Important information about vendor invoice payments -- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
The University of Southern Indiana is committed to the timely and accurate payment of all valid vendor claims. As part of that commitment, the University has implemented new technology to automate and streamline payment processing, increase efficiency, and ensure payment timeliness. This enhancement requires vendors to send invoices directly to Accounts Payable with a valid University of Southern Indiana purchase order number listed. This requirement is not new, but its enforcement will be essential to the success of the new automated payment process.
As part of this enhancement, we have a new email address to be used exclusively by vendors to submit invoices for payment. Please email invoices to UofSouthernIndiana@easyaccessap.com for fastest service. Alternatively, vendors may opt to send invoices by postal mail rather than email but must choose to invoice exclusively by email or by postal mail. Vendors that opt to send invoices by postal mail must use the following address:
University of Southern Indiana
Attn: Accounts Payable
PO Box 18158
Evansville, IN 47719
Invoices that are sent to University employees or departments and forwarded to Accounts Payable will be flagged as potentially fraudulent transactions. This flag will require Accounts Payable to manually contact the vendor to verify the validity of an invoice before it can be considered for payment. As a result, vendors who do not submit invoices directly to Accounts Payable should expect significant delays to payments.
Tips for receiving prompt payment:
- Never perform services or sell goods to a University department unless you have a purchase order from USI Procurement or the order is placed using a University procurement credit card (p-card).
- Include the following information on your invoice.
- The purchase order number
- A unique invoice number
- The invoice date
- Billed to the University of Southern Indiana
- An itemized list of the goods or services sold
- Total amount due
- Your company’s name and remittance address
- For even faster processing, include the vendor name (or an abbreviation of the vendor name) in the subject line of the email and attach one pdf invoice per email.
- Please avoid sending duplicate invoices or sending the same invoice multiple times.
Please note that payment terms listed on the purchase order are typically net 30 days from USI’s receipt of your goods or services OR receipt of your invoice in Accounts Payable, whichever is later. If different payment terms are required, please negotiate them with Procurement prior to the purchase order being issued.
Invoices that do not follow the instructions listed above or otherwise require manual intervention will be delayed significantly as priority will be placed on processing invoices that comply with these standards. The University will not be responsible for any interest, late payment fees, or legal claims associated with invoices that are not submitted to Accounts Payable as indicated.
Non-invoice Payments
Vendors are generally required to submit invoices directly to Accounts Payable if payment is to be made by the University of Southern Indiana; however, some payments may be necessary when an invoice is not available. These payments are referred to as non-invoice payments.
In limited instances, Procurement may submit a request to Accounts Payable to make a non-invoice payment. When Procurement identifies the potential need for a non-invoice payment, the purchase order plus supporting documentation will be forwarded by Procurement to Accounts Payable, and Accounts Payable will evaluate whether the situation meets the criteria for a non-invoice payment.
When a purchase qualifies for an exception to the normal invoice requirement, Accounts Payable will process the non-invoice payment based on the purchase order and supporting documentation provided by Procurement, and the vendor will not be asked to provide an invoice to initiate payment.
Examples of non-invoice payments may include the following:
- Fully executed contract when a vendor does NOT issue invoices (e.g. honoraria payments).
- Lease agreements when vendor does NOT issue invoices.
- Memberships paid from order form when vendor does NOT issue invoices.
- Award letter to individuals receiving a prize or support based on achievement, performance, or other non-academic criteria. (Academic awards should be processed by Student Financial Assistance.)
- Receipts when reimbursing business expenses under accountable plan.
- Sales receipt and consignment agreement (for New Harmony Gallery consignments only).
Note: This list is not exhaustive, and it is not a guarantee that all of the above examples will be approved for non-invoice payment. It is intended to serve only as a list of possible non-invoice activities.
If a purchase does not qualify for a non-invoice payment, Accounts Payable will notify the vendor that an invoice must be submitted to receive payment.
W-9 Requirement
The University must obtain certain information about the tax status of our vendors as required by Internal Revenue Service regulations. To meet those requirements, a completed Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) must be on file for all vendors, with the following exceptions:
- Payments to USI employees
- Direct refunds of income
- Payments to foreign persons (including nonresident alien individuals, foreign corporations, foreign partnerships, foreign trusts, foreign estates, and any other person that is not a U.S. person as defined by the IRS). Instead of Form W-9, these payments require completion of the appropriate Form W-8.
Form W-9 is available at www.irs.gov
Direct Deposit
USI can process vendor payments via direct deposit (ACH). By enrolling in this program, future payments will be credited directly to your bank account and a remittance advice will be emailed to you informing you of each direct deposit transaction.
Why enroll?
- It is Fast. You will have access to your funds sooner by avoiding the delays associated with mailing paper checks.
- It is Secure. Direct deposit eliminates the risk of your check being lost in the mail, sent to the wrong address, or stolen.
- It is Convenient. Since the funds will be deposited directly to your bank account, you will not need to make a special trip to your financial institution to deposit your payment. You will also have access to your funds even if you are out of town or otherwise unable to receive and deposit your payment.
To take advantage of the speed and convenience of direct deposit, please complete the ACH Direct Deposit form and send it to USI Accounts Payable.