Submitting Invoices to UCSF

Before supplying goods and services to UCSF, vendors and suppliers must complete the Supplier Registration Process. Refer to the UCSF Supply Chain Management "For Suppliers" website for commonly used supplier forms.

Invoices ready for processing and payment can be submitted to UCSF in the following ways:

  • Electronic Invoicing - Use Transcepta or SciQuest. This is the preferred method for suppliers with 25 or more invoices submitted annually. 
    See Supplier Guide to Transcepta for more information.
  • SciQuest Supplier Portal
  • Paper Invoice - By email to Accounts Payable; all invoices should be submitted directly to Accounts Payable not to the campus department. This is the least preferred method. If supplier is submitting electronically then any paper invoices will be sent back to the supplier to be re-submitted using the electronic invoicing method.

Invoicing Standards


Required for Payment

  • Purchase Order (PO) numbers – Start with a ‘B’ (e.g. B000123456) and 10 characters long.
  • Valid Invoice number and invoice date.
  • Please ensure your invoice matches the purchase order – This will improve the process of UCSF matching your invoice to the PO, and increase the likelihood of you being paid on time, within terms.
  • UCSF Ordering and Ship‐to Contact Information is required for UCSF to pay an invoice. We need the name and telephone number of the person who placed the order, and the complete ship‐to address.
  • Include vendor contact information and remittance information.
  • Bill to information should always be:

University of California, San Francisco
Supply Chain Management Accounts Payable – Box 0812
1855 Folsom St., Rm 300
San Francisco, CA 94143‐0812

  • Sales Tax. Contrary to popular belief, UCSF is not exempt from paying sales tax on taxable goods, whether or not the seller has charged such tax on the invoice. If the purchase was shipped to us from an out‐of‐state vendor and does not reflect sales tax, then use tax will automatically be accrued.
  • Credits – Clearly identify as a “CREDIT” and provide reason for credit. Reference original invoice number if a return.

Preferred (not required)

  • Use 8 ½ X 11-inch size, white paper with black ink. No colored paper.
  • No dot matrix printing.
  • Portrait orientation (not landscape).
  • No spaces, characters or letters in the invoice number (all numeric).
  • Not handwritten.
  • If taxable and non‐taxable items included on same invoice, separate the total taxable and total non‐taxable.
  • Include vendor EIN or TIN.

Types of Invoices


BearBuy PO Invoices

Purchase Order Number - must be on the invoice and sent directly to Accounts Payable for processing and payment or sent directly from the supplier to Transcepta or through the BearBuy Supplier Portal for electronic invoice submission.

  • A BearBuy PO number should be included on the invoice and sent directly to Accounts Payable. A BearBuy purchase order will contain a 10-digit Purchase Order number (starts with a ‘B’, e.g., B000252786).
  • Amount-Based PO (Services, Goods, Blanket) Form for when supplies or services are used repeatedly from the same supplier/vendor, it may be advantageous to establish a blanket order/vendor contract for a specified period of time to ease the administrative burden of repeatedly placing purchase orders for the same item, provide price protection and assure adequate availability of supplies.

Subcontract Invoices

General subcontract invoices where the original contract is initiated through OSR (Office of Sponsored Research). These invoices will have a subcontract number with four digits followed by sc (for example 2455sc). Please see the UCSF Office of Sponsored Research for more information about Subawards and Subcontracts.

For information on how to use DocuSign to review and approve subcontract invoices, see Using DocuSign to Review and Approve Subcontract Invoices.

Payment Methods


There are three payment methods available for vendors/suppliers:

  1. ACH: Electronic payment via Automate Clearing House (ACH) is the preferred method for vendor payment. Vendors need to sign up to receive ACH payments by submitting the ACH Enrollment Form. Use of e-invoicing and ACH payment provide the best payment terms to vendors
  2. Wire Transfer: Generally used for larger-dollar payments to foreign vendors due to higher transaction costs.
  3. Paper Check: Payment by paper check is the least-preferred method of payment due to the high cost of processing and potential risks.

Purchase Order Payment Terms


UCSF uses standard payment terms for suppliers.

Contact the Supply Chain Management Response Team if you have questions about standard payment terms.