Human Subject Payments

[Megan Vimont]

One of our PI's has a clinical trial and needs to purchase Target gift cards as human subject payments.  The division administrator has to order 500 gift cards for $50 each multiple times in a year.  She made the first purchase a couple of months ago and ordered the gift cards online and had them shipped directly to HealthPartners.  Target sent us an invoice wanting payment in 30 days, so she paid with the PCard.  Now she is being told to do a check request, rather than raising the PCard limit each time she orders these gift cards, and take the check directly to Target to buy the gift cards.

What is the best practice for this?  Wouldn't payment for the gift cards on the PCard be less risky?  And what kinds of documentation will we need for an auditor in this situation? 

[Mary Kosowski]

To buy the cards in person and carry them around is like walking down Broadway with bearer bonds. And much more time involved than ordering online.

If Target is invoicing for 30 days, why not just process the invoice for payment? Avoids Pcard transaction fee on $25,000.

[Anne Mockovak]

The policy "Paying Human Subjects Directly" outlines this process well.  You can use the PCard, a cash advance or a check request to pay for the cards.  The policy also details the records requirements.  Most of the documentation rests with the research coordinators to maintain subject confidentiality.
Anne

[Jerian Lind]

I'm going to echo what Mary and Anne said.  Can you just process the invoice to pay for the cards?  The University is net 30, so they should receive payment within the time frame they want.  This is listed as an approved form of payment under section d. in the policy Anne references (Paying Human Subjects Directly).

[Megan Vimont]

Thanks for all the comments.  I think they are going to increase the limit on the PCard one more time, and then my co-worker and the preparer might do a blanket PO for this.  HealthPartners usually will call and ask for about 500 gift cards and will need them in 2 weeks, which is why they thought a PCard would be faster.  But if they do a blanket PO, that might work.