Frequently Asked Questions
Purchasing FAQs
Yes. If you need to add a new supplier, you will need to send an invite through PaymentWorks. You can find the PaymentWorks tile under the Supplier Portal under MyApps in your myRutgers portal.
No, but it is strongly encouraged that you use the University’s contracted suppliers as the first choice. The University’s commitments to these suppliers grant quantity pricing, which benefits all units. When you buy through these supplier contracts, you generally do not have to obtain additional quotations, or use the competitive bid process.
It is encouraged to contact the University Procurement Services Help Desk with any questions about purchasing products from non-contracted suppliers.
View the liaisons in Key Contacts or contact University Procurement Services Help Desk for assistance.
The time it takes to process your requisition depends on the nature of the items you are purchasing and how long it takes your unit to work through the approval process in RU Marketplace. Once your unit approves the requisition, you may track the status by typing your requisition number into the search field on the top right of the RU Marketplace page.
When viewing the sidebar on the requisition, you can track the current stage it is in. You can also click on the categories on the side bar to expand them to see who it is currently assigned to. View the Checking Requisition Status Job Aid for more information.
Do not sign any agreement. Units do not have authority to sign supplier agreements on behalf of the university. Agreements requiring signature must be attached to your requisition for Procurement to review and sign.
See Section V in the Procurement and Payment Policy 20.1.11 (PDF) for details about competitive bidding.
When there are no competitive sources available, the unit must complete a Waiver of Bid Request if the purchase is $50,000 or greater. There is no competitive bid requirement for goods or services under $50,000.
Yes, you can resend the purchase order if the supplier has confirmed they have not received it. Please see the job aid for how to resend a purchase order.
Contact the supplier via phone or email to inquire about delivery status of the order.
Units should not receive nor forward invoices to Accounts Payable on the supplier’s behalf. Purchase orders clearly state that it is the supplier’s responsibility to send invoices to Accounts Payable at accountspayable@finance.rutgers.edu.
Yes, University purchases are exempt from the payment of New Jersey sales and use tax. Contact Tax Services if a supplier questions the University's exemption policy.
You cannot return unused gift cards.
Gift Cards will expire after 12 months
We discourage use of eBay, however, there have been a few occasions when only eBay has offered a product that was needed. When ordering through eBay, you must fill out a Pcard Request Form. This is a one time usage request and is completed in Concur. We encourage purchasing through a preferred supplier in RU Marketplace to ensure the best guarantee, warranty, customer support and service. If the reward of purchasing through an auction site outweighs the risk, it is permissible.
Please complete the Pcard Request Form so procurement can order the item through the tax-exempt university eBay account. Card Services will be in touch to complete the order. Please keep in mind that there are no guarantees with auction sites. Most times, it is used equipment with no customer support and little, if any, warranty. If you have additional questions, you can reach out to cardservices@finance.rutgers.edu.
Our Customs Broker is OIA Global
Drina at OIA can answer any questions you may have regarding international freight.
The Contact for OIA is:
Drina Carlos
OIA Global
2345 Vauxhill Road
Union, NJ 07083
T: 908-351-3400 x3010
F: 908-623-3096
Accounts Payable FAQs
Suppliers must send invoices via email to: accountspayable@finance.rutgers.edu.
An invoice must have:
- It must be labeled as an invoice (quotes and pro forma invoices are not accepted)
- A valid Rutgers University purchase order number listed on the invoice itself (invoices submitted without a valid purchase order will not be processed)
- Bill to "Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey"
- A unique invoice number and an invoice date (duplicate invoice numbers and invoices without dates will not be accepted)
- Rutgers ordering and ship-to contact information
- The supplier's remit to address
- A description of the goods or services
- The total amount due
- If taxable and non-taxable items are included on same invoice, separate the total taxable and total non-taxable amounts (preferred)
- File must be one of the following file types: .PDF, .DOC/.DOCX, .TIF/.TIFF or .JPEG/.JPG." (excel is not acceptable)
Please visit Guidelines for Student Award Payments for information on these types of monetary awards.
Check requests are used to request payment for certain expenses that do not require the involvement of purchasing support. See Non-PO Transactions. For specifics on the process and required documentation, please visit the check request page.
There are no tax implication for expense reimbursements processed in Concur. Concur reimbursements are not processed through your paycheck. Relocation reimbursements are typically processed through payroll and may be taxed. Please visit Process an Employee Relocation Reimbursement for more information.
Expenses that are over one year old have to be processed through payroll and are taxable.
To get a new campus ship account, please provide the following information to upshelp@finance.rutgers.edu.
- Name
- Department location
- Email address
- Phone number
- Fax number
- Department’s complete GL/ project string
CampusShip Technical Support: (877) 289-6418
See the University Procurement Services supplier page within Find Products and Services.
Provide the check number to checkinquiries@finance.rutgers.edu for proof of payment or assistance with a void and re-issue.
See the summary tab of the invoice for the payment date and payment number.
If the payment date is over three weeks, contact checkinquiries@finance.rutgers.edu.
If the payment date is less than 3 weeks, wait before taking further action.
Supplier checks for overpayment on invoices or for refunds are sent to:
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
ATTN: Accounts Payable
Box 2686
New Brunswick NJ 08903
Please reference the PO number on the check stub. AP will deposit the check into the funding source that the PO was issued from.
Rutgers University standard payment terms are dependent on the payment method and are from the invoice date, unless the supplier has a signed contract with different terms. Our standard terms are net 45 paid via check. Your supplier may receive better payment terms by signing up for an electronic payment method. Suppliers can reach out to rutgers_ap_electronic_payment_services@finance.rutgers.edu to inquire about our electronic payment programs and terms.
For information on Voids and Reissues, or to request a stop payment, go to the University Procurement Services website for Voids, Reissues and Stop Payments.
- Go to the History tab of the INVOICE.
- Search for the AP processor name noted in the history.
- Go to the Comments tab and leave a comment for the processor NOT to pay this invoice.
For any units expecting to receive an ACH Payment, please review the University Controller's Office website.
Travel and Expense FAQs
At minimum, all Rutgers units are required to follow the Travel, Travel Incidentals, and Meal Expense Policy 40.4.1, however individual units may have more restrictions.
No, the policy is the same. Please see Travel, Travel Incidentals, and Meal Expense Policy 40.4.1.
Please also visit How to Expense for students and guests to learn about the process for reimbursement.
No. Please visit Booking Travel for more information on expense reports.
No. Please visit Reporting Travel Expenses for more information on reimbursement of travel related expenses.
Please visit Reporting Expenses to learn what receipts are required.
Yes, if required for business. See other qualifying expenses for reimbursement.
Yes, if required for business. Please visit Reporting Expenses for more information.
Prepare a Lost Receipt Certification Form (DOC) and electronically attach it to the expense report.
Please visit Reporting Expenses for more information.
Travelers should obtain a memo from the person named on the receipt authorizing reimbursement. Please visit Reporting Expenses for more information.
Yes. Please visit Reporting Expenses for more information.
If the expense is over 60 days old, then you will need approval from the finance or project approver for the expense report prior to submitting for approval.
Do not submit through Expense Management. All submissions are subject to audit and examination once submitted.
- The department/unit business manager must complete the Business Travel Reimbursement Over One Year form, requesting the reimbursements be processed as extra pay.
- The chancellor or executive/senior vice president responsible for the department/unit must sign the form to approve submission of all expenses more than one year old.
- All expense report documentation and receipts must accompany the form.
Send the form and supporting documentation to Payroll Services at:
33 Knightsbridge Road
Room B112
Piscataway, NJ 08854
If you paid for a group (i.e. classroom dinner), you can provide a list of attendees and signature(s) to be attached with receipts, instead of a letter. If this was a business meeting meal, an itemized receipt is required along with a list of the attendees and business affiliation and valid business purpose.
Please see the job aid for entering a travel allowance (per diem) in Concur.
Reminder: Per Diem on travel days is 75% of daily per diem and if meals are provided, they must be prorated out.
View the Non-Reimbursable Expenses section of the Reporting Expenses page to see items that are NOT reimbursable on an expense report. Some items may not be listed at this time.
For airfare, travelers can combine business and leisure if the cost to do so is not more than what would have been paid had they traveled solely for business. Documentation showing the airfare comparison is required to be attached to the expense report.
The university will not cover the cost of any other additional charges associated with the personal portion of the trip (hotel, meals, ground transportation, rental car, etc).
No, unless you have documentation confirming that it was cheaper than the standard economy class ticket at the time of ticketing (must have both as documentation for expense report).
If not, then the employee is only entitled to reimbursement for the Economy Class fare (attachments required), or a Travel Policy Violation Approval form approved by the Chancellor designee must be attached to the expense report.
The form is found at Booking Travel under the Travel Request and Approval forms section.
The university limits reimbursement of personal funds used to purchase goods or services to a maximum of $500, including sales tax and shipping, or software. Purchases in excess of this amount must be processed through University Procurement Services.
No, however the unit may order gift cards through one of our contracted suppliers.
The department will have to process a Non-PO Upload.
No, airfare and rail (Amtrak) tickets are pre-paid by the university. This eliminates the need for travelers to wait until they return from a trip to submit charges for reimbursement.
Rutgers University will reimburse for intermediate, compact, and economy cars – anything above those car classes would require additional approval.
Please Note: the overall cost of the rental should be less than the cost of other means of transportation (e.g., hotel shuttle, taxis, car service, airfare, personal car) and documentation of proof must be provided.
Travelers have the option to upgrade to business or first class by paying the difference with personal funds or by obtaining written approval from chancellor level prior to the trip. Upgrade from economy to premium economy requires written approval prior to the trip from the unit head. Proof of the standard coach class ticket cost and the upgraded ticket cost along with the written pre-approval must be included with the expense report to show the cost differences.
You must book standard room accommodations at reasonably priced mid-market hotels. Remember to take advantage of conference designated hotels when necessary.
Software is not allowed to be purchased via Pcard or reimbursement as it needs to be reviewed and approved in RU Marketplace.
If there is a specific reason it cannot be ordered through RU Marketplace, it will need an exception approval. For Pcard exception, please reach out to cardservices@finance.rutgers.edu.
For any personal purchase with a reimbursement request, approval must be received from expenseexception@finance.rutgers.edu.
Any additional cost is considered a personal expense. Please visit Travel Responsibilities for more information.
Any additional costs resulting from combining personal travel with university business travel are the responsibility of the traveler. Please visit Travel Responsibilities for more information.
The Oanda currency converter tool should be used when actual currency exchange receipts or credit card statements are not available. Please visit International Travel for more information.
Your department will be billed according to the account and amount indicated on each travel form.
Please speak to your business manager for this information.
Goods and services over $500 require approval from the Associate VP Procurement & CPO. Explain why the item was purchased instead of using RU Marketplace. Send the explanation to: expenseexception@finance.rutgers.edu.
All foreign documents submitted for reimbursement must be translated into English for approval. This is a requirement.
Domestic (24 Hours)
International (24 Hours or 48 Hours for Asia only)
Vacation rules can be set up from the approver's login. While setting up vacation rules, the user has an option to either re-assign the expense report or assign a delegate.
Please see the differences here:
- Re-assign workflow: removes the expense report from the default approver’s queue and sends it to the person whom it has been re-assigned to.
- Delegate workflow: appears simultaneously in the default approver's approval queue and the person whom it has been delegated to.
The account string can be changed by utilizing the job aid: Changing the GL string on a Pre-Trip Request in Concur.
Please speak to your business manager.
To change a project approver, send the project # and new project manager/approver's name to the correct budget department:
Project 2xxxxx to coa@finance.rutgers.edu
Project 3xxxxx to coa@finance.rutgers.edu
Project 5xxxxx to endow-restricted@finance.rutgers.edu
Project 6xxxxx to endow-restricted@finance.rutgers.edu
Project 7xxxxx to capitalassets@finance.rutgers.edu
Project 8xxxxx to rfs-helpdesk@research.rutgers.edu
Project 9xxxxx to rfs-helpdesk@research.rutgers.edu
The profile update for expense management is found under Forms and Templates.
Under Financial Information System Access Forms, choose Profile Update for Expense Management.
Talk to your business office. Determine who the finance approver should be and submit a finance approver change form.
Under Financial Information System Access Forms, choose Finance Approver Change form.
All Credit Card Program questions must be directed to Card Services at cardservices@finance.rutgers.edu.
All travel contracts can be seen on the Find Products & Services page on the University Procurement Services website.
To access the tool, you would go to my.rutgers.edu and log in. Go to "My apps," and search for Concur. Concur works with your SSO.
Alternatively, you can login by going to us2.concursolutions.com. Use your employeeID#@rutgers.edu to prompt single sign on access. You can find your ID# on your paycheck or on the myRutgers dash.
Any person who receives a Rutgers paycheck must use Concur for reimbursements.
Any person who receives a Rutgers paycheck must use Concur for reimbursements. Use Candex for non employee travel reimbursement if they do not receive a payroll check.
Payroll/PeopleSoft is not connected to Oracle beyond who can access the app, so if you updated your banking for payroll, it will not automatically update in Oracle. Although your expense reports are now processed in Concur, you still need to add your banking information into Oracle to be paid via ACH. Otherwise, you will be reimbursed via check within 60 days.
FAQs For Suppliers
University Procurement Services establishes supplier contracts that include group and cooperative purchasing agreements.
Please visit Our Buying Process to learn how the competitive bidding process works.
Supplier awards are based on the most responsible and responsive qualified bidder who meets all specifications, terms and conditions of the bid proposal.
Some factors considered in addition to price may be quality, adherence to specifications, delivery, service and warranty, depending on the intended use of the commodity or service. Bids are awarded based on price only when quality, delivery, etc. are equal.
The University reserves the right to waive technicalities or minor discrepancies in any bid, if waiving would serve the best interest of the University.
Bidders are notified in writing via an Intent to Award, or Notice of Award letter, usually within 120 days after the bid has been publicly opened. The award is final unless the University Procurement Services Chief Procurement Officer determines that a bid protest merits a stay or hold of the contract award. The award notice or Intent to Award is not a notice to proceed. The bidder who receives the award cannot proceed without a university purchase order.
We may reject any bid which does not meet, or substantially alters, the specifications, bid terms, or conditions of a proposal.
Suppliers must be invited by the units and/or University Procurement Services to participate.
Most Rutgers term contracts are for a period of three years with the possibility of two one-year extensions.
Major renovation projects of $2 million or more, new construction, selection of architects and real estate purchases are handled through University Facilities and Capital Planning.
No. If the requesting unit and University Procurement Services decide that a pre-bid or pre-proposal conference is necessary, the RFP solicitation will clearly state the information and requirements including the date, time and place of the event.
The University does not normally require bid bonds. The University, however, may call for performance bonds, and may also solicit alternative bonding methods. In the event of default of the contractor, the University may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for excess costs incurred.
Standard insurance requirements are set forth in the Standard Terms and Conditions.
Suppliers are responsible for submitting invoices. All invoices must be submitted directly to Accounts Payable. If the invoice does not have a purchase order number, the payment will not be processed.
Rutgers University standard payment terms are based on the payment method and are from the invoice date, unless stated otherwise. Standard net terms are 45 days.
You may receive more favorable payment terms by signing up for an electronic payment method. Please inquire with rutgers_ap_electronic_payment_services@finance.rutgers.edu.
Every effort is made to take advantage of any prompt payment discount (e.g. 2% 10 days) that a supplier offers.
All supplier registrations are completed in PaymentWorks. You must contact the unit sending you a purchase order to request an invitation to register.
If you are a registered supplier, all units at Rutgers can do business with you.
Improved payment terms are granted with electronic invoicing and payment. Please inquire with rutgers_ap_electronic_payment_services@finance.rutgers.edu regarding registration for an electronic payment method.
Please inquire with rutgers_ap_electronic_payment_services@finance.rutgers.edu regarding registration for an electronic payment method.
Yes, in PaymentWorks you can add two fulfillment/remit to addresses at a time.
PaymentWorks is a self service portal in which a supplier is responsible for updating, adding and deleting company information.
No, at this time all insurance and supporting documentations should be submitted to the unit that you are collaborating with.
Supplier Onboarding and Maintenance FAQs
Suppliers are rejected for the following reasons:
- Debarred supplier
- Duplicate supplier
- Suppliers already contracted with the university; look on our Find Products and Services section
- Supplier is a Rutgers employee or active student
- Incorrect supplier information
- Personalized message is directed to anyone other than the supplier
No, the Rutgers community no longer has the ability to submit documentation and information on behalf of the supplier; registration needs to be completed by the supplier.
Invite the supplier through PaymentWorks; see the job aid for Inviting a Supplier. Any supplier may be invited, but the request will first need to go through a University Procurement Services approval process; supplier requests may be rejected based on various factors.
You will need to re-submit the invitation using an alternate email.
Partly. Prior to registration through the PaymentWorks system, foreign individuals must contact Tax Services to register with Glacier. For foreign entities, the process stays the same (no need to register with Glacier).
Please see the job aid for Checking Status of a Supplier. The turnaround time depends on the complexity of the supplier AND how quickly the supplier is able to submit correct /complete registration and documentation, along with the backlog of applications at the time.
Individuals who are paid via non-PO upload submission are not included in PaymentWorks.
No, PaymentWorks allows one contact per supplier. The supplier can update that contact/add information after onboarding.
Yes. Existing active suppliers not in PaymentWorks must be invited to register in PaymentWorks.
The previously activated supplier may no longer qualify as a Rutgers supplier.
If you have checked PaymentWorks and do not see a green dot under connected, they need to be invited to register in PaymentWorks. If they were previously connected, a ticket to the help desk to request their reactivation is required.
- Go to: https://netid.rutgers.edu
- Click on “Manage Email Addresses” on the left panel
- Log in with your NetID and Password
- In the “Official Rutgers Email Address” section, add your Rutgers email address and Click on “Submit Request”
- Wait 2-3 hours until the email address is populated , then try to log in to the Supplier Portal (PaymentWorks)
It depends on a few things:
- Payment type (is this for a Non-PO upload, for example)?
- Employment status (individuals who receive a payroll check would be reimbursed via Concur.
- Individuals who are not paid via payroll or fall under the Check Request Matrix payment types must go through PaymentWorks or Candex.
Yes, only if the following criteria are met:
- It is at least 6 months from their last paycheck with Rutgers.
- Hire date is a different calendar year.
- Is not the same job that they were performing prior to leaving Rutgers.
To check for supplier status in PaymentWorks, see the Searching for A Supplier job aid for assistance. For RU Marketplace, you will need to check RU Marketplace. If you see them, they are an approved supplier and can be used for shopping.
All supplier updates will be managed through PaymentWorks. Existing active suppliers not in PaymentWorks must be invited to PaymentWorks to update their information.
Suppliers in PaymentWorks can access their PaymentWorks profile and manage and update their information.
An invitation request through PaymentWorks will need to be created and sent for approval. However, if you have been alerted that only a supplier's name is changing (but the federal ID stays the same), the supplier can update their name in their existing PaymentWorks profile.
When a supplier changes their name or FEIN, you must do the following:
- Cancel all open POs in the old name.
- Create a requisition in the new supplier name.
- In the description write: DO NOT duplicate Order. This is to replace PO # XXXXXXXXX
- Have the supplier submit outstanding invoices with the new PO number (once the new PO is created and approved).
- Send invoices with new PO number to accountspayable@finance.rutgers.edu.
If you have technical issues with PaymentWorks, contact the PaymentWorks Help Center.
ICED is not handled in the supplier onboarding process. ICED forms will still need to be attached by the units when a requisition is submitted.
Glacier is the non-resident alien tax compliance system that foreign visitors/individuals use to provide their immigrant and tax data. Contact the Rutgers Tax Department at tax@payroll.rutgers.edu for assistance.
Reimbursements for: Athletics - Game Day Services, Honoraria, Net (Print) Royalties, Patient Actors, and Travel - Non Employee for both domestic and foreign suppliers are now processed in the Candex punchout.
Not at this time. You must check for the invoice status by logging in to RU Marketplace.
Discretionary Spending Policies FAQs
Visit the Finance Reports website.
Purchase Orders and Commitments - The terms “commitment” and “encumbrance” are used interchangeably. Both terms mean a purchase order (PO) has been created to earmark funds for a specified purpose. When reviewing a report in the financial management system, the Budget-Actuals-Commitments is the available balance. Showing commitments on financial reports is a tool you can use to determine how much money remains on a PO that can be spent. The commitment will show on the project or general ledger string until the PO is invoiced against or closed out. If a PO is closed out before the end of a fiscal year, then the commitment will be reversed and the hold against the available balance will be removed. POs do not close out at the end of a fiscal year, which means commitments roll over provided that there is a balance on the PO.
Open POs and Funding - Commitments are a hold against an available PO balance. An open PO is a commitment and will lessen the available balance on a project string or general ledger string. Committed funds are not available for use for other purposes because they are set aside for payment of goods or services already ordered.
Commitments and Budgets - Closing a commitment does not change your budget amount. If you have a commitment at the end of a fiscal year and goods and services are not received before the fiscal year closes, then you should work with your department to secure funding for the following fiscal year as needed.
Open Commitments - All requisitions that are submitted for approval in RU Marketplace show as an open commitment in Oracle. When a requisition is approved and becomes a valid PO (RU Marketplace), then the requisition commitment is replaced with a PO commitment (Oracle). After an invoice is processed against a PO, the PO commitment is replaced with a charge to the project or general ledger string. Once a month, the Controller’s Office manually removes open requisition commitments (Oracle) if the requisition was approved, withdrawn, rejected or returned. A cancel/close request can be submitted (RU Marketplace) to resolve a commitment issue if a PO number has been assigned.
These categories are opportunities to realize savings and prevent future expenses due to software license non-compliance. At the University wide level, AAS works closely with the Office of Information Technology’s (OIT) Governance Risk and Compliance unit to develop a strategy for identifying software licensing at the unit level and partnering with University Procurement Services and OIT to track and monitor discretionary spending in this area.
The discretionary spending approach is designed to reduce operating costs to meet Rutgers University budget challenges by focusing on incurring only necessary, appropriate, and reasonable expenditures for university’s mission. All Rutgers faculty and staff are being asked to exercise a continuous commitment to fiscally responsible spending, use sound judgment to help maintain business operations and programs that are financially sustainable, and adhere to discretionary spending guidelines.
Discretionary Spending In-Scope: An expenditure that is not considered necessary, appropriate and/or reasonable, and can be avoided. This assessment is based on sound judgment by requestors, requisitioners and approvers within each unit to make fiscally responsible decisions about optional/non-essential purchases.
Discretionary Spending Out-of-Scope: Costs that are unavoidable, required for units to function, and/or must be incurred for mission-critical operations.
Each unit may have its own internal purchase review and approval process prior to entering a purchase in RU Marketplace. Please consult your unit’s business manager(s) or Vice Chancellor’s office. A Discretionary Spending Approver has been added in RU Marketplace. Requisitions that meet all four conditions below are routed to the discretionary spending approver(s) for the assigned UDO after the department approver approves.
- Is Natural Account code 5, 6, 7 (expense and internal purchase order account)
- Is not Project code 5, 6, 7, 8 (endowment, grant, gift, capital project)
- Is not Fund Type 360 (educational opportunity fund)
- Is $5,000 and above
An escalation process has been established between the discretionary spending approver, University Procurement Services approver, Chief Business Officer, Chief Procurement Officer, and Chief Financial Officer.