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Payments

Guest Payments

Paying guest(s) for goods and/or services, including unpaid academics. For payments over $10,000, a UW Procurement buyer will be added to the approval workflow to approve payments.

Payments to UW employees are processed via payroll in Workday.

Payment(s) to Vendor

A vendor/supplier is any business that may or may not already be a registered UW Supplier.

State of Washington and Federal purchasing rules require that purchases over the Direct Buy Limit be competitively solicited in the absence of a contract, funding source mandate, or a sole source justification. Any payment over $100k must be managed by UW Procurement.

On This Page...

To navigate to a section listed below, click the relevant hyperlink for that section.

  • Resources
    • Guest Payment Request Checklist
      • Guest Payment Invitation Letter
    • Payment(s) to Vendor Request Checklist
  • Workflows
    • Guest Payment Processing Time and Workflow
    • Payment(s) to Vendor Processing Time and Workflow
      • Workflow Currently Under Construction
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Guest Payment
      • I was notified the SSN/ITIN does not match, what should I do?
      • The payee has not received their check, what should I do?
      • We need a payment for an individual to be sent at a future date, what is the current policy?
      • How do I choose a payment type?
      • I need to bring in a guest to speak to my class - how do I pay them for their services?
      • Are honoraria or payments for services 1099 reportable by the guest?
      • Who collects tax identification numbers from payees?
      • I don’t know if my guest is a citizen or a foreign national - what should I do?
      • What happens if my foreign guest comes from a country without a US tax treaty?
      • Is there a dollar limit for guest payments?
      • What information do you need from me or my department to issue an advance?
    • Payment to Vendor
      • I want to buy from a vendor - how do I know they are registered?
      • Is $10,000 the Direct Buy Limit? What does that mean for me?
      • Can I buy from a non-registered vendor?
      • How do I pay foreign vendors?
      • Who should negotiate and sign a contract?

Resources

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Guest Payment Request Checklist

Requesting payment? Ensure the following documents are ready:

For payment to individuals (US citizens only):

  • Invoice/invitation
  • Payee name
  • Payee email
  • FDM worktags

For foreign national payments please contact AST for more information on the necessary documents.

Guest Payment Invitation Letter

We require an invitation letter for all paid guests of the University. This invitation letter template (WordDoc) includes all required information for payments and communicates what guests can expect with the payment process.

Payment(s) to Vendor Request Checklist

Requesting payment to vendor? Ensure the following documents are ready:

  • Invoice
  • Supplier name
  • Supplier email
  • FDM worktags

Workflows

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Guest Payment Processing Time and Workflow

The turnaround time for processing a guest payments is 10 – 21 business days for US citizens and 1 – 3 months for foreign nationals. This timeline is critically dependent on responses from the payee.

The image below links to a PDF.

An image of the payment to individual workflow.

Payment(s) to Vendor Processing Time and Workflow

Assuming vendor has been registered, 1-3 business days. If the vendor needs to register, it can take up to 7 weeks. The timeline to register is dependent on responses from the vendor.

Workflow is currently under construction, keep an eye out for website updates via AST’s Newsletter.

Frequently Asked Questions: Guest Payment

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I was notified the SSN/ITIN does not match, what should I do?

This means the SSN/ITIN provided does not match IRS records, and the payee's information needs to be updated. AST will contact the Payee before resubmitting the request to UW Procurement for approval in Workday. In the event the payee does not respond, we ask the department to help facilitate the resolution of this matter. 

The payee has not received their check, what should I do?

If the payee has not received the check, contact our team via the General Inquiry form and AST will cancel the check, confirm the address with the Payee, then reissue the check.

We need a payment for an individual to be sent at a future date, what is the current policy?

AST will contact you if additional information is needed. For future dated requests, payments sent to the department will be submitted in Workday two (2) weeks before the date of service; payments sent to the payee will be submitted in Workday on the date of service.

How do I choose a payment type?  

Don’t worry; our team will review your request to confirm the payment type. The invitation or invoice typically has enough information for AST to begin this determination. Always feel free to add any questions/concerns in the notes section.

I need to bring in a guest to speak to my class - how do I pay them for their services?

Guest speakers typically receive payments in the form of honoraria. To initiate an honorarium, submit the invitation you extended to your guest in writing via email or letter as documentation for your payment request.

Are honoraria or payments for services 1099 reportable by the guest?

Yes, guest payment transactions are 1099-reportable, as documented by Procurement Services. As part of this process, the Tax Office matches the name and tax ID provided with each guest payment request against IRS record.

Who collects tax identification numbers from payees?  

Best practice demands strict control over tax identification numbers and personally identifying information. For this reason, AST collects tax information using DocuSign. 

I don’t know if my guest is a citizen or a foreign national - what should I do?

No worries. Our DocuSign process captures this information. We will contact your guest to guide them through the next steps on additional federal documentation or wire payment details if they are a foreign national or even a citizen living abroad. We might need your help if there is a translation opportunity.

What happens if my foreign guest comes from a country without a US tax treaty?  

Thirty percent of your guest's payment will be withheld for taxes.

Is there a dollar limit for guest payments?

No. Payments over $10,000 can be processed through guest payments. However, a UW Procurement buyer will be added to the approval graph to approve payments over $10K.

What information do you need from me or my department to issue an advance?

Prior to requesting an advance via our intake form, please gather the following information:

  • Name of traveler
  • Dollar Amount
  • Proposed use of advance (i.e. meal per diem)
  • Location and UW business reason for advance (i.e. Buenos Aires, Argentina for research)
  • FDM values

Once the traveler has concluded their trip, a reconciliation of the advance will occur in WD. For more information about travel advances please review our reimbursement page. 

Frequently Asked Questions: Payment(s) to a Vendor

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I want to buy from a vendor - how do I know they are registered?

Look up the vendor using Supplier Search maintained by UW Procurement and accessed via the BI portal. AST can help you with this query or, if you do not have BI portal access, contact your ASTRA authorizer.

Is $10,000 the Direct Buy Limit? What does that mean for me?

Yes. If you don't have a contract, funding source mandate, or a sole source justification, the State of Washington and Federal purchasing rules require a competitive bid for purchases over the Direct Buy Limit. For purchases over $100,000, the process must be managed by UW Procurement Services.

To clarify these terms and responsibilities:

  • Competitive Solicitation: UW Procurement Services is responsible for managing the competitive solicitation process of seeking proposals, quotations or information from suppliers that bid competitively.
  • Sole Source: A written statement justifying why the selected vendor is the only option for this purchase or contract, which must be approved by UW Procurement Services.

Can I buy from a non-registered vendor?

It is best practice to have all vendors/suppliers registered with the UW. AST can assist in registering your suppliers, both domestic and foreign. We can also assist you with non-registered vendor questions, ProCard payments, and one-time purchases.

How do I pay foreign vendors?  

This can be complicated and depends upon many country-specific factors. Contact our team as soon as you know you will need to pay a foreign vendor and we can work together on the best method for payment.  

Who should negotiate and sign a contract?  

Only UW Procurement Services may sign a contract/agreement/Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of any UW unit. While contract negotiation requires departmental content area expertise, the contract language itself should be formulated and approved by UW Procurement Services.  

Need Help?

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Reach out and we will route your questions, comments, and/or ideas to the appropriate subject matter experts on our team and keep an eye out for website updates via AST's Newsletter.

Last Updated: Thursday, May 16, 2024