The Accounts Payable office handles the payment of goods or services for all University departments.  The initial steps begin in the Purchasing Office through the creation of a purchase order.  To reach the point of payment, several documents are required.

PROCEDURE

The following explains the procedures necessary for payment to be completed:

1. Minimum documents required to process a payment include:
   a.  A purchase order
   b.  A receiver
   c.  An invoice
   Other documents may be required depending upon the goods being purchased or services being provided.  Please refer to specific topics covered in the Accounts Payable website for additional requirements.
      
2. The accounts payable imaging system is driven by purchase order number.  The PO number becomes the primary source of identifying specific purchases by any TWU department.  All documentation related to a purchase must have the PO number identified to ensure the appropriate filing of information.  This file becomes the "package" which houses all data related to a specific purchase.  
            
3. Once an invoice is received in the Accounts Payable department and identified with the appropriate purchase order number, it becomes part of the PO package.  Invoices  received by the department must be forwarded to the Accounts Payable office with the purchase order number referenced. 
          
4. Once goods are received or a service is rendered, a receiver must be entered.  Payments are often delayed due to the lack of the receiver.  This document assures the accounts payable office that goods have been received in an acceptable manner for use by the department or that services have been satisfactorily performed.
        
5. Once a package contains the minimum documents required for payment, it moves into the accounts payable workflow for payment.   Payments are made to the vendor per data provided on the Purchase Order.