Can I use BearBuy to purchase from Amazon.com?
Unfortunately, Amazon.com does not accept purchase orders (POs) from UCSF and we cannot process the invoices as a Payment Request. We recommend that you use a different supplier that will accept a PO or use a Procurement Card (P-card) for your Amazon.com order.
When using BearBuy and selecting Amazon Web Services as the supplier, orders for Amazon.com will not be fulfilled and the PO will need to be canceled. Amazon Web Services should be used for cloud computing services only.
When should I use the Meeting & Entertainment Payment Request form in BearBuy?
Submit the Meeting & Entertainment Payment Request form to pay for catering related expenses for an event held off-campus** ONLY IF the vendor does not require a contract.* Typically, you will submit the form after the event; however, you may submit additional request(s) as needed to pay a deposit or other required payments before the event. Please be sure to attach the invoice (and/or vendor memo for a deposit) to your request. The request will be reviewed by Accounts Payable before payment is released to the supplier. For more details, please read the Meeting & Entertainment Payment Request form instructions and FAQs.
*Note: An agreement regarding logistics only (e.g., food, price, attendee count) with no binding contractual language does not require review by your Department-Assigned Buyer and should not be submitted on the Facility Rental form. These simple confirmations do not need to be routed to a Buyer, as long as the confirmation does not include any terms and conditions.
**For on campus catering, please use the America To Go punch-out catalog in BearBuy
When should I use the Facility Rental form in BearBuy?
Submit the Facility Rental form before renting an off-site, non-University of California facility (i.e., conference center, restaurant, multiple hotel guest rooms) ONLY IF the vendor requires a signed contract.* The request/contract must be reviewed for policy compliance and signed by your Department-Assigned Buyer before the event. For more details, please read the Facility Rental form instructions and FAQs. After submitting your order, you must follow these payment instructions to pay any deposit or payment due – invoices attached to the Facility Rental form will not be paid.
*Note: An agreement regarding logistics only (e.g., food, price, attendee count) with no binding contractual language does not require review by your Department-Assigned Buyer and should not be submitted on the Facility Rental form. These simple confirmations do not need to be routed to a Buyer, as long as the confirmation does not include any terms and conditions.
I need to close a purchase order (PO) with expired accounting codes and will submit a BearBuy Change Order Request. Can I use the expired accounting codes in the BearBuy cart with the Change Order Request form?
A BearBuy cart/requisition with a Change Order Request form cannot be submitted with expired accounting codes. You can use any currently valid accounting codes to submit your Change Order Request. The Change Order Request cart/requisition will not create any lien on the accounting codes used.
I have airline travel credits/funds from canceled airfare that I previously purchased and was not reimbursed. I will use the credits/funds to purchase a new airline ticket for University business travel. When submitting my expense report, do I need to attach additional documentation?
Yes. Airline travel credits/funds used to purchase new airfare for business travel requires additional documentation to be submitted with your expense reports. Please attach:
- The airline receipt for the new airfare
- The original airline receipt for the airfare that was canceled. The receipt needs to show you originally paid out-of-pocket for the airfare.
- Airline documentation showing the travel credits/funds were issued from the canceled airfare
Are receipts for any amount always required?
No, for most expenses, receipts are required to be attached to your MyExpense expense report only if they are $75 or more. There are some exceptions where receipts are always required regardless of the dollar amount. Common expense types that always require receipts are airfare, lodging, and car rental. For more information, review the Business Travel Made Easy tip sheet and the Expense Reimbursement webinar.
The accounting codes on a purchase order (PO) expired. Unpaid vouchers on the PO need to be paid using new funding. If I submit a Change Order Request Form to change the PO accounting codes, will this also automatically change the funding codes on unpaid vouchers?
A Change Order Request form is only used to modify the accounting codes on a PO. It is not used to request updates to pending unpaid vouchers. If a voucher has already been applied to the PO but it has not been paid due to expired funding, please contact the Response Team to request that the voucher be updated with new accounting codes.
Which BearBuy forms don’t generate a purchase order (PO) for the supplier?
Payment Request, Meeting & Entertainment Payment Request, After The Fact PO.
The purpose of these forms is to request payment for a transaction that doesn’t require a PO or to pay an invoice for goods/services where a PO was not previously created for the purchase.
Once your requisition is fully approved, a PO and voucher will be generated in BearBuy.
Hint: The PO is for internal UCSF use only and should not be shared with the supplier—the supplier will not be able to submit an invoice to UCSF referencing the PO Number. An internal PO will show “Supplier New Order” under the Status tab in BearBuy.
Depending on the type of transaction, the voucher will route to a specific SCM Accounts Payable (AP) audit queue, such as the Honorarium audit queue. AP approval is required before payment is released to the supplier. All vouchers are audited and approved in the order they are received. Audit and approval time varies depending on the number of submissions to a specific queue.
Please note: If any documentation is missing or additional information is required, the auditor will reach out via the comment section of the voucher directly in BearBuy. Missing documentation will cause additional delay in the procure-to-pay process. Please do not email auditors directly. For audit purposes, communication must be within the comment section in BearBuy.
Where can I find contact information for UC contract suppliers, such as AT&T, Verizon, Airgas, FedEx, ReadyRefresh, or Stericycle?
The contact information for several major suppliers is listed in the Catalog Suppliers 411 & UC Contract Suppliers spreadsheet. A link to the spreadsheet is also available in BearBuy under the Welcome message.
When you open the spreadsheet, the first tab lists the BearBuy catalog suppliers (Office Depot, Fisher Scientific, CDW-G, Dell, etc.). The second tab lists common service providers, such as AT&T, Verizon, Airgas, FedEx, ReadyRefresh, and Stericycle. The spreadsheet lists general customer service contacts and dedicated sales representatives who can help you open a customer account (if needed).
My supplier contacted me about an error during invoice submission. How can I help them?
Suppliers can contact Transcepta Support for general invoicing issues by emailing [email protected] or calling (949) 382-2841. Below are some common invoicing errors in Transcepta and how they can be resolved. Additional guidance can be found on the Transcepta website.
Invalid Purchase Order Number Format
Purchase Order is Closed
Purchase Order is Not in Transcepta
Invoice Total Amount Does Not Add Up Correctly
Purchase Order Does Not Match Your Supplier Name