Overview
Guide for requesting advanced payments.
Generally, goods and services provided to the University are paid for after receipt. On occasion, it may be necessary to provide a known and reputable supplier with an advance payment (prepayment).
When advance payments may be acceptable
Specific instances where advanced payments are permissible (with proper approval):
- High-cost equipment manufactured to meet functional specifications
- Books, periodicals and newspapers, including special order items for trade and professional publications
- Customized goods/services that cannot be re-sold to others once work has started
- Facilities/hotel deposits
- Caterers for food and beverage service for large official functions where caterer requires a deposit
- Research abroad: including deposits or expenses related to the research
- Principal investigators and other research personnel who conduct research using human subjects and pay the subjects a small amount (check for entire amount is paid to the investigator or experiment controller)
- Maintenance service contracts
- Honoraria
- Membership dues
- Seminar and colloquia registration fees
- Performing artists, when contract requires payment before performance begins
Designated Procurement Director approval is required for all advance payments outside the scope of those listed above.
Advance Payment Request Instructions
- After adding items to your BearBuy shopping cart, click the Proceed to Checkout button.
- On the Requisition Summary, click the Pencil icon next to the line item.
- Select "Yes" from the Advance Payment dropdown, and click Save.
- The line item is now marked for Advance Payment review.
- Repeat these steps for each line item that requires advance payment.
- Attach appropriate supporting documentation indicating the business need for the advance payment (or written confirmation of total cost, including tax, freight, & handling).
- Assign the cart to your department's Requester to complete the checkout process.
- Once the requisition is fully approved, the purchase order (PO) will be dispatched to the supplier.
- Payment will not be released to the supplier until the invoice is submitted to Accounts Payable. Please open a ticket with SCM Response Team to request to rush the payment *after* the invoice is submitted. If you don't open a ticket, the invoice will be paid according to the payment terms on the PO (such as Net 30).
Approval
- Route to authorized department approver for all advance payments <$10k.
- Designated Central Procurement Buyer approval is required for advance payments ≥$10k.
Reach out to the SCM Response Team with questions or support needs.