Handbook of Business Procedures

9.2.7. PAYMENT GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION

A. Introduction

Local funds payments at The University of Texas at Austin are generated and distributed on a daily basis, Monday through Friday. Paper checks print twice a day, once in the morning and once at noon, and direct deposit payments are distributed once a day with a two business day posting period.

Note: This section does not include payroll checks. For information about payroll checks, see the Handbook of Business Procedures 13.2.4. Employee’s Payroll Profile.

B. Payment Generation

An approved payment document is a payment voucher. A payment is generated based on the scheduled payment due date indicated on the payment voucher. Payment will issue as a check, state treasury warrant, or direct deposit payment. Section 9.1. Expenditure Procedures Introduction and Resources lists the various types of payment documents, which will approve as state payment vouchers or local payment vouchers, based upon the type of funds used to process the payment.

• Payments from Local Funds
  
  Payments from local payment vouchers are issued through the university’s local bank account.
• Payments from State Funds
  
  Payments from state payment vouchers are issued through the Office of the Texas Comptroller on behalf of the university. If a payment document clears all of the requirements to pay from state-held funds, the university’s *DEFINE accounting system sends the information to the State of Texas Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS). USAS generates the state warrant or direct deposit directly out of the university’s appropriated funds held in the state treasury.

C. Distribution

• Paper Checks
  
  There are a variety of distribution options for paper checks, including U.S. mail, campus mail, foreign mail, check pick up, and distribution with attachments.

   

  • Paper checks that are distributed via U.S. mail, campus mail, and foreign mail are picked up by the university’s Mail Services once a day in the early afternoon and are sent daily, Monday through Friday.
  • Check pickup requires a business need and special permission from an authorized person. When checks are ready for pick up at the university, the Office of Accounting will contact the payee or the third party authorized to pick up the check. Checks are held at the front desk in the Office of Accounting in Main 4 and are available to be picked up Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information and instructions about check pick up, see Check Distribution Code “P” For All Check Pick Up In Person.  
  • Checks to be distributed with attachments receive special handling within the Office of Accounting. These checks can include those that need to go out via overnight/special delivery (such as UPS or FedEx) as well as checks that need to go out with a payment remittance, registration paperwork, etc. 
• State Warrants
  
  State warrants are picked up from the Office of the Texas Comptroller each morning and are delivered to the university’s Office of Accounting Cash Management. The distribution options for state warrants are the same as for paper checks (listed above), but are performed by Cash Management personnel.
• Direct Deposit Payments
  
  Local direct deposit payments are distributed once a day with a two business day posting period. For questions about direct deposit payment, contact Payment Information at paymentinfo@austin.utexas.edu.

Part 9. Expenditure Procedures - Table of Contents