Request an Outgoing Wire Transfer or ACH Payment

• Domestic ACH Payments: Efficient, cost effective and preferred over wire transfers when funds can be electronically transferred. Usually a supplier or payee will specify when they wish to be paid by ACH which will re-occur automatically when the payee is setup with ACH  and without charge for Special Payment fees. ACH payments are settled on the next business day after ACH payments are issued.
• Wire transfer: This method should be used when it is the only acceptable method of payment. Items that can only be paid by wire transfer include payments to countries where mail delivery is unreliable, banking restrictions pose problems and/or funds need to be sent in a foreign currency.
  • Typically, wire transfers incur bank fees. Because of these fees, wire transfers must be authorized by the Stanford requester for each request and a non-sponsored PTA provided for the fees. 
  • Be sure to determine that a wire transfer is valid and appropriate as wires are final and cannot be canceled once the transfer is initiated.
  • When requesting wire transfers in a foreign currency, the final USD amount is subject to change based on the Foreign Exchange conversion rate. 
  • Payments for less than $1,000 to other countries (such as European countries) should be made by check whenever possible (ACH is available to US banks only). A payee that is outside the US may request payment to their US bank via ACH if the account truly is to a US bank account.

Outgoing wires may be requested as a Special Payment Handling Option in Expense Requests (expense report/reimbursements) or specified on the invoice for Purchase Order payments.

NOTE: Special payment handling options may incur fees. See Payment Handling Methods and Processing Times for more information.

1. Indicate the method of payment:
   • Specify Wire Transfer or ACH method in the Special Payment Handling Option step when requesting an expense report/reimbursement in Expense Requests

   • Or, specify Wire Transfer or ACH method as notation when creating Standard Non-Catalog purchase requisition in iProcurement

     NOTE: The invoice must state wire transfer when the invoice is submitted to the completed PO and a non-sponsored PTA must be added to pay the fee. 

1. Payee provides the electronic fund transfer bank instructions via the secure Supplier and Payee Request Portal
2. Domestic ACH payments
   • U.S. bank name 
   • Account type (checking, savings, etc.) 
   • Bank routing number
   • Bank account number 
   • Remittance email
   • Attach a copy of a voided check 
3. Domestic Wire, electronic fund transfer (not ACH fund transfer) instructions provided by the vendor must include:
   • Bank letter to confirm the account is open, valid and in the supplier or payee’s name.
   • Name of the Bank
   • Address of the Bank
   • ABA Number
   • Name of the Account Holder
   • Account Number
4. Foreign electronic fund transfer instructions must include:
   • Bank letter to confirm the account is open, valid and in the supplier or payee’s name.
   • Name of the Bank
   • Address of the Bank (including street address, city and state/province, country
   • BIC/SWIFT Code
   • Account Number (IBAN for transfers to the United Kingdom or if the payment is in Euros, CLAB number if the transfer is to Mexico)
   • Exact name of the Account Holder as it appears on their bank account

• For expense reports and Non-PO payment requests: Request Special Payment Handling on the expense report/reimbursement or Non-PO payment request. If the payee/supplier has not provided banking or wire instructions to Stanford Disbursements  before, the Supplier Enablement team will contact the supplier/payee to collect the wire or ACH information securely via the Supplier/Payee Request Portal Do not attach, email or fax wire or ACH payment information with the transaction
• For payments using invoices: See Email or Mail an Invoice to Accounts Payable for instructions on how to submit an invoice.