Accounts Payable | Lawrence University

Invoice Submission and approval

At Lawrence University, we pay from original invoices only. Accounts Payable will not accept statements, sales orders, sales confirmations or packing slips without an invoice. Please contact Accounts Payable if you are unsure if your document is an invoice and for clarification on exceptions for lost invoices.

When the invoice is mailed directly to Accounts Payable, the Accounts Payable Specialist will send the invoice to the appropriate individual for approval. When the invoice is mailed directly to a Department, the responsible person should review and approve the original invoice and evidence of this should be displayed on the invoice document. This includes signing, dating and including the appropriate accounting code on the invoice. The invoice should be submitted to the Accounts Payable Specialist for payment either via hard copy or by email. The Approver can choose from one of the three following options:

• Interoffice Mail: Send the original invoice with the signature, date and coding through interoffice mail to Brokaw Hall to the attention of the Accounts Payable specialist, Brandie Jewett.
• Hand Sign, scan, email: Sign, date and code the invoice by hand, scan the invoice and email it to accounts_payable@lawrence.edu for processing.
• Sign, date and code via PDF and email: Invoices can be scanned or printed as a PDF and the coding, date and signature of the approver can be added via Adobe Tools. The PDF can then be emailed to accounts_payable@lawrence.edu for processing.

See instructions for how to use Tools in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for this purpose.

https://helpx.adobe.com/reader/using/fill-and-sign.html

Please note: Approvers may no longer send an email with the words “approved” in the body of the email as the only evidence of their review and approval of an invoice attachment. Their signature whether hand written or via Adobe PDF tools needs to be present to provide evidence of their review.

** Important: Please be aware of the payment due date and any discounts available to allow adequate time for the invoice to be processed by Accounts Payable timely.

Disbursement request submission and approval

Occasionally, Accounts Payable will be asked to pay for a product or service for which no invoice was issued. In these cases, the department should complete a Disbursement Request form , attach other appropriate documentation, and forward to Accounts Payable for payment.

The form contains a line for a preparer and an approver’s signatures. These signatures need to be present either as an original hand written signature or as an electronic signature. A preparer’s signature is only needed when the preparer is not also the approver.

The Approver can choose from one of the three following options:

• Interoffice Mail: Send the original form with the original signatures, coding, supporting documentation, etc. through interoffice mail to Brokaw Hall to the attention of the Accounts Payable specialist, Brandie Jewett
• Sign, scan, email: Sign, date and code the form by hand, scan the form and email it with the supporting documentation to accounts_payable@lawrence.edu for processing.
• Email with electronic signatures: After all the required information is filled out on the excel version of the form, it can be printed and saved as a pdf document. Electronic initials or signatures should be added to the pdf using Adobe Tools. The form with the scanned supporting documentation can then be emailed to accounts_payable@lawrence.edu for processing.

Please note: Approvers may no longer send an email with the words “approved” in the body of the email or type their name on the signature line as the only evidence of their review and approval of a disbursement request. Their signature whether hand written or via Adobe PDF tools needs to be present to provide evidence of their review.

Expense Reimbursement

Expense reimbursement requests should be completed for employees who have spent personal funds for travel or other business done on behalf of Lawrence University.

Beginning January 1, 2021, the Expense Reimbursement Report will be completed for cash expenses that need to be reimbursed through a paperless process using the program CERTIFY. You can submit a request for reimbursement twice a month that aligns with the timing of your purchases. You can access CERTIFY in Voyager under Employee Services. The request will be routed for approval to your supervisor or an appropriate fund manager. The expenses will be coded with the appropriate account numbers in CERTIFY. Receipts or other appropriate documentation for all expenses $25 or greater being claimed for reimbursement will be attached in CERTIFY. If the amount is $50 or less, the employee may receive cash from the Cashier, however this cash reimbursement will not be sent through the mail. If the amount is over $50, direct deposit ACH will be processed through Accounts Payable.

Advance Funds

Cash advances, Emburse/Certify prepaid virtual or plastic temporary credit cards are available for faculty, staff, and students of Lawrence University when traveling or conducting business for the University. Cash advances may be helpful in situations when charges cannot be made to a credit card, including taxis, parking, tips, and toll charges. Prepaid debit cards or a virtual credit card may be more convenient than carrying excess cash for various travel needs. If expected expenses will total less than $100, please use your own money instead of seeking an advance. To receive an advance, please complete the Advance Funds Request Form for Cash or the Emburse Request Form for virtual or plastic. Make sure the forms are signed by the individual receiving the advance and his/her supervisor. The completed form must be submitted to Accounts Payable for processing. The cashier in Brokaw Central will provide the cash funds in person.

For a Cash Advance, please keep your receipts and make an appointment with Brandie Jewett in Accounts Payable to reconcile the advance to return excess funds or receive an additional balance owed. If a Emburse/Certify prepaid virtual or plastic card was received, please use CERTIFY to submit an expense report with receipts. If a plastic Emburse card was used, please return the card to the Accounts Payable office.