Accounts Payable Helpful Tips

Vendors

  • New Vendors: the new vendor verification and creation process are detailed and time-consuming. All information must be verified to ensure proper documentation and to protect ALA and our vendors from fraudulent activities around accounts payable.

  • Updated W-9s: Finance may need an updated W-9 form, generally for one of these factors: (1) the vendor has announced an address change, (2) the invoice address is different from the W-9 address on file, (3) the submitted W9 is not signed and/or dated, or (4) no W9 on file.

 

Training

  • Training sessions will be held for staff who enter invoices and those who approve invoices. (Estimated timeframe late September each year).

Helpful Tips

  1. If you have a new vendor, submit it as soon as possible after you become aware of the new vendor. Don't wait until the invoice is in hand. Submit the new vendor request ASAP, so it gets in the queue. The new vendor request form is linked from the Frequently Used Links table in your unit base.
    1. Include the W-9 and ACH in the request, or if the vendor prefers to send those via Tiger Tools, follow up and make sure the vendor did so.
    2. W-9 must be signed and dated.
    3. ACH must be signed and dated. A canceled check is required to verify account information.
       
  2. Please submit the Vendor Update form if you need to update a vendor. The form is linked to your unit base's Frequently Used Links table.
     
  3. When staff submits an invoice, check to make sure the address on the invoice matches the address ALA has on file. Anytime an invoice is sent back to the requestor, it slows down the process. A few extra minutes on the front end can save lots of back and forth.
    1. All users can view the vendor list (8,000+ records) in their unit base, and each record has the address currently in the Great Plains (GP) system.
    2. If there is a mismatch between what's on file and what's on the invoice, the invoice will be sent back to the requestor when AP looks at the submitted invoice.
       

  4. If the charge line needed is *not* in Airtable, hold the invoice and fill out the new charge line request form (available on the Frequently Used Links table in your unit base).

    1. Do not submit the invoice with the incorrect charge line. Doing so will result in the invoice being sent back to the requestor.
       

 

ALA will only accept and pay from a valid invoice that includes all the elements required by the system:

  1. Invoice Requirements
  2. The word Invoice must appear on the form.
  3. A unique invoice number.
  4. Invoice date.
  5. Payment due date and terms.
  6. Description: quantity, cost per unit, total item cost, period services rendered.
  7. Total Amount charged.
  8. Vendor’s complete remittance information: Contact information, name, address, email address, ALA department receiving the goods and services, and ALA employees’ contact information.
  9. ALA’s address must be reflected accurately: 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1300, Chicago, Illinois 60601
  10. All Invoices must be issued to the American Library Association. The ALA Division name or department name can be listed as a reference only and not as the payor.
    1. Example:American Library Association
    2. C/O ACRL – Jay Malone

     Payment to International vendors

  1. International vendor invoices must adhere to the requirements above and be issued in U.S. Dollars.
  2. ALA’s partner company, Transfermate Global Payments, will issue payment via international ACH.For award payments, include a backup verifying the award.
    1. Examples include an award letter, a copy of the email message to the winner with the specific award amount, copy of the application.
    2. If an award is paid in two installments, the above backup must be included with *both* installments.

For travel reimbursements for members, make sure there is a receipt for all charges submitted.

If the vendor did not receive a receipt, such as from a taxi, ask the vendor to create a receipt with the date, time, store/vendor, service, and amount paid.

For mileage, make sure you are using the current year's approved mileage rate, *and* include verification of the mileage. The vendor can use Google Maps or similar to enter starting location and destination and include a PDF of the resulting map/mileage calculation as verification.
 

The payment terms for a vendor are set up in Great Plains when the vendor is created. The default is typically 30 days for ACH and 25 days for printed check. If you submit an invoice with a net 10 due date but the payment term in GP was set up with net 30, the invoice will not get paid until the net 30.

 

Before contacting Accounts payable to seek the status of payment, please be sure to have addressed any returned items.