Frequently Asked Questions

Files

If my department needs to pick up a check, what is the process?
In general, we do not return checks to departments.  Increasing the number of individuals who can handle a check increases the likelihood that the check could be misplaced or delayed for payment.  If it is absolutely necessary for the check to be returned to your department then as soon as the check is ready, your designated departmental contact will be notified and arrangements will be made to return the check to your department.  

How do I update who the designated departmental contact is for my department?
To update the designated departmental contact, please have your Business Manager email AP-Files@ouhsc.edu noting who the designated contact(s) should be.

Vendors

What do I do if a specific address is not listed for an active supplier?
If an address for an active supplier is not listed in PeopleSoft, please request the address be added before you enter a voucher.  You can request an address be added by submitting one of the following documents to Suppliers@ou.edu

An invoice copy with the tax identification number (TIN).
A memo on the company’s letterhead with their TIN.
An email from an identifiable vendor email address (not @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, etc.) with their TIN.
A completed W-9.

How long does it take for a supplier to be setup and ready to use in PeopleSoft?
Once the supplier has completed their online registration through the Supplier Onboarding Portal, the setup process takes approximately one week.  Once the supplier has been approved by the Supplier Team, it will take two business days before it is available for use in PeopleSoft.  

Why would a supplier be inactive?
A supplier could be listed as inactive for several reasons.  The supplier may have been inactivated during the annual purge process where suppliers not paid in 18 months are inactivated.  If the supplier has had a change in their Tax Identification Number (TIN), payment name or IRS name, the supplier will be inactivated and replaced by an updated supplier name and ID number.  If you have further questions about why a supplier is inactive, please contact Suppliers@ou.edu

How do I reactivate an employee supplier?
Employee suppliers can only be reactivated under certain conditions.  To request the reactivation, please send an email to Suppliers@ou.edu and provide the following information:

Individual’s name.
Employee ID or Social Security Number.
Date of expense.
Reason for expense. 
If the individual can be reactivated, you will be notified when their supplier information will be available for use.


A supplier contacted me about receiving a request to setup banking information with the State of Oklahoma.  Is this legitimate?
Yes, the State sends out notifications to all suppliers requesting that they establish banking information to receive electronic payments.  As a State agency, OU interfaces our payments through the State of Oklahoma.  The State passed House Bill 1086 in May 2011 which requires that "Payments disbursed from the State Treasury shall be conveyed solely through an electronic payment mechanism".  With this bill, the State is converting to electronic payments and will be requesting all vendors to update the State’s vendor records through an online portal with payee information that is necessary to receive electronic payments.  Payees will be sent specific instructions from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) via email or mailed letter.  If the individual does not anticipate any future payment from OUHSC or any other State agency then they do not have to complete this form at this time.  However, the State could continue to contact the vendor in the future requesting to set up their Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) information.  Suppliers will receive a paper check if they do not set up EFT with OMES.  Please feel free to refer suppliers with questions directly to the OMES Help Desk.  Email: helpdesk@omes.ok.gov, Phone: (405) 521-2444 or Toll-free (866) 521-2444.

How can a supplier setup or update their bank account information for EFT payments?
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) maintains the banking information for all suppliers.  They will be happy to assist suppliers with setting up or updating their bank account information.  Please feel free to refer suppliers directly to the OMES Help Desk.  Email: helpdesk@omes.ok.gov, Phone: (405) 521-2444 or Toll-free (866) 521-2444.

Account Payable

How do I get reimbursed for something if I lost the receipt?
If you lost a receipt for a valid business expense, you must be able to provide some sort of documentation proving that the individual seeking reimbursement incurred the expense.  That documentation can come in the form of:

A copy of a credit card statement showing the individual’s name and charge.
A copy of a cancelled check indicating that the check has been processed by the bank
If the documentation requirements listed above cannot be met, then a Form 3 must accompany the reimbursement request.  This form will need to be signed and notarized to attest to the expense.

How can I see if an invoice has been paid and/or redeemed by the supplier?
First, locate the voucher in PeopleSoft.  On the OU Voucher Info tab in the OU Payment Information section there is a field for Redeemed Date.  If the payment has been redeemed, the redemption date will be reflected in this field.  If you need a copy of the check image to present to the supplier, please contact AP-Management@ouhsc.edu

My voucher was denied.  How do I see the comments to find out why?
The denial email will link you directly to the voucher that was denied.  To see denial comments, please navigate to the Approval History hyperlink.  Select the conversation bubble of View/Hide Comments, View History and then you will need to expand the gray triangle under Comments to see the full comment details explaining why the voucher was denied.

A supplier claims that they have not received payment.  How do I request a stop payment and reissue of the check?
First, lookup the voucher and verify that the payment has not been redeemed.  If a stop payment needs to be processed, please submit a Payment Action Request Form to AP-Processing@ouhsc.edu.  Please note that the Oklahoma State Treasurer assesses a $15.00 fee for each stop payment request and Financial Services passes this charge on to the department.  Depending on the fund used to reissue the payment, additional documentation may be requested by Accounts Payable.

What do I do if I need to enclose a document with a check?
If additional backup documentation needs to be mailed with a check in order for the supplier to properly apply payment, please attach the documentation to the voucher with a file name of Send with Check.  Mark the voucher as requiring Special Handling and note that the Send with Check documents should be sent with the payment.  Accounts Payable will send this information with the check.  Note that this is not possible if the supplier is setup for EFT payments.

How long does it take to get a voucher paid after it has been created and approved?
Providing that all required documentation is attached and approved, vouchers received in Accounts Payable usually take 1 – 2 business days to process.

What is the difference between a service payment and an honorarium?
If a payment agreement has been made with the recipient. 

I made an error when entering in a voucher.  How can I go back and correct it?
Once the budget checking process has run, your approver will need to deny the voucher back to you for corrections.  If your approver has already approved your voucher before the error was discovered, you can email AP-Processing@ouhsc.edu and request that the voucher be denied.  Once the voucher is in denied status, you will be able to make corrections in Regular Entry until you click Save.

How do I gross-up a payment to an individual to cover taxes?
If a payment may require tax withholding and your department would like to pay the expense on behalf of the individual being taxed, please contact AP-Management@ouhsc.edu.  The calculation will be made and then further instructions on how to process the payment will be provided.

How do I process a refund to someone who is not a supplier in the system?
If the payment is truly a refund, meaning that someone has paid your department for goods/services and you need to return those funds to them, the vendor does not have to be setup as a supplier in PeopleSoft.  These types of payments can be processed via the OnDemand module in PeopleSoft.  

Can my department pay membership dues?
It will depend on what type of membership you wish to pay for.  Institutional memberships are allowable and can be paid from all unrestricted, institutional funds.  Individual memberships are normally not allowed however, there are a few exceptions.  
University policy provides for payment of individual professional memberships for PPP members and Residents paid only from PPP (CLNOP) and Residency (RSOKC & RSTUL) funds, respectively.  
Individual “position” memberships (e.g., director, controller, etc.) which are of a transferable nature.  Position memberships are typically issued in the name of the individual currently holding the position being transferable to another individual subsequently holding the same position.  There must be documented evidence of the transferable nature of the membership.  
Individual memberships allowed per the specific terms and conditions of a sponsored program, i.e., externally funded grant or contract.

Travel

How do I submit travel expenses for reimbursement?
If you are an employee or former employee with a Travel Card, expense reports will be submitted in Concur.  If you are a former employee without a Travel Card, you will submit reimbursement on a paper Form 19.  If you are a non-employee (student, volunteer, participant, etc.), you can submit reimbursement on a paper Form 19 or Form 3.

What is Concur?
Concur is the Travel and Expense system used to reconcile Travel Card charges, submit travel related reimbursements and book flights for University business.

How do I access Concur?
Employees should go to Travel.ou.edu and login with their normal credentials.  Please note that to access Concur, you will either need to be on campus or using DUO.  Once you have setup your Profile in Concur and established mobile registration, you can perform most functions through the Concur Mobile app which does not require a secure connection. 

Do I have to create my own expense report and book my own flight or can someone else do that for me?
You can create your own expense report and book your own flights or you can assign a delegate to perform those functions on your behalf.  Please note that a delegate cannot submit an expense report for you but they can prepare the report for you.  Please refer to the Profile Quick Guide for more information on assigning someone as a delegate.

How do I pay for travel related expenses?
OU offers a Travel Card to employees for travel related expenses.  To obtain a card, you will need to fill out an application, have it approved by someone in your department with financial approval authority and take the online training.  The Travel Card application can be found at https://apps.ouhsc.edu/FinancialServices.  If you do not wish to obtain a Travel Card, travel expenses should be paid for out of pocket and reimbursed.

I need to perform functions in Concur, how can I get help?
Step-by-Step guides and videos are available at: https://financialservices.ouhsc.edu/Departments/Accounts-Payable/Concur-Travel.  You can sign up for Concur Travel Training on the HR website.  You can also send Concur questions to Travel@ouhsc.edu or call (405) 271-2038.

Why do I have to have a Request for my expense report?
Out of state and International trips require a Request.  Travel Policy says that any out of state or international trips should be pre-approved by someone with higher institutional authority.  The approval requirement has always been a part of policy but is now enforced in Concur.

How long does it typically take to process an expense report in Concur?
Once all required documentation has been received by Accounts Payable, it usually takes 1 - 2 business days to process an expense report.  Once it has been approved by Accounts Payable, it typically takes 3 - 4 business days to receive reimbursement.

How can my travel expenses be split with another area on campus?
Individual expenses or an entire expense report can be split between multiple chart field spreads using the allocation feature in Concur.  Please see the Concur Quick Reference Guide on Allocations for more information. 

An employee with unreconciled Travel Card transactions terminated.  How do I get their transactions reconciled?
Once an employee terminates, their delegate can submit the expense report on the employee’s behalf.  If the employee did not have a delegate, please contact Travel@ouhsc.edu and they can assign a delegate for a terminated employee.

Is trip insurance allowed?
Yes, trip insurance is allowed in most instances up to the cost of the airfare quote. 

What documentation from the conference do I need to include with the Concur expense report?
Please attach the conference brochure detailing the meeting start/end times, agenda, meals provided, location of event, etc. using the Agenda/Event Information expense type. 

Can I fly business class or first class?
Business class is allowed only when flying over the ocean to a foreign location.  Once landed, if you need to fly to another location within the area, only coach class is allowed.  First class is never an allowable expense.

When is an airfare quote required?
An airfare quote from the contracted University travel agency is required when the traveler has chosen to drive instead of fly to their out of state destination or when the traveler has chosen to purchase their flight through a non-contracted University travel agency.  Please note that if you choose to drive instead of fly, reimbursement will be limited to the cost of an airfare quote.

I want to fly to another destination for personal vacation after my conference is over.  How do I pay for that and what can I be reimbursed for?
If a traveler chooses to incorporate personal vacation time before/after University business, it is recommended that the traveler pay for airfare expenses personally and be reimbursed.  The University should only be charged for business related travel.  For example, if the traveler flew from Oklahoma City to Dallas for business and then flew to Austin for personal vacation before returning to Oklahoma City, the traveler will only be reimbursed for the cost of a round trip ticket to and from Dallas.  A comparable quote from the contracted travel agency showing the airfare cost for business should be submitted with the expense report to justify the amount for reimbursement.  Please note that if the Travel Card is used for flights that include a personal vacation, any amount over the round trip amount for business will be considered a personal expense and may result in a payroll deduction.

Am I allowed to rent a vehicle for my trip?
As long as your department deems the vehicle necessary during your business travel then it is allowable.  Please be aware of insurance recommendations from the Office of Risk Management.  Please also note that expenses for personal days of use, car seats, additional drivers for personal convenience, satellite radio, etc. are considered personal charges and not allowable.

Does a traveler have to pay taxes on their lodging since they are travelling on University business?
Yes, unless the travel is in the state of Oklahoma where OU is exempt from sales tax, the traveler should pay the taxes on their lodging bill.

There are two different single room rates at the designated hotel.  Which rate do I choose?
The traveler should choose the lower room rate.   

Is the government rate the same as the GSA rate when lodging?
No, the government rate is reduced from the standard rate but it is not always the same as the GSA rate.  Please refer to the GSA website to find the appropriate rate for your location.  http://www.gsa.gov/

Can two OU employees attending the same conference share a hotel room?
Yes, if they choose to do so.  Please note that each person should not pay more than the sponsored or GSA rate for the room. 

What is the maximum amount that can be paid for lodging if there is no sponsored lodging location for my business trip?
OU can pay for the maximum lodging amount allowed by GSA rates for the location in where the business is taking place.  Please note that if the traveler stays at a location that has a lower rate than GSA, OU will only pay for the amount that was paid for lodging.

Why would a meal be deducted from an expense report? 
If any meals are provided to a traveler and those meals were paid for either through the registration or direct payment to the supplier, the traveler is not able to claim those meals as expenses and must therefore deduct those meals from the travel claim.

What qualifies as a meal?
Any meal event other than a reception or a continental breakfast would count as a meal for reimbursement purposes.

Can a non-employee traveling on University business be paid per diem?
No, non-employees should submit receipts to be reimbursed for actual meal costs.