Visitors (non-SU payees) are often invited to Stanford to speak, collaborate and study. Stanford Easy Pay is a payment method, initiated through the Expense Requests system, that is available for:
- Reimbursing visitors (both domestic and foreign) for eligible expenses (including for relocation and recruitment)
- Paying visitor honoraria
Stanford Easy Pay was implemented to expedite and streamline the visitor payee process. A third party (Candex) manages the registration and payment process directly with the recipient (visitor payee), so the recipient does not need to be set up as a supplier in Stanford’s system.
There is no minimum or maximum amount for Stanford Easy Pay and it can be used for foreign and domestic visitors.
Stanford Easy Pay is not used for:
- Reimbursing an employee or student (SU payee). Refer to: Reimbursements and Expense Reports.
- Paying Human Subject incentives.
- Paying a supplier or independent contractor who is being paid or reimbursed for professional services.
- Refer to inviting visitors (both domestic and foreign)
- Best practice is to document the invitation through a letter, which can be attached to the transaction as backup documentation.
- Activity occurs
- Note: Will call (physical check printed in advance of the activity) is not available for these types of payments. After the event, departments can thank the visitor with a card or letter, but this payment method will not facilitate a check that can be physically provided to the visitor.
- A department preparer initiates the transaction within the Expense Requests system. Depending on the transaction, refer to one of the following resources. If the visitor is receiving both an honorarium and travel reimbursement, prepare and submit two separate transactions.
- For foreign visitors, ensure the preparer includes the recipient’s visa type in the WHO: section of the Business Purpose in the transaction.
Submit a support request if an alternative payment process needs to be considered for individual recipients/payees in rare cases in which that person is unable to register with Candex.
- Financial approval routing for Stanford Easy Pay consistent with other transaction types:
- Department and school or unit level financial approver(s)
- Central audit (Business Expense)
- Based on their notification settings, the preparer will receive an email after approval and audit completion and the transaction status will change to Ready for Payment and then Pending Payment.
- Stanford sends the transaction to the third party (Candex), typically on the same day as approval.
- Candex initiates the registration process by sending an email to the recipient (using the same email address as entered in the ERS transaction)
- Preparer will be notified when the recipient, who Candex emails may refer to as the “vendor,” confirms their registration and accepts payment from Stanford, who is referred to as the “buyer.”
- Preparer will be copied on activity summary emails from Candex to the recipient if action has not been taken to register and accept payment.
- The recipient should seek assistance from Candex for registration and payment acceptance (support@candex.com).
- When recipient has registered and accepted payment, Candex will pay the recipient within 3-5 business days.
- Candex notifies Stanford that the recipient has been paid.
- The ERS transaction status changes to “Paid.”
- Funds are sent to Candex (listed as payee in the transaction), by Accounts Payable.
