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AP Process

What does "Scheduled" mean on the Payments tab information? I thought we were not scheduling ARIBA payments yet.

Currently the UW is not able to schedule the payment date for ARIBA invoices.

The Payments tab does show a status of "Scheduled" which cannot be changed.

To view the payment information for an ARIBA invoice:

  1. Verify the Invoice status is Reconciled and the Reconciliation status is Paying
  2. Click the Reconciliation ID to see the Payments tab
  3. After clicking on the Payment ID, you will be able to view the Transaction Details for the payment information, which will gradually fill in as the payment goes through processing.

See more guidance for the ARIBA Payment Loop on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

What do I do when I find a duplicate payment?

If you discover a duplicate payment for an order, contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@uw.edu. Please include the date of the original and duplicate payments, the budget number(s), the PO number(s), and the account code(s) charged. We will assist you in getting a refund for the duplicate payment.

How do I find out the payment status of an invoice or reimbursement?

Payment status is available in Ariba using the Payment Loop feature for BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, as well as Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions.

For BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, such as payment dates and payment numbers will show on the Payments tab, which can be reached by clicking through from the Summary tab > Invoices tab >  Invoice ID > Reconciliation tab > Reconciliation ID > Payments tab > Payment ID.

For Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions, payment status and details are shown in the Payment Details section on the Summary page of the XP, XR or ER once the transaction has been fully approved and payment has been processed.

See guidance on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

Please note that wire payment details are not included with the Payment Loop feature.

Once my ARIBA invoice says Reconciled, how long does it take for the Payments tab to show the information?

When Invoice Reconciliation has started in ARIBA (an IR is available on the Reconciliation tab), the Payments tab will show up as well.

  • On the day the invoice status changes from Reconciling to Reconciled, the Approved Amount of the invoice will show on the Payments tab.
  • The following day, more payment information will begin showing up in the ARIBA Payments tab, like the Doc Seq Invoice No. (DSI number) and Invoice Status, followed by the Scheduled Pay Date and the Check Number, and finally with the Check Date, which is the date the payment is issued.
    • Funds availability for ePayables is indicated by receipt of the Remittance Advice document the supplier will receive when funds are available on the card.
    • Funds availability for ACH payments is based on the supplier's bank's posting procedures.
  • The Check Clear Date will show when the information is available, and also depends on processing by the supplier and payment type (paper checks may take 30 days or more to update).

Note: This is the best-case scenario, assuming there are no errors (such as a closed budget number) that would prevent the payment from being processed.

Ariba

Once my ARIBA invoice says Reconciled, how long does it take for the Payments tab to show the information?

When Invoice Reconciliation has started in ARIBA (an IR is available on the Reconciliation tab), the Payments tab will show up as well.

  • On the day the invoice status changes from Reconciling to Reconciled, the Approved Amount of the invoice will show on the Payments tab.
  • The following day, more payment information will begin showing up in the ARIBA Payments tab, like the Doc Seq Invoice No. (DSI number) and Invoice Status, followed by the Scheduled Pay Date and the Check Number, and finally with the Check Date, which is the date the payment is issued.
    • Funds availability for ePayables is indicated by receipt of the Remittance Advice document the supplier will receive when funds are available on the card.
    • Funds availability for ACH payments is based on the supplier's bank's posting procedures.
  • The Check Clear Date will show when the information is available, and also depends on processing by the supplier and payment type (paper checks may take 30 days or more to update).

Note: This is the best-case scenario, assuming there are no errors (such as a closed budget number) that would prevent the payment from being processed.

What does "Scheduled" mean on the Payments tab information? I thought we were not scheduling ARIBA payments yet.

Currently the UW is not able to schedule the payment date for ARIBA invoices.

The Payments tab does show a status of "Scheduled" which cannot be changed.

To view the payment information for an ARIBA invoice:

  1. Verify the Invoice status is Reconciled and the Reconciliation status is Paying
  2. Click the Reconciliation ID to see the Payments tab
  3. After clicking on the Payment ID, you will be able to view the Transaction Details for the payment information, which will gradually fill in as the payment goes through processing.

See more guidance for the ARIBA Payment Loop on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

What is the reason that budget changes can only be made from the same budget type?

Central Office has strict rules about what can be verified as appropriate charges on a budget. Because we can’t verify what is and is not allowable on budgets (nor should we since they are not our budgets), we can only make budget changes to and from the same budget type. However, you as the department know what is allowable and can create an expense transfer in MyFD once the invoice posts to change it to whatever budget you deem appropriate. 

How do I find out the payment status of an invoice or reimbursement?

Payment status is available in Ariba using the Payment Loop feature for BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, as well as Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions.

For BPO, PO and Non-PO invoice payments, such as payment dates and payment numbers will show on the Payments tab, which can be reached by clicking through from the Summary tab > Invoices tab >  Invoice ID > Reconciliation tab > Reconciliation ID > Payments tab > Payment ID.

For Payment to Individual (XP), eReimbursement (XR), and eTravel Expense Report (ER) transactions, payment status and details are shown in the Payment Details section on the Summary page of the XP, XR or ER once the transaction has been fully approved and payment has been processed.

See guidance on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

Please note that wire payment details are not included with the Payment Loop feature.

Best Practices

If a payee is an independent contractor, do they still need to complete the supplier registration?

Yes. The supplier registration form is required to set up a vendor/supplier in the university vendor file. The information is required to assist 1099 tax reporting and to meet various state and federal reporting requirements.

Once my ARIBA invoice says Reconciled, how long does it take for the Payments tab to show the information?

When Invoice Reconciliation has started in ARIBA (an IR is available on the Reconciliation tab), the Payments tab will show up as well.

  • On the day the invoice status changes from Reconciling to Reconciled, the Approved Amount of the invoice will show on the Payments tab.
  • The following day, more payment information will begin showing up in the ARIBA Payments tab, like the Doc Seq Invoice No. (DSI number) and Invoice Status, followed by the Scheduled Pay Date and the Check Number, and finally with the Check Date, which is the date the payment is issued.
    • Funds availability for ePayables is indicated by receipt of the Remittance Advice document the supplier will receive when funds are available on the card.
    • Funds availability for ACH payments is based on the supplier's bank's posting procedures.
  • The Check Clear Date will show when the information is available, and also depends on processing by the supplier and payment type (paper checks may take 30 days or more to update).

Note: This is the best-case scenario, assuming there are no errors (such as a closed budget number) that would prevent the payment from being processed.

How do I get a copy of a document?

UW Staff with a valid netID can access invoice copies through Procurement Desktop Reports (PDR). Additionally, most journal voucher copies, ARIBA payments, and a number of ISD or CTI copies can be located through your budget using the MyFinancial Desktop (MyFD) Reconciliation report.

Copies of checks can be requested by emailing pcshelp@uw.edu. Please include the check number and check date.

How do I pay an honorarium?

Honoraria payments may be made using Payments to Individuals (P2I) in Ariba. For more information on how to submit an honoraria payment through P2I and the paperwork needed, see the Honoraria web page.

What do I do when I find a duplicate payment?

If you discover a duplicate payment for an order, contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@uw.edu. Please include the date of the original and duplicate payments, the budget number(s), the PO number(s), and the account code(s) charged. We will assist you in getting a refund for the duplicate payment.

What does "Scheduled" mean on the Payments tab information? I thought we were not scheduling ARIBA payments yet.

Currently the UW is not able to schedule the payment date for ARIBA invoices.

The Payments tab does show a status of "Scheduled" which cannot be changed.

To view the payment information for an ARIBA invoice:

  1. Verify the Invoice status is Reconciled and the Reconciliation status is Paying
  2. Click the Reconciliation ID to see the Payments tab
  3. After clicking on the Payment ID, you will be able to view the Transaction Details for the payment information, which will gradually fill in as the payment goes through processing.

See more guidance for the ARIBA Payment Loop on our website: https://finance.uw.edu/ps/how-to-pay/payment-status-terms-timelines-delays

How do I purchase gift cards for employee recognition?

Departments can purchase gift cards for employee recognition using their ProCard. The gift must be reported to Payroll because the gift is taxable. See the Employee Recognition webpage and the Employee Recognition FAQs.

The department should have a defined, documented and monitored procedure for how recognition works and the gift cards are given.

The gift cards must be treated like cash and managed using Cash Management controls.

The gift cards must be reported to Payroll as income by emailing the amounts of the recognition to pr-tax@uw.edu.

Note: Gift cards should not be purchased with one’s own credit card and then be reimbursed.

Do I need to print a copy of the Non-PO Invoice summary to keep with my invoice copy?

No. There is no need to print the Non-PO Invoice copy as it will remain in ARIBA for the full retention period. However, you may want to document the Non-PO Invoice number on the invoice obtained from the supplier for easy reference.

My supplier's quote included a discount. How do I set up my BPO?

If a supplier includes a discount on your quote, this does not change the Maximum Amount of your BPO. The BPO must be set up for the pre-discount amount. Make sure to set the Maximum for the line item and the Maximim Limit on the Summary of the BPO for the pre-discounted (full price) amount.

The supplier must include the discount amount on the invoice as part of the Header Charges when the invoice is submitted. The header charge area is used for discounts, tax, shipping and handling. When receiving, you must receive for the full amount of the line item price as well. The header discount will be applied and the payment will be issued for the amount minus the discount.

The instructions say to always enter the Non-PO invoice exactly as it appears, but my invoice is wrong. Can I just make the appropriate changes when I create the Non-PO Invoice in ARIBA?

Because there is no way to notify the suppliers as to why you changed the invoice to a different amount, you must contact the supplier and request a new invoice reflecting your changes. This will cut down on the number of phone calls you receive from the supplier when the amount paid does not match the amount of the original invoice.

When should I consider inside delivery?

UW Procurement Services strongly recommends inside delivery for equipment weighing more than 100 pounds. Inside delivery includes uncrating, setting up the equipment at its intended location and removal of packaging debris. Inside delivery eliminates liability risks and is well worth the minor cost.
Here’s why:

  • It’s never a good idea to leave expensive equipment on an unsecured loading dock awaiting its final destination.
  • Employee safety: when employees try to install heavy equipment even with correct equipment, departments put themselves at risk for potential injuries to staff and L&I claims.
  • Internal delivery gives departments the ability to inspect equipment for hidden damages prior to signing the delivery receipt.
  • Inside delivery ensures the proper transfer of “chain of ownership” that makes it clear who is responsible for damage during the shipping or installation process.
I have an invoice over the "Direct Buy Limit," can I split this into two Non-PO Invoice transactions?

Absolutely not. According to new state regulations, purchases or payments between $10,000.00 and $100,000.00, excluding tax, are to be competitively bid and documented. These purchases and payments should be made through Ariba buying functionality. Learn more about the Direct Buy Limit.

Can I pay more than one invoice on a single Non-PO?

No. When we send payment to the supplier for your Non-PO Invoice, the information they are provided from your Non-PO is the invoice number, dollar amount and any remittance notes you have added. Because the invoice number field only allows for 15 characters, there is generally not enough room to enter multiple invoice numbers in the space. Also, without the proper invoice number, the supplier will not know where to apply your payment.

I selected the supplier in Non-PO, but there is no Remit-To address. What does this mean?

A blank Remit-To address box indicates that the supplier is not fully onboarded as a supplier with the UW and you may not make a payment to them until the Remit-To address is visible.

To be considered fully onboarded as a UW supplier, the supplier must complete both registration steps: First suppliers must fill out the Supplier Registration Form (SRF). Second, they must enroll for electronic payments if they are a domestic supplier.

If the Remit-To address is blank, the supplier has not enrolled for electronic payments. Best Practice is to verify that your chosen supplier is fully onboarded and ready to be paid in advance of providing the goods or service for which they will be invoicing. The supplier can contact vcontrol@uw.edu for more information.

Is it okay to ship to a home address?

Never ship to a home address, that is strictly forbidden.

I can't find a good match for a commodity code? What should I do?

As best practice, we recommend that you do not try to get too detailed. For example, the Commodity Code of Computer Equipment and Accessories is sufficient for ordering items such as a keyboard or a mouse. You don't have to find the exact code for a keyboard. Please visit the Commodity Code page for further information: Commodity Codes. If you are still having difficulty in finding a commodity code, then email pcshelp@uw.edu for assistance.

What Commodity Code Should I Use for Radioactives?

Use Commodity Code 12142204 - Radioactive.