Frequently Asked Questions
In this Section:
- How do I get my invoice paid?
- I have an invoice for a purchase that did not have a purchase order. What do I do with it? Should I now put in a purchase request?
- How often are our vendors paid?
- What can be requested on a check request form?
- What is the normal turn around time for check requests?
- How do I establish petty cash for my department and what is required?
- How do I get my petty cash replenished?
- How do I get a credit application processed if I have a new vendor that is requiring it of the university before they will accept an order?
- How often are student refunds processed? This includes housing refunds, tuition refunds to students, parent or lending bank.
- What is a PO and why do I have to do one?
- If I need to complete a PO, how do I do it and what types of things go on a PO request?
- How can I tell if my PO has been approved?
- How can I tell if my PO has been paid?
- When entering my purchase requisition, I need to use an account number that I don't have access to, what should I do?
- I just entered a "proforma" purchase requisition, how soon can I get a check?
- I have a new vendor, where do I list that information in my requisition?
- How do I get access for OfficeMax and then how do I sign on?
- What form do I use when I need to transfer monies from another department account to mine?
- What do I do if I think something was charged to my department's budget account that should not have been?
- How do I request that a check be voided because it is no longer needed, the amount is incorrect, or the payee is incorrect?
- How do I request a stop payment for a check that was never received?
- When are checks that had stop payments on them or are to be voided, processed?
- How do I request payment for a guest speaker or any other service provided by a non-APU employee? (This person will most likely be considered an independent contractor.)
- What forms are needed when paying an individual non-APU employee?
- What if the person is not a resident of California?
- What if the person is not a resident of the U.S.?
- After submitting a Supplemental Service Request for payment to a non-APU employee, how long before it will be processed?
How do I get my invoice paid?
Please approve the original invoice with the purchase order number, general
ledger budget account number to charge, and the budget manager’s approval.
If the invoice was sent to you by Accounts Payable, please fill in all the blanks
on the “OK to Pay” stamp and return to us for processing. Faxed
invoices cannot be processed.
I have an invoice for a purchase that did not have a purchase order. What
do I do with it? Should I now put in a purchase request?
No, please do not enter a purchase request for an invoice for product already
received. In the event that you have the invoice and the product, please have
your budget manager approve the invoice with a signature and account number
written clearly on the invoice and send to Accounts Payable. An original invoice
only will be processed. Please note that not having a purchase order (PO) for your purchase means
going through the process backwards and will delay payment of your invoice.
How often are our vendors paid?
APU runs checks three times a month: on the 8th, 18th, and 28th. Invoices are
released on those dates according to vendor payment terms. To ensure a vendor
is paid within our timelines, please have all necessary completed paperwork
to Accounts Payable at least three business days before one of these three dates.
What can be requested on a check request form?
The following are appropriate requests: a refund of a donation, refund of a
student tuition deposit, refund of an orientation fee, refund of an
application or transcript fee, and other rare, special circumstance requests.
Vendors cannot be paid with a check request form.
What is the normal turn around time for check requests?
When all necessary approvals are completed for the request, processing time
is 3-5 business days.
How do I establish petty cash for my department and what is required?
There are very few departments on campus that are allowed petty cash. Please
contact the business services manager at srobb@apu.edu if you believe your department should
have petty cash.
How do I get my petty cash replenished?
Please fill out the petty cash report form located on the
Accounts Payable page under “Forms.”
All original receipts, explanations of expenditures, account numbers to be charged, and authorizing
signature must be completely filled out for timely processing.
How do I get a credit application processed if I have a new vendor that is
requiring it before they will accept an order?
Credit applications must be completed by the Business Office with an official
signature. Please contact Accounts Payable at Ext. 4536 and we will direct you.
How often are student refunds processed? (This includes housing refunds and tuition
refunds to students, parents, or lending banks.)
Student refund requests are sent to Accounts Payable by Student Financial Services
or Housing Services at their discretion and according to their procedures and
guidelines. Once we receive completed requests, processing time is 3-5 business
days. When the check is completed, it will be released back to the requesting
department for disbursement to the student. Accounts Payable does not release
checks of this nature to students.
What is a PO and why do I have to do one?
A purchase order (PO) is required by the university as permission to spend money
within your budget. The PO process begins with entry of a purchase requisition
into the IFAS system. After a purchase requisition has been approved and printed,
a PO number is assigned to it and you may place your order with your vendor
using the PO. The PO informs the vendor that they have permission to fulfill
your order and bill the university. A PO is a legally binding document.
If I need to complete a PO, how do I do it and what types of things go on
a PO request?
The first step is to open an IFAS account for doing this function. Please contact
the purchasing coordinator at accountspayable@apu.edu to begin this process.
You must then complete a purchase requisition training class. In this class
you will learn what and how to input data into your requisition.
How can I tell if my PO has been approved?
Use the POST function in IFAS. You can type in your purchase requisition
number, and if it’s been approved, a PO number will show at the top of
the page. Contact Accounts Payable at Ext. 4536 if you are not sure how to do
this. We highly recommend that you learn how to use this function and become
familiar with it as it will help you in your daily purchasing processes.
Contact our office to learn more about IFAS and purchasing training.
How can I tell if my PO has been paid?
Use the POST function in IFAS. Type in your purchase requisition number and
look for the field that displays status. The status of “fully
paid” indicates a payment is in process or has been sent. Scroll to the
bottom of your requisition to see invoice details. Please contact the
purchasing coordinator at accountspayable@apu.edu for assistance if needed.
When entering my purchase requisition, I need to use an account number that
I don’t have access to. What should I do?
Please enter the requisition with the account you do have access to, and in the notes section,
list the account number it should be charged to. This will allow for the account
number to be adjusted and sent to the appropriate person for approval. Make
sure to put “NT” in the required codes.
I just entered a “proforma” purchase requisition. How soon can
I get a check?
It takes 3-5 business days to process a purchase requisition; they are completed
on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, it is to your advantage to enter
your information as soon as you have it. Proforma checks only are issued on
Monday and Thursday, provided all necessary information, paperwork, and approvals
are in place. Please contact the purchasing coordinator at accountspayable@apu.edu
for more information.
I have a new vendor. Where should I list that information in my requisition?
Please give as much information as possible for a new vendor: vendor name, address,
phone number, and fax number. Please also obtain a completed W-9 form for their
company. Please use the W-9 form (PDF)* found on the Accounts Payable page for
this procedure. All this information needs to go in the “notes”
section and make sure to put “NT” in the required codes. List “APDUMMY”
as the vendor name. Please note that if any of the above required information
is incomplete, processing of your requisition will be significantly delayed.
How do I get access for OfficeMax and then how do I sign on?
Please send an inquiry to accountspayable@apu.edu and the best person to help you with your query will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
What form do I use when I need to transfer monies from another department account
to mine?
Please use the check request form (PDF)*, found on the Accounts Payable page, for this procedure.
What do I do if I think something was charged to my department’s budget
account that should not have been?
Please send an inquiry to accountspayable@apu.edu and the best person to help you with your query will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
How do I request that a check be voided because it is no longer needed, the
amount is incorrect, or the payee is incorrect?
Please begin by contacting us at accountspayable@apu.edu or Ext. 4536 for assistance.
How do I request to stop payment for a check that was never received?
Please begin by contacting us at accountspayable@apu.edu or Ext. 4536 for assistance. We will need to verify with our bank that the check was never cashed.
When are voided or “stop payment” checks processed?
Voided checks are processed on Thursday of every week. If a check needs to be
re-issued, the re-issue will be available for pick-up in Accounts Payable by 3 p.m.
How do I request payment for a guest speaker or any other service provided
by a non-APU employee? (This person will most likely be considered an independent
contractor.)
Information regarding this can be found in the section on this site titled “Independent
Contractors.”
What forms are needed when paying a non-APU employee (independent contractor)?
Information can be found regarding this in the section on this site titled “Independent
Contractors.”
What if the person is not a resident of California?
Please see the “Independent Contractor” section for Form
CA587 the individual needs to complete.
What if an independent contractor is not a resident of the U.S.?
Information can be found regarding this in the section on this site titled “Independent
Contractors.”
After submitting a supplemental service request for payment to a non-APU employee (independent contractor), how long before it will be processed?
Payments to independent contractors
are processed every Thursday.
*The downloadable version of this document is provided in a Portable Document Format (PDF). To learn more about PDFs or to install Adobe Acrobat Reader, follow this link.
