Accounts Payable Topic: Phone Certification
Description
University telecommunications equipment (including cellular telephones, wireless devices and telephone cards) are to be used for Official University business. The use of university telephones for personal purposes is to be discouraged; however, each department has the option of prohibiting personal long distance telephone usage.
All UNLV telephones need to be protected against unauthorized long distance usage. Phones in open access areas should be designed so that long distance calls cannot be made or long distance calls can only be made with personal identification numbers (PIN). In these instances, personnel requiring long distance access must be given a PIN through Telecommunications Services.
Policy
Personnel must reimburse UNLV for any personal long distance calls.
- The reimbursement should be credited to the account that was originally charged.
- The department may keep a record when amounts are minimal and request reimbursement periodically.
- All amounts in excess of $50 must be reimbursed upon identification.
- When the amounts are not immediately reimbursed, the record should reflect exact amounts owed to UNLV.
- Departments are responsible for auditing their bills to insure compliance with this policy.
To allow personnel to identify personal calls, monthly UNLV Telecommunications bills are to be personally reviewed by each telephone user within the department (includes volunteers and student workers).
- The user needs to identify any personal calls made or faxes sent during the billed period.
- To allow the account manager or designee to document the review process, each user must sign/initial the billing statement or the routing sheet next to his/her name to confirm the billing was reviewed.
Phone cards are recommended for use while on official UNLV business travel. Contact UNLV Telecommunications at 895-4432 for information regarding available telephone services.
Reimbursement and Payment Procedure
Business Calls Billed to a Personal Telephone Credit Card or Personal Telephone Number
Copy the first billing invoice and each separate page that cites a call to be reimbursed
- attach to the original or an amended travel claim if calls were made while in travel status
- attach to a payment voucher if calls were not made while in travel status
- monthly service, fees and taxes are not reimbursable
- personal phone bills can not be paid directly to the provider by the university, submit highlighted copies of the business calls and attached the copies to a payment voucher requesting reimbursement
Place the following certification on each invoice page:
"I certify that all calls to be reimbursed on this invoice were for official University Business".
Have the employee sign and date the certification statement.
Business Calls Billed by a UNLV Telephone Service Contractor (includes Phone Cards and Cellular Service)
Complete a PV for the full amount invoiced. If funds were encumbered to pay for business calls invoiced by this vendor, cite the purchase order number in the designated field on the PV.
Attach the entire original invoice and the billing statement (or detail) of invoiced calls.
Place the following certification on each invoice page:
"I certify all calls to be paid on this invoice were for official UNLV business".
A signature authority for the account charged must sign and date each invoice.
When processing the payment for business calls billed by a UNLV telephone service contractor (above), the following must also be accomplished when personal calls are identified on the billing:
- Cite the caller's name next to the personal call charge.
- Attach (staple) a personal check or money order from the caller (payable to the Board of Regents) for the total cost of the personal charges (including tax).
- Do not attach cash.
- The Department will pay any applicable fees.
- The check or money order will be deposited by Disbursements to the account charged on the PV after the invoice is audited and the payment to the vendor has been processed.
Disbursements will attach a copy of the deposit slip to the PV.
Personal Calls Billed to the University Telephone System
When reviewing the calls billed by the UNLV Telecommunications Department, the following must be accomplished when personal calls are identified on the billing:
- The caller must cite his/her name next to the charge for the call; and
- forward a personal check or money order (payable to the Board of Regents) for the total cost of the personal calls made to the person designated by the Department Chair to make deposits.
- The department prepares a deposit slip and deposits the reimbursement check into the department account (same Object and Sub-Object) that was charged by the Telecommunications Department for the telephone expenses.
- If the telephone charges were billed in a prior year 21xx account, contact the Budget Office to obtain the appropriate account number to deposit the reimbursement.
- The department will attach a copy of the deposit slip to the billing statement.
Some things to keep in mind
- If the telephone contractor does not include a detailed list of phone calls, you must obtain this list before any payment or reimbursement can be made.
- For AT&T long distance users, the detail list of calls may be accessed, viewed, and printed via the AT&T web site at http://www.att.com/customercare
- All phone bills not being paid to the Telecommunications Department require a phone certification.
- Only the current balance may be paid on any phone bill.
- University phones should be used for UNLV business only.
- For any questions, please contact the A/P Office at 895-3822
