Accounts Payable

If you need an enclosure/attachment to go with a payment, there are two options:

1. An attachment can be sent by Paymerang to vendors receiving a paper check. This option is not available if a vendor has ACH or card payments. Contact the Accounting Department well in advance as additional time is required. Select DVP as the AP Type in the requisition.
2. If you need a special, hand-delivered enclosure to go with a manual paper check, it must be done in the Accounting Department. Contact the Accounting Department well in advance as additional time is required. Select MDVP as the AP Type in the requisition.

See the Policies and Procedures section on how to create a DVP

Certain transactions do not require purchase orders or receiving/acceptance and are best accomplished with a Direct Voucher Payment (DVP) requisition. Supporting documentation is sent to Mott Accounts Payable after requisition is fully approved.

DVP transactions are:

• Employee travel
• Employee reimbursements over $100 (Payroll handles all moving/relocation)
• Golf outing participation (must use auxiliary funds and be approved in Datatel by Executive Cabinet member)
• Memberships or dues to associations
• Mini-grant or tuition payment to another college
• Sponsorships/donations (over $100 must be approved in Datatel by Executive Cabinet member. Consult with Marketing for large dollar amounts)
• Student scholarship payments
• Subscriptions (periodicals)

The college uses the fixed asset module in Datatel to track inventory. If a DVP is used instead of a PO, the inventory tracking and recording process is compromised. For proper internal controls, and inventory tracking, (as well as many other reasons) tangible items require a PO.

Blanket Purchase Order (BPO) is a contract between the college and a vendor. It is generally used for repetitious payments for contractual services such as payment for leased equipment or room renovations.

• If you need an enclosure to go with payments, manual paper checks must be done in the Accounting Department. Contact the Accounting Department well in advance as additional time is required. Select MBPO as the AP Type in the requisition.
• Multiple invoices can be paid from the same BPO.
• BPOs have a maximum authorized amount and are issued for a limited duration – usually one fiscal year.
• No single consumable good $500 or greater may be purchased using a BPO. (All consumable goods should be purchased using a PO.)
• Employees authorized to use the BPO must be listed on the BPO.
• Provide the current BPO# to your vendor each time you place an order or request service.
• All employees authorized to sign (approve) invoices must be listed in the “comments” field. Signature stamps are NOT permitted. An email from the person authorized to approve BPO invoices IS permitted.
• Before sending an invoice to be paid using a BPO, it is most helpful if you use BINQ in Datatel (see screenshots below) to ensure that there are enough funds on the BPO to process payment. Take into account invoices already sent for payment but not posted. If an invoice is received with a BPO designated that no longer has enough funds to process the payment, the payment will be delayed until there is an increase to the BPO. BPO amounts can be adjusted by the purchasing department.
• Fiscal year end: Do not close BPOs until you are 100% sure all invoices have been paid, including June activity. Contact the sales rep or vendor to ensure nothing was missed.
  • Staff may not place an order past June 30 on an existing BPO. BPOs not fulfilled by June 30 may be reissued for the following fiscal year by creating a new blanket purchase order requisition.
  • BPOs need to remain with the "Outstanding" status to allow time to pay all fiscal year end invoices that may arrive in July.
  • Prior fiscal year activity cannot be paid with a current fiscal year BPO.

Purchase Order (PO) is an offer by the college to contract with a vendor for the delivery of supplies or the performance of a service for an agreed upon price under specified terms and conditions. Any good or service that is quantifiable in number and description should be ordered using a purchase order.

If you have questions on requisitions for purchase orders or blanket purchase orders, please contact the purchasing department.

• If you need an enclosure to go with a PO invoice payment, a manual paper check must be done in the Accounting Department. Contact the Accounting Department well in advance as additional time is required. Select MPO as the AP Type in the requisition.

The PO # and voucher # can be found in RINQ. Initiators should check the status of requisitions frequently.

• If the PO status is "Outstanding" then call the receiving department to have items accepted. Invoices cannot be paid until the status is "Accepted."
• If the PO status has been "Accepted" for over 30 days, call the vendor and request an invoice reprint be emailed to [email protected]. Also ensure the billing address is Mott Accounts Payable at 1401 E. Court Street and that the PO# is on the invoice.

Cash Advance for Travel / Prepaid DVP / Prepaid PO

Always ensure the documentation contains a service/event date^†.

To designate a payment as prepaid, enter/select “PD “in the “Terms” field on the requisition in Datatel.

Items to be considered prepaid are:

1. All cash advances for travel.
2. Items/services paid in advance with documentation, such as a quote/estimate.
3. Items/services paid by June 30 for next fiscal year.

Cash advances for travel are made using the Travel Form found under Account Payable/Forms.

1. Follow the instructions at the top of the Travel Form.
2. All cash advances must be cleared within 30 days of travel. Complete and submit the Travel Form with appropriate receipts and signatures. Ensure you write “Clear Prepay PO _____” on the form. (You can look up the PO# using RINQ.)

Prepayments for items/services are made with a standard purchase order.

1. Use "PD" (code #11) in the "Terms" field on the requisition. Obtain a standard PO# from Mott Purchasing.
2. Skip the receiving process at this time. The PO line item status must remain "outstanding" for now.
3. Deliver the PO and documentation to Mott Accounts Payable.

After the items/services arrive/are completed, notify Mott Receiving to have the status changed to "Accepted." Submit a copy of the vendor's receipt or invoice marked paid/zero balance to Mott Accounts Payable to clear the prepayment. Ensure you write “Clear Prepay PO _____” on the receipt. (You can look up the PO# using RINQ.)

Prepaids are encumbered against the cost center's budget when the requisition is entered. Proper accounting controls are maintained by tracking outstanding advances in a prepaid expense account. This is monitored by the accounting office. When the prepaid is cleared, the encumbrance is relieved, the advance account is cleared, and actual expenditures are posted to the cost center.

† Proper accounting standards are followed which state we must charge items to the proper fiscal year. For items that cross fiscal years, we are especially careful to charge the expense in the fiscal year in which the goods and/or services are received.

The Internal Revenue Service 2024 standard mileage rate is $.67

• Get more information here at the Internal Revenue Service