/e-gift cards from and/or for Amazon.com, we are required to use the UK Amazon Business Account.
  • Login to myUK, select Enterprise Services, and click Amazon.
    • If you do not see the Amazon link, please email the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) and request access.
  • Click the link on “Enterprise Amazon Business Account.”
  • Search for the gift card(s) and value you wish to purchase.
    • This will require providing an email or phone number for the recipient, your name, the quantity, and delivery date. You may also edit the message.
    • Click add to cart.
    • If the specific gift cards you are attempting to purchase are labeled as "Organization blocked", please email the link to the product to the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) and they can submit a request to unblock this item.
  • Select Proceed to checkout.
    • Group
      • Select your department (if applicable).
    • Business order information.
      • Under Comments for approver input "Gift cards for research participants (IRB #####) using Declining Balance Procard P#######."
      • (The P-Number is not the credit card number. The P-Number is the unique identifier assigned to the procard as provided in the approval email.)
    • Shipping address will be replaced with “Digital Delivery.”
    • Add payment method.
      • Select Add a credit or debit card and input the information for your declining balance procurement card.
    • Items and shipping will be replaced with “Digital Delivery.”
    • Place the order.
  • Once the order has been placed the A&S Business Center will review and approve the order.
  • Central Purchasing will review and approve the purchase.
  • Amazon will send the digital/e-gift card to the recipient.
  • More information about UK’s Amazon Business Account can be found at https://purchasing.uky.edu/amazon-enterprise-business-frequently-asked-questions-faqs.

2. Create and submit a Concur report at least once each month. You are welcome to submit Concur reports more frequently. Once submitted, the Concur report goes through several approvals prior to posting the charge to your account.

Creating and Allocating Concur Reports

• Login to Concur.
  • Log into myUK, click on "Employee Self Service," select "Concur Travel and Expense Management," then click the link.
• Create the Concur Report.
  • Select “Start a Report.”
  • Change the Policy to “UK-General Expenditure Policy.”
  • Report Name: Type the first 3 letters of the month, the year, and the cardholder’s last name.
  • Report Start Date: Day of the month for the first transaction.
  • Report End Date: Day of the month for the final transaction.
  • Additional Information: Brief description of the expenses.
  • Select “Create Report.”
• Add the expenses for that month to the report.
  • Click “Add Expense.”
  • Select the box on the left side of the screen for each transaction that you want to add to the report.
  • Click “Add To Report.”
• Add the supporting information for each charge.
  • Click on the first transaction listed at the top of the report.
  • Under Expense Type select “Research Subject Payments.”
  • In the section asking, “Is this expense travel related?” select “No.”
  • Under Non-Travel Business Purpose select “Research/Teaching.”
  • In the Additional Information section list the cardholder’s last name and the associated ticket number.
  • In the comment section add the business purpose for the expense.
  • Add the documentation.
    • Attach the Receipt.
      • Click “Add Receipt.”
      • Click “Upload New Receipt."
      • Double click on the transaction receipt from your files.
    • For Prolific Only:
      • Attach the Breakdown by Participant Summary.
        • Click “Add.”
        • Click “Upload New Receipt.”
        • Double click on the Breakdown by Participant Summary.
    • For MTurk/CloudResearch Only:
      • Attach the spreadsheet detailing the associated participant payments. 
        • Click “Add.”
        • Click “Upload New Receipt.”
        • Double click on the spreadsheet detailing the associated participant payments.
    • For Gift Card Expenses Only:
      • Attach the associated Research Subject Payment Form(s).
        • Click “Add.”
        • Click “Upload New Receipt.”
        • Double click on the Research Subject Payment Form(s).
• Complete the “Attendees” Section.
  • Gift card expenses only.
    • Click Attendees
    • Click Add
    • Select Create New Attendee
    • Change the Attendee Type to “Other”
    • Enter the participant's last name
    • Enter the participant's first name
    • In the Affiliation section type “Research Subject”
    • Select "Create Attendee". 
    • This process will be repeated for each participant payment.
  • Prolific and MTurk/CloudResearch.
    • Click “Attendees.”
    • Click “Add.”
    • Select “Create New Attendee.”
    • Change the Attendee Type to “Other.”
    • In the Last Name section type “Please See."
    • In the First Name section type “Attached List.”
    • In the Affiliation section type “Research Subject.”
    • Click “Create Attendee.”
    • Select “Save.”
• Allocate the charge.
  • Click “Allocate.”
  • Click “Add.”
  • Under “Cost Object ID” enter and select the account that was approved on your triage ticket.
  • Under “Statistical Order” enter and select the SIO associated with your account (if applicable). This would start with “809.”
  • Click “Save.”
  • Click “Save.”
  • Click “Save Expense.”
• Complete steps 4-6 for each transaction that occurred for the month.
• Submit the report.
  • Click “Submit Report.”
  • Click “Accept & Continue.”
  • Click “Submit Report.”
• The report will then go to your supervisor, then the Business Center, and then Central Accounts Payable for final approval. Once all three have approved, the report will post, and the expenses will be charged to your account(s).
• Further information regarding the Concur Expense Management is provided here. If you have any questions about Concur, please attend an A&S open lab. The schedule for upcoming Concur open labs can be found here.

1. Procard Audits (procardaudits@uky.edu) provides General Instructions for Declining Balance Reconciliation (Word document) and a Declining Balance Reconciliation Form (Excel spreadsheet) in their approval email. These documents are used to complete reconciliations and request replenishment.
   1. Note: The Reconciliation Form (Excel) contains a worksheet providing further instructions.
2. Reconciliations must be completed at least monthly while the Declining Balance account is active, even if there have been no transactions.
   1. Note: It is recommended to complete these reports more frequently if at any time you have used most of the balance on your procard.
   2. If there was no activity during a given month, send procardaudits@uky.edu an email stating, “There have been no transactions during [insert month and year] on procard [insert P-Number].” (The P-Number is not the credit card number. The P-Number is the unique identifier assigned to the procard as provided in the approval email.) Then indicate how many gift cards remain on-hand and the total dollar amount/value.
3. Review the instructions and complete the reconciliation form.
   1. With this reconciliation report, be prepared to include all the associated paid receipts. Additional documentation will also need to be included depending on the payment method:
      1. Prolific
         1. Include the Breakdown by Participant Summary.
      2. MTurk/CloudResearch
         1. Include the spreadsheet detailing the associated participant payments. 
      3. Gift Card Expenses
         1.  Include a completed Research Subject Payment Form(s) for each payment issued.
   2. When submitting this reconciliation report, you can request replenishment for any distributed participant payments. On the Declining Balance Reconciliation Form (Excel spreadsheet), input the amount that has been distributed in row 12 next to the section labeled "Total Replenishment Requested."
4. Submit the completed report to procardaudits@uky.edu. Please CC your supervisor and asbc@uky.edu.
5. The Procard Audits Team will reply with questions (if any), when they have approved the reconciliation, and/or to notify of replenishment.

To request an extension to an expiring declining balance procard, please send a copy of the latest IRB approval letter to asbc@uky.edu. In this email, include the P-Number and the date to which you would like to extend the card. Please note, an extension can only be granted through the IRB approval end date.

Once the Business Center has received this information, they will assist in obtaining the remaining approvals, and submit the request to Procard Audits.

Please email the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) or submit a ticket using the Ask a Question form with your request to close a Declining Balance procard. Please provide the P-Number.

The P-Number is not the credit card number. The P-Number is the unique identifier assigned to the procard as provided in the approval email.

Please email the A&S Business Center (asbc@uky.edu) or submit a ticket using the Ask a Question form with your question(s).