$3,300 Direct Buy Limit Information

Effective July 1, 2009... .... all purchase orders created under the Washington State Direct Buy Limit of $3300 will require justification in the PAS system to note why the items or services could not be purchased through eProcurement or a department Procurement Card. A demonstration of Small Dollar Limit Justifciation can be found here.

To help make this transition easier, a number of resources are available to campus departments:

Procard transaction limits have been increased to $3,300	As of May 1, 2009, Procard limits were open to increase. What was originally a $2000 transaction limit was increased to $3300 to help ease small dollar purchases to the Procurement Card.
New suppliers are being added to eProcurement	eProcurement, the University's online ordering system is regularly adding new suppliers to its program. Currently there are 18 vendors in the system with several more soon to come. Please see the eProcurement website for a complete listing.
An Exemption list is available	An exceptions list will be available to the campus for justification of purchase orders created under the $3300 direct by limit. A list of exempt transactions is linked here.
Personalized outreach is being offered	Personalized outreach is available from ProCard, eProcurement and Purchasing to help your department make this transition. We will meet with you, work with your department needs, and make every effort to make this a smooth transition. To schedule an outreach session please register here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the best way to make my purchase?

Purchasing has created a Purchasing Guide to Goods and Services designed to help determine the best method to purchase most goods and services. Use the alphabet to find what you are looking for or simply scroll through the list to find the best way to order.

How do I update my Procard limit?

Contact Procurement Customer Service at 543-4500 or through email at pcshelp@u.washington.edu. The Customer Service team will help make arrangements to update your card to the new $3300.00 limit.

Do I have access to eProcurement?

Yes. Everyone with a UW NetID has access to eProcurement. Simply go to the eProcurement website and click on "Access eProcurment" in the top left corner. Log in with your UW NetID.

What about vendors that only accept Purchase Orders?

There is a list of exceptions to the $3300.00 direct buy limit. It is understood that not every vendor will fall into the Procard and eProcurement category. The purpose of this limit is to use the University’s funds wisely, by making purchases in a less expensive manner than POs. For those vendors who only accept POs, an exception will be made. In order to avoid that $3300.00 limit justification, you might consider working with a buyer in Purchasing to create a short-term blanket order of a specific amount to that vendor. Such as $5000.00 for miscellaneous supplies. Then your department can call the vendor, give them this same PO number for each order, and not have to give justification to Purchasing.

What about suppliers on eProcurement who still need POs? Such as for hazardous materials ordered?

This is currently considered an exception and will be accepted as justification for a Purchase Order in PAS. Items ordered with M&E tax exemption will also be considered an exception, however M&E tax exempt purchases can be made using eProcurement.

Does this only apply to confirming orders?

No, remember “confirming” simply means that the department has called in the order prior to sending the requisition through PAS. The $3300 limit applies to all small dollar orders unless they are on the exceptions list. The purpose is to limit the amount of small dollar purchases since creating a PO and cutting a check to the vendor is a very expensive process to the University.

My vendor is not on eProcurement, but I would like them to be. What do you suggest?

eCommerce would love to have your ideas for suppliers you use regularly. We will evaluate the spend and the suppliers ability to participate in our eProcurement system. Contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@u or call 543-4500 for more information.

Do you have more information that I can review and pass along to my coworkers?

Yes, as a part of the Procurement Services forum announcing this new process, we have created a MS Power Point presentation to share with the campus. You can see that presentation here.

How does travel fit in?

Travel will continue to accept POs and now offers e-Travel. Please contact the Travel office at 543-5858 or at traveluw@u.washington.edu.

I’m not sure this will work for my group. We have special needs. What can I do?

Procurement Services wants to work with your department to make this as easy a transition as possible. We would love to come meet with you at your department and review your processes. We will try to provide ways to help you work smarter, not harder, in your purchases, and most importantly make this transition go smoothly.

To request outreach, please complete the Catalyst survey linked here. We will make arrangements with you for a short, informal session.

Do you have additional training information on Procard and eProcurement?

Yes. The ProCurement Card team offers training in both an in-house training format, and online. Please see their training website for more information. If you would like a special training session for your unit, please contact Procurement Customer Service at 543-4500 or email pcshelp@u.washington.edu and we will make arrangements.

Questions?

Please contact Procurement Customer Service at (206) 543-4500 or email them at pcshelp@u.washington.edu.