What is ClinCard?
ClinCard is a reloadable debit card which is based on a prepaid fund held with the company, Greenphire. It is one of the approved payment methods available to reimburse research participants. Other approved payment methods are described on the University’s Controller’s Office website.
The ClinCard program is available to all qualifying University of Miami research studies where participants need to be consented. Participants of any age can be registered into the program, but for anyone under 18, a parent/legal guardian must also consent and be the one receiving payment.
ClinCard can provide payments to participants in accordance with the protocol submitted to and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). These payments must be included in the Informed Consent Form (ICF):
- Participant stipends/reimbursements for completing study milestones. Note that these payments do not require a receipt.
- Reimbursements of expenses incurred by the participant. These may include:
- Transportation and other travel: drive/mileage; parking; public transportation; rideshare; airfare. Mileage is set per the study – IRS business or medical rate, or flat rate.
- Other reimbursement items: meals and incidentals.
- Note that all reimbursements except for mileage require a receipt. For any item requiring a receipt, there is a threshold amount before Central Administrator approval.
ClinCard payments can be made by various methods, depending on the study’s setup:
- A physical debit card
- A virtual debit card
- A direct deposit into the participant’s bank account.
The ClinCard portal can also be used to schedule a Lyft ride for the participant, if allowed by the study. The participant does not need a Lyft account nor app.
ClinCard provides a convenient administrative online tool for loading, tracking, and reporting study payments in real-time. A card can be used across multiple studies, can be reloaded through its expiration date, and can be replaced if lost. The program is fully managed by the Central Administrators, including billing to studies.
How do I register a study?
Here are the steps involved in registering a study into the ClinCard program - help is available for any step for which you have questions.
Step 1. Ensure protocol and informed consent forms submitted to the IRB meet the federal requirements below:
- A W9 or W8-BEN, regardless of amount, unless a written exemption is granted by the University’s Controller’s Office
- Payment/Reimbursement schedule and amounts
- Payment method – one or more of: debit card (physical, virtual) or bank deposit
- Disclosure of required personal information on the website: name, address & date of birth for all participants, email address for virtual card, banking information for a bank deposit, and cell phone number for a Lyft ride.
- Generally optional personal information, unless needed for a specific feature: cell phone number and email address.
We can provide guidelines and suggested language upon request. ClinCard language is incorporated in the Human Subjects Research Office templates - see link below.
Step 2. Fill in Registration Form in its entirety. This information is necessary to register the study:
- Study details: start date, IRB#, IBIS #, etc.
- Number of participants anticipated
- Number of ClinCards desired to start the study if payments is by physical card
- Driver worktags(3):
- The study account for participant payments and transaction fees
- A non-sponsored account to temporarily expense the costs of the cards if the study is federally sponsored. Please see the Administrative Expenses section for guidance on transferring the cost of the cards to a federally sponsored account.
- Payment schedule
- The requested role(s) in the ClinCard website. Available roles are:
- Site Coordinator - register/edit subjects in the system, create payment request and teach the participant how to use the card
- Report Viewer – can access reports for the study
- Site Administrator and Approver are assigned to Central Administrators only
The registration form requires the signature of Cost Center Manager (CCM) or a Cost Center Sponsored Program Manager (CCSPM) to ensure that worktags listed are accurate and to be aware there will be ClinCard-related processes to approve in Workday.
Step 3. Send an email to Central Administrators at participantpayments@miami.edu with all registration documents:
- Registration Form
- IRB protocol / study document(s)
- Consent or Assent forms.
- Controller’s Office W9 exemption letter, if applicable.
Step 4. Study is registered, access is granted, and roles are assigned:
- Central Administrators will send an email confirmation that the study has been set up. For new users, site access will be granted at training. Prior users can have their access expanded to new studies. All logins must be from the University of Miami’s ClinCard website, regardless of system generated emails.
- If a new user in the University's ClinCard program, training is required for access. Training is offered by group setting, through Teams, once a month, and allows for specific or study-related concerns to be addressed.
What are the Best Practices?
Use Milestones (set payment amounts and schedules) because they are pre-loaded and there is no additional approval needed when paying subjects. "Miscellaneous" items (payments that are not pre-loaded into ClinCard) do require Central Administrator approval.
It is recommended that payment milestones are developed to make efficient use of the card and minimize transaction costs. If it’s possible to consolidate payments into fewer transactions, or with fewer variables, here are some examples: Payment every x items instead of after each one; Payment on a set schedule, such as weekly or monthly; Pay by survey or set percent range of survey instead of by question.
Note that all payment schedules must be included in the protocol and ICF and approved by the IRB in accordance with the needs or the study and relevant regulations and policies.
What are the expenses associated with the ClinCard program?
There are two types of costs:
1. Administrative Expenses
Administrative expenses are the card costs and transaction fees. They are considered allowable costs in studies. However, for federally sponsored studies, the cost of a blank card must initially be charged to a non-sponsored account. The cost of the card may be incurred on the federal award after the card has been assigned to the participant and loaded with funds.
- ClinCards: $4.00 per physical card, $2.50 per virtual card
- No base charge for bank deposits
- Transaction fees: $1.75 per transaction
- Lyft ride booking fee: $3.00 per ride
Central Administrators handle the billing of administrative expenses once a month, via Workday central journal. They are charged to:
8730 Other Fees for Service:
- SC08811 – Other Outside Services
2. Participant Reimbursements
Participant Payments are the amounts loaded onto the cards. They include participation payments and items that are considered reimbursements - mileage, parking, other transportation, and meals; reimbursement items other than mileage require a receipt.
Participant Reimbursements are funded from a centrally prefunded account. Billing is to replenish the central account.
Central Administrators handle the billing of participant payments once a month, via Workday Supplier Invoice. They are billed to the study account, and are charged to:
8255 Other expenses:
- SC08751 – Research Participants Payments
- SC08750 – Research Participants Transportation
- SC08749 – Research Participant Meals
- SC08752 – Research Participant Incidentals
3. Lyft Rides Costs
Lyft ride costs are the amounts paid to Lyft for a ride booked for a participant. They are through a report in the system.
Ride costs are funded from a centrally prefunded account. Billing is to replenish the central account.
Central Administrators handle the billing of Lyft rides on the same Workday supplier invoice as the participant payments, once a month. They are billed to the study account, and are charged to:
8255 Other expenses:
- SC08750 – Research Participants Transportation
How is ClinCard used by the participant?
ClinCard can be used at no cost to the participant in several ways:
- As a credit card
- As a debit card with cash back option
- Funds can be transferred by the participant to a bank account
- Funds can be redemmed at a Visa accepting bank
Fees occur only when the physical card is:
- Used at an ATM; $3 domestic, $4 international
- Replaced by Customer Service versus replaced by the study team - $7
- Inactive (funds are nnot loaded no spent) for six months: $4.50 monthly
Important Documents & Contact Information
For ClinCard questions
Clincard Mailbox: participantpayments@miami.edu
Lydia Zantout
Kris Roth
