Accounts Payable

The Accounts Payable (AP) unit within the Office of the Controller processes invoices and payments for all transactions of the University. General information about these processing requirements is below, and further questions can be directed to any member of the AP team:

Invoice processing includes a multi-point compliance check to ensure accuracy and integrity of transactions along with adherence to University policies and New Jersey State law.

AP transactions are initiated by creating a requisition in Banner Finance. Requisitions are converted into purchase orders (PO) by the University Purchasing department. Once the goods or services have been received and the invoice received, the invoice will be matched to the PO in Banner and can be paid. University purchasing policy does not allow purchases to be made outside of the requisition-PO-AP process.

To learn more about purchasing requirements and services offered by the University’s Purchasing Department, visit https://www.wpunj.edu/purchasing/.

Requirements for Invoice Processing

Before an invoice is paid, it must be approved for payment by a person with direct knowledge that the goods or services were satisfactorily received. Most Banner FOAPs are established with invoice approval queues, so that approval for payment can be done online by an authorized approver. For FOAPS that are not set up with an approval queue, a handwritten “ok to pay” on the invoice, or an approval via email to Accounts Payable is acceptable.

Click here for the manual on Invoice Approval Procedures

Invoice Processing Highlights:

• There must be adequate budget before payment can be made.

• Purchase orders must be created and approved before payment can be made. Invoices will be matched with their purchase order prior to processing. For other critical considerations to be made at the purchasing stage (for example, bid requirement thresholds), consult the University’s Purchasing Policy.

Click here for:  WPUNJ purchasing policy

• Voucher payments, also known as “confirming orders” (i.e.: payment of invoices with no purchase order) are not allowable except for certain pre-approved, specific transaction types. If you are unsure whether this is available for a particular transaction, please contact a member of the AP team. Most transactions must have both a PO and invoice before payment can be made.

• Payments to individuals for services performed require a completed Independent Contractor Questionnaire (ICQ) form, with final determination of the independent contractor status by the Office of the Controller.

Click here for: Independent Contractor Questionnaire (ICQ) form

• Payments to individuals for services performed must be supported by a contract or other form of written agreement. All contracts/agreements require review by University General Counsel and signature by VP for Administration and Finance. Use of the university official contract template is recommended and will speed up the process of legal review and signing.

Click here for: Independent Contractor Agreement template