Frequently Asked Questions - Accounts Payable

This is the preferred method of payment and part of an effort to reduce checks and eliminate paper waste and inefficiencies. It is not required. This will also decrease the time it takes to complete payment and is more convenient than handling a check.

Payments will be processed as credit card transactions, so your standard merchant fees will apply. There are no direct fees imposed by the client or the issuing bank.

It is not the client's intention to absorb fees associated with your merchant service provider.

The new payment process keeps that card account with a credit limit of $0 until an invoice has been approved for payment. Once it is approved, the card will be funded with the exact amount due. You will also receive a remittance, which is an electronic confirmation that the card is ready to be charged. This technology makes keeping a card on file completely safe.

For security reasons, the remittance advice, which authorizes payment, only identifies the last 4 digits of the card; upon receipt of the remittance, you will have the complete card information in order to process the transaction.

Your terms will remain the same; however, you do gain the float. Funds are typically deposited within 48 hours after processing the transaction.

Your invoicing, current procedures and client contacts will remain the same.

For security purposes, we do not have account or billing information on file. We will note that additional information is required.

Please discuss this with your Client Accounts Payable contact or the Client Program Administrator.

The client will contact you with the card information to keep on file. At that time, you can provide your internal Card Authorization Form to the client and retain the form with the card information. The remittance is your ongoing authorization to process the card for the exact amount indicated.

The Electronic Payment Request (ePRF) is the official process in OMNI for submitting Non-PO payments, including most departmental payment requests except wire transfers.

Departments should submit an Electronic Payment Request (ePRF) in OMNI for eligible non-purchase-order (non-PO) payments and certain payments associated with closed purchase orders.

• Payments without a purchase order: Only specific types of expenditures are allowable for non-PO payment. Before submitting an ePRF, review the Expenditure Guidelines and Payments without a Purchase Order guidance to confirm eligibility and identify any required supporting documentation or approvals.
• Payments associated with closed purchase orders: If an invoice remains unpaid after a PO closes, first review the PO status and applicable payment requirements. Confirm that sufficient encumbrance remains and that the invoice information matches the PO. If the invoice cannot be processed against the existing PO, contact Procurement Services for guidance before submitting an ePRF.

For additional information on submitting an ePRF, refer to the ePRF guidance and training resources.

Yes. Training materials, such as the Basic Entry of an ePRF, are available to guide users through the submission process.

Required roles

• Processor Role - FSU_AP_PRF_PROCESSOR - Required to access the Payment Request Center and create ePRFs.
• Approver Role - FSU_AP_PRF_APPROVER - Required for users responsible for approving ePRFs.

To request either role, navigate to the myFSU Portal → My Security Center → e-ORR (Online Role Requests) and select Submit Request – Add/Remove Role.

Departmental approval workflow requirements

Departments must complete the following steps before submitting the ePRF Workflow Approval Change Authorization Form:

1. Verify departmental designations. Individuals being added as ePRF approvers must appear in the OMNI query FSU_CF_DEPT_ALL_DESIGNATIONS. If an individual does not appear in the query, submit the Update Existing Department ID Form to Budget@fsu.edu before submitting the approver change request. Requests that do not meet this requirement will be denied.
2. Review current approvers. Run the OMNI query FSU_DPT_EPRF_LVL1_LVL2_APPR (Current Approvers) to verify the department's existing Level 1 and Level 2 approver assignments before requesting changes.

Departments must complete the ePRF Workflow Approval Change Authorization Form to add or remove departmental ePRF approvers.

• Level 1 approvers: Each department must designate at least two Level 1 approvers to ensure coverage when one approver is unavailable.
• Level 2 approvers: Level 2 approval is optional. However, if a department uses Level 2 approval, at least two Level 2 approvers must be designated.

Completed forms must be emailed to CTL-AccountsPayable@fsu.edu.

Helpful Query

The OMNI query FSU_DPT_EPRF_LVL1_LVL2_APPR (Current Approvers) is intended for departmental staff responsible for managing or reviewing their ePRF approval workflow.

It lets departments review current approver assignments before requesting changes. This helps departments understand their existing approval structure and identify the appropriate changes needed when adding or removing approvers.

• FSU_CTRL_UNVCHRD_PRF_STATUS – Search for ePRFs by Request Status and Department ID.
• FSU_CTRL_EPRF_STATUS_BY_DEPT – Displays vouchered ePRFs by Department ID and date range.

• Accounts Payable.
• Foundation when using Fund Code 599.
• Research Foundation when using Fund Codes 543, 544, and 545.

For questions, errors, or urgent approval issues related to an ePRF, please contact Accounts Payable for assistance.

If an invoice remains unpaid after a purchase order (PO) has closed, departments should first review the PO status and determine whether the invoice can still be processed against the existing PO.

Before submitting an ePRF, departments should:

1. Verify the PO status in SpearMart and OMNI Financials.
2. Confirm that the invoice and associated services fall within the applicable PO dates and terms.
3. Verify that sufficient encumbrance is available to cover the invoice total.
4. If the invoice cannot be processed against the existing PO, contact Procurement Services for guidance on the appropriate next steps.

An ePRF should only be submitted when the payment meets the applicable requirements. Departments should consult Accounts Payable or Procurement Services if they are unsure whether an ePRF is appropriate for their circumstances.

No. Cash advances do not encumber funds on a budget, so departments must account for the outstanding cash on their reconciliation. Cash advances can be viewed on the Departmental Ledger in BI under “Other Assets.”

Employee cash advances, for non-travel purposes, are typically used for change funds. Employee cash advances can only be requested by Faculty, A&P, and selected USPS employees. OPS employees and graduate students are unable to request employee cash advances.

Employees who wish to refund the university for a temporary cash advance can make payments via cash, money order, or personal check. Checks and money orders should be made payable to Florida State University.

Physical payment should be submitted along with a completed Departmental Deposit Form using the permanent advance (168300) or temporary advance (168400) account code. Do not use an expense (7XXXXX) or revenue (6XXXXX) account code to return unspent funds.

This payment can be placed in the drop box outside of the Office of Student Finance at A1500 University Center. If payment is unable to be dropped off, it can be mailed to:

Florida State University Accounts Receivable
P.O. Box 3062397
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2397

Please review the Employee Cash Advance guidance found on the Controller’s Office website for assistance with submitting an ePRF for cash advances.

• 168300 – permanent advances, or
• 168400 – temporary advances

Expense (7XXXXX) or revenue (6XXXXX) account codes should NEVER be used for unspent funds.

The expense (7XXXXX) account code that most closely associates with the purpose of the cash advance should be used. For example, 740355 is for human subject participant incentive payments.

Contact your SRA Grants Accounting Coordinator immediately. Repeated failure to follow the cash advance procedures for incentive payments may result in payments being denied and/or the employee not being reimbursed.

The amount of cash requested should be reasonable based on the timeline for disbursing funds. For example, if you plan to disburse $1,000 per month for 6 months, you don’t necessarily need $6,000. The first month can be replenished after it is disbursed to reuse for future disbursements. As a general rule, the cash should not exceed your immediate disbursement need (30-60 days).

A cash advance extension will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. A new Temporary Employee Cash Advance Request Form must be completed with the remaining balance, updated expiration date, and be approved by SRA. Only human subject incentive payments requiring cash payments will be allowable as an employee cash advance. In addition, Employee cash advances are no longer available to procure gift cards.

Cash advances should be reconciled monthly, with funds either being replenished or the cash advance partially closed if additional funds are not needed.

If a custodian has disbursed a $500 cash advance and they only want to replenish $300 for their remaining payments, they can partially replenish/close the advance. In this example, the $300.00 would be partially replenished. The $200.00 would be partially closed in a separate voucher. See “Employee Cash Advance- Partial Close” job aid.

No, the university does not provide cash advance checks to suppliers.

Yes, every cash advance requires “special handling” when inputting the ePRF, to state the name, phone number, and address of the custodian. The assigned custodian or designee will be contacted by Disbursement Services when the check is ready.

Custodians are set to receive their participant incentive cash advance via check. For situations where the custodian is receiving the cash advance in installments and conducting research abroad, please request a Direct Deposit Form by contacting CTL-epayments@fsu.edu.

An advance payment is a payment made before goods or services are provided.

A progress/milestone payment is a partial payment made to a supplier for work completed pursuant to a specific progress or milestone in a defined project. Instead of paying the full amount at the end, the payments are made as the project progresses.

To safeguard public funds, Florida Law requires that goods and services be inspected and received before payment is made. When the university commits to a purchase from a supplier, the supplier is expected to have adequate resources or working capital to provide the requested goods/services. Advance payment to a supplier can incur additional costs for the university, present a risk of loss of the funds advanced in case of supplier bankruptcy, and can reduce the university’s ability to negotiate in the event of a dispute.

Requests for advance payments should be initiated with Procurement Services prior to entering a requisition. Procurement Services will coordinate