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Fiscal Services and Accounts Payable

Direct Pay

CSUSM Direct Pay Guidelines

Effective September 1, 2020

These guidelines apply to all Business Units including CSUSM, CSUSM Corporation, CSUSM Foundation, and ASI.

Direct Pays are payments against a department’s account without the establishment of a purchase order (PO). All reimbursements must be made within 90 days of original purchase/service or invoice date, or an after the fact form is required. Do not follow these guidelines if you have a purchase order for your purchase, instead follow the PO guidelines, or the CSUSM Corporation Requisition and PO guidelines.

ProCard Preferred: Please use ProCard whenever possible. Personal credit cards should be used on a limited basis such as urgent situations. More information on the use of a ProCard.

You May Not Need to Submit a Direct Pay Form if you have an invoice.

On the invoice, please include the following:

  1. Chart field string (if no PO is in place)
  2. Fiscal Authority approval signature
  3. Purchase Category (see list below)
  4. Original authorized signatures and the words “Direct Pay” on the invoice itself along with all necessary information for payment.

Purchase Categories

Any purchases/payments must follow all applicable policies/regulations:

Purchase Categories and Codes
ACCT CODE CATEGORY ACCT CODE CATEGORY
660017 Advertising* (not to exceed $2,500) 660001 Postage & Freight (Distribution Services only)
604803 Cell Phone Reimbursement ($50) 660002 Printing* (not to exceed $2,500 per job)
660805 Community Outreach/Sponsorship (i.e. purchase tables at events with no terms and conditions to be signed). For events with terms and conditions to be signed, contact Procurement or CSUSM Corporation 660009 Professional Development* (no travel)
504006 Fine & Forfeiture Revenue (Parking) varies Refunds for overpayments and agency/third transactions (BFS only)
660820 Hospitality* (Attach approved Hospitality Form) 660009

Registration* (i.e. training, webinar, seminar, conference, etc. – no travel)
660861 Insurance (IRM and CORP Admin only) 660943 Research Participants (may not pay students or employees)
616005 IITS Hardware Technology (Visit: IITS TRP Form. and attach IITS approval) 660019 Settlements/Garnishments (Payroll and Integrated Risk Management only)
660805 Memberships* 613803 Student Teacher Agreements
Varies

Non-resident Alien

  • 660944: Awards/Honors
  • 660945: Incentives
 660003 Supplies*
Varies Other (may require procurement/CORP approval) Varies

Utilities:

  • 605001: Electricity
  • 605002: Gas
  • 605003: Oil
  • 605004: Water
  • 605005: Sewage

*Use ProCard as 1st Option. If ProCard could not be used, state the reason on the direct pay form.

Any purchases/payments must follow all applicable policies/regulations:

  1. Procurement Policy CSUSM or CSUSM Corporation
  2. CSUSM Hospitality Guidelines
  3. Property Control Policy
  4. Public Relations Funds Policy CSUSM Corporation

The following expenses are prohibited for Direct Pay:

  1. Payments for Agreements/Contracts
  2. Travel (use a Travel Claim)
  3. Gift Cards (see business unit purchasing procedures)
  4. Payments against Purchase Orders
  5. Services (a PO/Agreement is needed)
  6. Space Usage off-campus (a Facilities Use Agreement is needed)
  7. Stipends
  8. Independent Contractors
  9. Software

Direct Payments requiring pre-approvals / supporting documentation:

  1. IITS Hardware Technology purchases. Attach IITS approval.
  2. Food/Gift Purchases – See CSUSM Hospitality Guidelines
  3. Event-related Purchases – See CSUSM Hospitality Guidelines

Approving Authority

Note:Requestors seeking reimbursement for themselves may not sign as an approving authority.

  1. One-up Manager/Supervisor/Department Chair (only required for employee reimbursements)
  2. Fiscal Authority (If the One-up Manager/Supervisor/Department Chair does not have fiscal authority)
  3. Office of Sponsored Projects (for CORP 85xxx projects only in addition to Fiscal Authority) 
  4. If over $10k, PAT Member
  5. If over $50k, CFO or Chief of Staff for FAS payments

Thresholds

  1. Purchases over $10,000: PAT Member approval required
  2. Purchases over $50,000: CFO approval required
  3. FAS Purchases over $50,000: Chief of Staff approval required

Documentation: Attach original receipts/documentation. (Please include additional copy of back-up to be sent with the check to vendor if appropriate). See “Direct Payments requiring pre-approvals/supporting documents” section above for additional documentation requirements.

See Cell Phone Guidelines for cell phone reimbursement.

Roles & Responsibilities

Roles & Responsibilities List
Role Responsibility

Requestor/Submitter
  • Certifies expenses are necessary, appropriate to the occasion, reasonable in amount and serve a purpose consistent with the mission and fiduciary responsibilities of the University.
  • Confirms the expense is allowable per the University Direct Pay Guidelines and applicable policies and procedures.
  • Certifies accurate approving authorities were entered in the Adobe Sign workflow.
  • Does not seek duplicate payment or a payment paid by another source.
  • Attaches required supporting documentation.

Approving Authority
  • Principal Investigator (if applicable): Ensuring expenses charged to funds authorized for the purpose.
  • One-up Manager/Supervisor or Department Chair: Substantiates expenses are necessary, appropriate to the occasion, reasonable in amount and serve a purpose consistent with the mission and fiduciary responsibilities of the University.
  • Approving Authority/Fiscal Authority: Confirms the expense is allowable per the CSU Direct Pay Guidelines and applicable policies and procedures.
  • Office of Sponsored Projects (if applicable): Ensuring expenses are an allowable expense per the grant agreement.
  • All involved in the review or approval routing:
    • Approving/denying the Direct Pay form in a timely manner.
    • Denying requests not directly related to official University business.

Accounts Payable
  • Validates fiscal authority.
  • Verify appropriate approver over $10k and $50k.
  • Validates purchase is an allowable category.
  • Confer with Procurement as necessary when the category “Other” is selected.
  • Ensure appropriate supporting documentation is submitted.

Process

Timeline: Forms for reimbursement must be submitted within 90 days of original purchase/service or invoice date. Check PeopleSoft within 15 working days of submission for confirmation of payment.

  1. Complete the Direct Pay form (link below).
  2. Attach original itemized receipts and any other supporting documentation. (Please include additional copy of back-up to be sent with the check to vendor if appropriate). See “Direct Payments requiring pre-approvals/supporting documents” section above for additional documentation requirements.

Employees Only: If not already receiving direct deposit through Accounts Payable, complete the direct deposit form. This will only need to be completed once, unless banking information changes.

  1. If recipient has not been paid by the University previously: ensure completion of the Payee Data Record (204). This will only need to be completed once, unless payee’s legal business name, entity type or tax payer identification number changes for the payee data record. Payments to new vendors/payees may be delayed until a completed Payee Data Record Form (Form 204) is received by Accounts Payable.
  2. The form will automatically route through Adobe Sign to all approvers.
  3. Once all signers have approved, the completed form will route to the requester, all approvers, and Accounts Payable for payment.

Complete the Direct Pay Form on Adobe Sign:
 Direct Pay Form

Questions?

All forms will route automatically to Accounts Payable once completed in Adobe Sign. For any questions, please contact accounts payable at: