Certain types of expenditure transactions create Stanford payment obligations before they are actually posted to a PTA with a business justification. These transactions must be managed to ensure they are posted to a PTA in a timely manner to comply with Stanford policy and federal regulations, and to support financial stewardship of the university's resources.
This overview describes the types of transactions and their workflow, provides guidance and tools for monitoring, identifying and clearing, and describes the force clearing process for transactions aged beyond 60 days. The types of transactions include:
- Credit Card Charges: Payments to suppliers using a Stanford Purchasing Card (PCard) or Travel Card (TCard).
- Advances: Funds disbursed to a Stanford employee which are later reported in an expense report.
- Expense Reports: University business and travel expenses incurred by an individual using personal funds requiring reimbursement or reporting the use of an advance or TCard purchase.
- Non-PO payment: Obligations to pay a third party.
This section addresses aging Expense Reports in the System: Expense Requests. For more information, see Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports.
Aging is the number of days between the Expense End Date, which is the date of the latest transaction in the expense report, and the current date up until full local approval, when aging stops. After that the transaction is considered outstanding but still requires local monitoring until it posts to a PTA.
Transactions that have been submitted for approval and have no rejections are typically processed in a matter of days. However, in some cases a transaction can stop progressing in its workflow. See the Resource: Resolving Aging Expense Requests for guidance on how to resolve problems based on the current status.
Note: Expense Report transactions that have been saved but never submitted by the transaction preparer (status in ERS is “Saved”) do not appear in Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) but are still considered aging.
The OBI Expense Request - Aging & Outstanding report shows transactions that have been submitted and are in process but not yet posted to a PTA as an expenditure. Each ERS transaction age is calculated and displayed in age buckets or central processing buckets to focus attention on the different kinds of actions that need to be taken.
The report displays the transaction dollar amounts in columns based on the number of days from the Expense Request End Date up through local approval, at which point the Outstanding columns indicate where it is in central processing.
Workflow: ERS Transaction Processing with Aging
The following graphic shows the stages of ERS transaction processing with associated statuses, who is responsible at that stage and how aging is applied.
This is done by the transaction preparer and includes transactions with the status of In Progress, Withdrawn, Rejected, Returned or Pending Resolution
This is done by the approver when the status is Pending Approval
This is done by the Business Expense Processor (on the Business Expense Team) when the status is Pending Audit Review
This is done by Accounts Payable when the status is Pending Payment
Once an expense request is fully approved and AP has processed the payment the transaction will post to the PTA(s), the status will show as Paid, and the transaction will no longer appear in aging reports.
Advances are funds paid directly to faculty, staff or students via the Expense Requests system to support specific business activities. Examples include advance travel funds and payments to human subject study participants. The advance ages until it is applied to an expense report that is approved and posted to a PTA. Clearing should occur within 60 days of the completion of travel or the expected clearing date, and unapplied advance amounts must be repaid to Stanford to clear the transaction from the aging report. For more information, visit Administrative Guide Policy 5.4.1: Expense Advances. The Oracle Business Intelligence OBI Advances - Aging report does not reflect that an advance has been applied to an expense report until the expense report is fully approved.
The OBI Advances - Aging report displays advances that have not been completely cleared. Each amount applied from an advance to an Expense Report is listed on a separate line showing the Advance Related Expense Request Transaction Number and the total shows the remaining unapplied amount. The report displays the advance dollar amounts in buckets, based on their number of days beyond the Advance Expected Clearing Date.
Workflow: Advance Processing with Aging
The following graphic shows the stages of ERS transaction processing with associated statuses, who is responsible at that stage and how aging is applied.
This is done by the transaction preparer when an advance is being applied to a new Expense Report in ERS. Refer to How to: Request and Clear and Advance.
This is done by the approver when the status is Pending Approval
This is done by the Business Expense Processor (on the Business Expense Team) when the status is Pending Audit Review
This is done by Accounts Payable when the status is Pending Payment
Once the expense request(s) that an advance or partial advance amount has been attached to completes its workflow the advance amounts will post to PTA(s) as part of the expense request(s). While an advance is only partially applied it will continue to appear in aging with rows showing amounts for each expense request it is applied to. Once the full amount of the advance has been applied it is considered cleared and no longer appears in the aging report.
Note: The status of an advance shows “Paid” once the requester has been paid the advance funds. This status does not change or reflect the status of the Expense Report to which the advance has been applied.
Travel Card (TCard) charges appear in aging reports a few days after a purchase is made, with aging days initially calculated based on SU Credit Card Posted Date. If a purchase is for an activity in the future (e.g. airplane ticket for later travel) verifiers can enter an Expense End Date in the Oracle Expense Requests System (ERS) to reflect the accurate number of days of aging. For more information, visit How To Manage Travel Card (TCard) Expense End Date.
Once a TCard charge is applied to an Expense Report then the Expense Request End Date is used to calculate the days of aging. TCard charges will continue to appear in TCard Aging reports even after they have been added to an Expense Report but will show the transaction number of the Export Report to which they have been applied. Both will be visible in aging reports until the Expense Report is posted as a charge to a PTA.
The Oracle Business Intelligence OBI Credit Card Transactions - Aging report displays TCard transactions in aging buckets matching the Expense Requests report once a transaction has been added to an Expense Request and shows the Expense Request transaction number. Amounts are displayed in age buckets or central processing buckets to focus attention on the different kinds of actions that need to be taken.
Workflow: TCard Processing with Aging
The following graphic shows stages of TCard processing, who is responsible at that stage and how aging is applied.
This is done by the Card Holder to initiate a TCard charge
This is done by the transaction preparer and includes transactions with the status of In Progress, Withdrawn, Rejected, Returned or Pending Resolution. Refer to How To: Create Expense Report for SU Payees.
Once all entries are complete the preparer submits the transaction
This is done by the approver when the status is Pending Approval
This is done by the Business Expense Processor (on the Business Expense Team) when the status is Pending Audit Review
This is done by Accounts Payable when the status is Pending Payment
Once an expense request is fully approved and AP has processed the payment the transaction will post to the PTA(s), the status will show as Paid, and the transaction will no longer appear in aging reports.
Purchasing Card (PCard) transaction aging starts at the SU Credit Card Posted Date and ends when it completes local approval which immediately causes the charge to post to a PTA and be cleared from the aging report. To follow policy, transactions should be cleared as soon as possible and within 60 days of the credit card posted date. For more information, visit Administrative Guide Policy 5.3.3: Purchasing Cards.
The Oracle Business Intelligence OBI Credit Card Transactions - Aging report displays PCard transaction amounts in aging buckets.
Workflow: PCard Processing with Aging
The following graphic shows stages of PCard processing, who is responsible at that stage and how aging is applied.
This is done by the PCard verifier and includes transactions with the status of New or Returned. Refer to How to: Verify PCard Transactions.
This is done by the Approver(s) when the status is Pending Approval
Once a transaction is fully approved it will post to the PTA(s), the status will show Approved, and the transaction will no longer appear in aging reports.
Several tools are available to help preparers, approvers and finance staff identify aging transactions:
- Financial managers and analysts can use Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) reporting to monitor activity:
- Transaction preparers and approvers can view, in a single place, all financial transactions where they are included in the workflow at:
- Pending Transactions (OFweb > Inquiry Tools)
- Anyone with access to SU Expense Requests can use the system search to look up transactions (including Expense Reports, Non-PO Payments and Advances but not Travel Card transactions). This method does not facilitate finding those transactions which are aging.
Prepare and approve transactions in a timely manner:
- Submit Expense Reports including travel card charges and advances.
- Verify Purchasing Card transactions.
- Approve financial transactions.
Manage Credit Card Profiles using:
- OBI SU Credit Card Custodian Report to find the card’s custodian and verifier.
- Credit Card Profiles Change Request Tool to find or update the card verifier or change the credit card profile.
Get help:
FMS is available to support departments in this effort.
- If you have questions or need help clearing an aging transaction, please submit a support request.
- If you need help with a PCard or TCard, use the PCard/TCard support request.
- Purchasing Card (PCard) transactions, Travel Card (TCard) transactions, and Advances that have aged beyond 60 days will be force cleared by Financial Management Services (FMS).
- See Policy: Clearing of Aging Transactions for information about the timing and process of force clearing.
- Consequences for credit cards, such as card suspension and income tax reporting, are addressed in Purchasing Card (PCard) Program and Travel Card (TCard) Program pages.
- For each travel card, FMS will create an Expense Report, add travel card transactions that are over age limits, and then force approve the Expense Report, which will post charges to the credit card guarantee PTAE.
- For advances, FMS will create and post an offsetting APInvoice transaction with the same transaction number as the advance but appended with “FC” that charges the remaining balance to the AP Default PTA.
- For PCard charges, FMS force approves the transaction which will post charges to the credit card guarantee PTAE.
To find either TCard or PCard transactions that have been force cleared, use the updated OBI Credit Card Transactions Report.
Choose the following Selection Criteria:
- Choose SU Credit Card Transaction Status Description: FORCED APPROVED to find force cleared transactions.
- Choose First GL Period Name and Last GL Period Name to select the time period when the transaction(s) were forced cleared.
- Choose any other selection criteria desired (e.g., Organization or Award Number).
There are two additional Include Fields available in the report: GL Period Name and Posting Date, which show the force clear date.
Image of Selection Criteria
Image of TCard transaction PTAE view showing GL Period name
Image of TCard transaction PTAE view showing force clear fee amount
Image of PCard transaction PTAE view showing transaction description
Image of PCard transaction PTAE view showing force clear fee
To find Advance transactions that have been force cleared, use the new Advances - Force Cleared report.
Choose First GL Period Name and Last GL Period Name to select the time period when the transaction(s) were forced cleared.
This report should return all force cleared advances as well as any other invoice(s) (e.g., ERs or Rush Processing Invoices) that are linked to the original advance. The report contains a summary of force clear transactions and fees charged.
To find suspended (or closed) Credit Cards, the OBI SU Credit Card Custodian Report has been enhanced. As part of this enhancement, users can also now find closed credit cards.
Users can select the Card Status of ACTIVE (default status), CLOSED and/or SUSPENDED. Two other fields were added to the report: Card Status and Inactive On date.
Departments should take the following actions after a transaction is force cleared.
- Identify force cleared transactions
- Use the OBI Credit Card Transactions Report.
- For selection criteria:
- Choose SU Credit Card Transaction Status Description: FORCED APPROVED to find force cleared transactions.
- Choose First GL Period Name and Last GL Period Name to select the time period when the transaction(s) were forced cleared.
- Choose any other selection criteria desired (e.g., Organization or Award Number).
- PCards are cleared on their SU Credit Card Transaction ID Number.
- TCards are cleared on an Expense Request Transaction Number but also have their own SU Credit Card Transaction ID Number.
- Determine and collect any amounts owed to Stanford for personal expenses.
- Amounts expended for Stanford business should be explained in the business purpose and any remaining amounts defined as for personal use and repaid to Stanford.
- Request a check from the card holder and deposit it. Starting in May 2023, the JP Morgan (JPM) mobile app replaces the Wells Fargo mobile app for depositors who previously used CASHNet and location code 10001, however Stanford will maintain a relationship with Wells Fargo for in-person branch deposits. For more information on the cash and check deposit roll out, check out the news page Cash and Check Deposit Enhancements.
- Submit a Support Request to Card Services stating that a personal expense that was force cleared has been paid back. Include the following information in the Support Request: Last four digits of the PCard or TCard, Transaction ID and proof of deposit.
- Upload documentation showing the deposit took place (see instructions in Create and store documentation set). This will usually occur after the initial documentation set is uploaded. For either TCards or PCards, upload the backup documentation for the final deposit to the transaction that was used to force clear the charge. This documentation supports audits and proves that the repayment was made.
- Create and store documentation set.
- Create a business purpose and scan the receipt or create a document explaining why the receipt is missing.
- Find credit card transaction in Oracle Financials and upload documents.
- PCard: use PCard Search
- Search for PCard transaction ID
- Click on the transaction ID
- Click Upload/View Attachments
- Under Upload Attachments click Browse
- Select the documentation set
- Click Open
- Click Upload file(s)
- Click Close
- TCard: use Expense Request Search
- Search for Expense Request transaction number the card was cleared on
- Click Select on the transaction line
- Click Attach/View receipts
- Select the expense line for the card transaction
- Under Upload Attachments click Browse
- Select the documentation set from your file system
- Click Open
- Click Upload file(s)
- PCard: use PCard Search
- Use iJournal to move charges to an appropriate PTAE if needed. An unallowable expenditure type should be used for any amounts that do not have an explicitly allowable business purpose. Attach the documentation set to the iJournal as well.
- Identify force cleared transactions
- Use the OBI Advances - Force Cleared report to find force cleared Advance transactions.
- Determine what is owed to Stanford for personal expenses and collect.
- The force cleared amount and any prior reimbursements from the traveler will both appear in the ERR Advances report in the Employee Advance Returned Amount, but in the OBI Advances - Force Cleared report earlier reimbursements will appear with the advance transaction number appended with RUM while the force cleared amount is appended with FC.
- Amounts expended for Stanford business should be explained in the business purpose and any remaining amounts defined as for personal use and repaid to Stanford.
- Collect a check from the Payee and deposit it. Starting in May 2023, the JP Morgan (JPM) mobile app replaces the Wells Fargo mobile app for depositors who previously used CASHNet and location code 10001, however Stanford will maintain a relationship with Wells Fargo for in-person branch deposits. For more information on the cash and check deposit roll out, check out the news page Cash and Check Deposit Enhancements. As with returning unused advance funds, send the check to the Payment Services team.
- Upload documentation showing the deposit took place (see instructions in the next step). This will usually occur after the initial documentation set is uploaded.
- Create and store documentation set
- Create a business purpose, scan the receipt(s) or create a document explaining why the receipt(s) is/are missing.
- Use Oracle Expense Request Search to find the advance and upload the documentation set.
- Search Expense Request transaction number of the original advance
- Click Attach/View receipts
- Under Upload Attachments click Browse
- Select the documentation set from your file system
- Click Open
- Click upload file(s)
- Use iJournal to move charges to an appropriate PTAE if needed. An unallowable expenditure type should be used for any amounts that do not have an explicitly allowable business purpose. Attach the documentation set to the iJournal as well.
Use these charts to find information about the status of credit card transactions, advances, and expense requests. Access to this information varies by role.
How to Find Aging and Force Cleared Transactions
| Role | How to Find Aging Transactions | How to Find Force Approved Transactions |
|---|---|---|
| Cardholder or Transaction Processor | Oracle Financials System Tool:
|
NA |
| Approver | Oracle Financials System Tool:
|
OBI Dashboard Report: OBI Dashboard Report: |
| Department Manager | OBI Dashboard Report: | OBI Dashboard Report: OBI Dashboard Report: |
| Senior Associate Dean (or equivalent) | NA | NA |
| * Filter by SU Credit Card Transact Status Description = FORCED APPROVED by GL Period | ||
How to Find Transactions in Any State and a Summary of Activity
| Role | How to Find Transactions in Any State | How to Find a Summary of Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Card Holder or Transaction Processor | OBI Dashboard Report: | NA |
| Approver or Department Manager | OBI Dashboard Report: | OBI Dashboard Report: |
| Senior Associate Dean (or equivalent) | NA | OBI Dashboard Report: |
OBI Dashboard Landing Page
The Expense Requests and SU Card Activity Dashboard includes reports about aging and cleared credit card transactions, advances, and expense requests.
