Creating Non-Purchase Order Vouchers
Learn about the requirements and steps involved in processing non-PO vouchers at Columbia University.
Non-PO vouchers are vouchers that do not have any underlying purchase order associated with them. These vouchers are commonly used to make a payment for select goods as well as contracted services, such as On-Site and Off-Site Events and Catering, as well as fine artists, illustrators, and writers. Non-PO vouchers include the following payment types:
- Vendor invoices without an underlying purchase order
- Refunds
- Prizes and Awards
- Honoraria (domestic payments only)
- Select fellowship and stipend payments (domestic only)
Vouchers cannot be withdrawn by Procurement Initiators after they have been submitted.
Payment Process
Visit the Pay dashboard in the CU Marketplace and select Create a Non-PO Voucher from the dropdown.
An approved Payment Reason, an invoice, and additional documentation, such as a Statement of Work for services, will be required for Accounts Payable to process the voucher accurately.
The submission of a non-PO voucher to pay against an invoice is proof of receipt of the good or service.
For more detailed instructions, refer to the Policy, Training & Related Pages box at the top of this page to view the job aid for non-PO vouchers as well as the quick guide for payment reasons and invoice number formats to assist with completing this type of voucher in the Marketplace.
To request a rush payment, select the associated checkbox when creating the voucher and enter a reason for the rush request in the provided data field. Failure to include an appropriate reason will result in the rush request not being honored.
Contact the Finance Service Center to learn more about acceptable reasons for rushed payment requests.
If an Ad Hoc Approver needs to be added to a voucher, navigate to the Summary page of the voucher and look for the Ad Hoc Approver field. Click the Add button.
A small window will appear where any Approver can be searched and added to the voucher as an Ad Hoc Approver.
Multiple ad hoc approvers can be added and assigned to different steps in workflow or the same step as the first Ad Hoc Approver. After adding one Ad Hoc Approver, find the Add, Edit, or Delete field next to the new approver to manage the workflow.
Vendors are automatically paid according to the default payment method set up in their PaymentWorks profile. If they need to change their default payment method, they need to edit their PaymentWorks profile.
Visit the Vendor Management section to learn how.
Use the Comments feature to request a one-time alternative payment method if different from the default payment method.