The Digital Payments payment method is used to reimburse Stanford visitors for domestic travel expenses quickly and efficiently using either Zelle, a secure nationwide digital payment network, or Automated Clearing House (ACH) bank transfers. The reimbursement threshold for Digital Payments is currently $1,000 per individual for a single trip. If expenses exceed $1,000 for one trip, the visitor reimbursement must be processed as an Expense Report for Non-SU Payees (Visitor Reimbursement) in the Expense Requests system.
FMS is increasing the reimbursement threshold to $5,000 (per individual per trip) on May 6, 2024. This change expands access to this convenient payment method, which reduces the administrative burden of setting up a visitor in the payee database.
On May 6, FMS will also make several updates to the Digital Payments sub module within ERS:
- The Upload Lines template will be updated to include new drop-down lists for Citizenship Status, State, Country (defaulted to USA), and Expense Type, and an additional Expenditure Type drop-down list based on the Expense Type that is selected.
- An optional Event field will be added, to help track different visitors who were reimbursed for the same event (such as an on-campus conference).
How to reimburse a visitor with Digital Payments
Current users of Digital Payments may begin processing single trip travel expense reimbursements up to $5,000 starting on May 6.
New users can gain access to Digital Payments through the Expense Requests System. System privileges, including Digital Payments, are granted by authorized school/department grantors. There are several methods of determining who can grant authority for a particular privilege; to learn more, visit Topic Overview: View Financial Authority Assignments. Then, the new user must complete the FIN-0505: Digital Payments training, which will be updated on May 6 to include the new $5,000 reimbursement threshold. The Digital Payments Topic Overview will also be updated on May 6 with the new reimbursement threshold.
As a reminder, preparers who create a Digital Payments request should always ensure that they provide the email address and cell phone number associated with the payee’s Zelle or bank account. Once the request is approved internally, the request is sent to J. P. Morgan for payment.
This winter, J.P. Morgan replaced the payment platform it uses for Digital Payments. The new J.P. Morgan payment platform provides enhanced security and controls for digital payments, and allows for the possible expansion of payment options in the future.
In preparation for this change, Stanford disabled the Digital Payments payment method from Friday, December 8, 2023 through Monday, January 15, 2024. During this time, domestic visitors could be reimbursed for travel through the Non-SU Payee reimbursement process in the Expense Requests system. Note that only the J.P. Morgan payment platform was updated; the interface to request Digital Payments in the Expense Requests System did not change.
To support this change, Stanford created:
- A new resource for visitors with step-by-step instructions on how to register and accept a Digital Payment on the new platform.
- An optional department template that preparers can use to inform the visitor about the pending payment so they know what to expect.
For any questions or help, please submit a support request for assistance with Digital Payments.
