Payment Processing

Complete and properly approved payment requests received by Friday at 12:00 PM will be paid within 2 weeks.

This timeline begins only once all required documentation, approvals, and compliance reviews are in place, and starts at the next Friday at 12:00 PM due to the weekly check run. For example, a payment request received complete and approved on Wednesday will have its two-week processing window begin the following Friday at 12:00 PM. Missing information will delay processing until the next eligible Friday. Information on rush payment requests can be found here.

Submitting requests completely and on-time is the most effective way to ensure timely payment.

How to Submit a Payment Request

Payment requests (Check Request, Wire Request (international vendors only) or Invoice) may be submitted through the , or by email to accountspayable@oxy.edu

Payment requests must include the following. If any of the below items are missing, payment may very be delayed until corrected.

Check or Wire Requests must include complete supporting documentation (flyer, syllabus, itinerary, any documents relevant to the payment or business purpose for the payment
Invoices must include vendor name, address, unique invoice number and invoice date.
Fund, Organization, Account, and Activity Code (if applicable). Use the Services and Supplies Account List when selecting expense categories.
Budget manager or department head approval
Contract, agreement, task order, or work order for all service-related payments. Review the Contracts Policy for full requirements.

To check payment status, contact Accounts Payable at x2848 or accountspayable@oxy.edu and include the vendor name, invoice number, and payment amount.

Honoraria, Stipends, and Study Grants

Stipends are processed through payroll rather than Accounts Payable for several important reasons. First, stipends are often considered compensation for services, making them subject to wage and tax reporting requirements. Processing through payroll ensures appropriate tax withholding, reporting on Form W-2 (or Form 1042-S for non-resident aliens), and compliance with federal and state regulations.

Additionally, stipends are frequently vaguely defined when submitted through accounts payable, which creates risk around misclassification of payments. Without clear categorization, payments that should be College to compliance issues and potential penalties. This risk is especially significant for non-resident aliens, where tax treatment is more complex and governed by specific IRS rules, including tax treaties, withholding requirements, and reporting obligations.

A study grant is an amount provided for the benefit of an individual to aid in the pursuit of study or research. It is a form of financial assistance awarded primarily on the basis of academic achievement and vocational and professional objectives. Generally, students are not required to render services to the college as a consideration of their awards or to repay them. The amount awarded for study grants is generally taxable.

All study grants require a signed before Accounts Payable can process payment. For assistance, contact Lupe Salmeron at x1423.

An honorarium is a one-time, nominal payment recognizing voluntary participation such as speaking at a workshop or panel. If an amount is promised to the speaker, that qualifies as a speaking engagement, and not an honorarium, and we will need an agreement.

Honoraria may not be issued to businesses, independent contractors, performers, consultants, students, staff or individuals providing professional services.

To request payment, submit:

A check request
Documentation confirming participation (event flyer, invitation email, or announcement)

Refer to the Contracts Policy for additional guidance.

Prizes, Awards, and Gifts

Guidelines and definitions for employees wanting to offer awards or gifts. For more info see the full policy.

An award/gift is something of value given to recognize a term of service, safety record, exceptional performance, special achievement, etc. Awards/gifts to students are taxable unless they qualify as scholarships and are directly applied toward tuition, required fees, books, and/or equipment. Student recognition by College departments for academic achievement is considered a prize (see below).

Gifts recognizing personal life events (birthdays, weddings, baby showers, graduations, etc.) cannot be purchased using College funds.

A prize recognizes performance as part of a judged competition (e.g. best design, highest score, academic achievement, etc.), or winnings from a raffle or drawing. Prizes are taxable but are not considered wages – even if the individual is employed by the College.

Student recognition by College departments for academic achievement is considered a prize by the IRS.

Appropriate gifts or rewards may include, but are not limited to flowers, books, plaques, trophies, gift and apparel, movie tickets, food, etc.

Any gift (that is not a retirement gift) exceeding $100 or outside standard guidelines must receive written approval from the Controller or Chief Operating Officer and will be taxable.

Gifts and awards, of any amount made by cash, check, gift cards, and gift certificates are always considered taxable income under IRS guidelines. Please see the Prizes, Awards, and Gifts Policy for additional information.

Complete the Taxable Prize or Award/Gift Form.

Gift cards you purchase using personal funds are not taxable to the recipient because you are not the employer. However, you may not request reimbursement for the purchase. If the College reimburses you, the College has then purchased the gift cards and they become taxable income to the employee recipients.

Prizes are always taxable, regardless of the amount and regardless of whether the recipient is an employee. Prizes with an accumulated value in excess of $2,000 in a given year, will be reported to the IRS at year-end via Form 1099-Misc.

Awards/Gifts to students in excess of tuition, fees, books and equipment are taxable, regardless of whether the recipient is an employee.

How Payments Are Issued

To improve payment efficiency, strengthen payment security, and reduce paper use, the College uses different payment methods based on the type of payee. Departments should not promise or request a specific payment method without prior approval from Accounts Payable.

Payments are issued by direct deposit if the employee/student has enrolled. Employees and students who have not enrolled in direct deposit will receive a paper check. Employees will need to pick up checks directly from Accounts Payable. Students will have their checks sent to their Campus Mailbox.

Direct deposit is available for employee advances, expense reimbursements, and student reimbursements. Enrollment information is available on the Direct Deposit webpage.

Payments to individuals and sole proprietors who are not employees or students are issued by paper check through Accounts Payable. Checks are mailed to the address specified on the payment request. Checks cannot be picked up.

Company vendors are paid electronically through Paymerang, the College’s third-party payment platform. Accounts Payable no longer prints paper checks payable to companies.

Paymerang expands payment options beyond what the College can provide internally. Vendors may choose their preferred payment method, including:

ACH/direct deposit
Credit card
Paper check (issued through the Paymerang network)

Benefits of Paymerang

Vendors select how they want to be paid rather than receiving a single default payment type.
Faster payment delivery compared to traditional check processing.
Enhanced payment security and reduced risk of check fraud.
Electronic remittance details that simplify payment tracking and reconciliation.
Reduced paper usage and mailing.

Vendors do not need to enroll in advance and will receive an email from Accounts Payable when their payment has been sent to Paymerang.

Vendor payment or enrollment questions can be directed to support@paymerang.com

Foreign individuals and companies are paid via wire transfer. Wire transfers incur an additional cost that will be charged to the department requesting the wire.

Rush Payment Requests

Rush payments are reserved for rare and unavoidable circumstances when standard processing timelines cannot be met due to factors outside a department’s control.

Because expedited payments require additional administrative handling and increase compliance risk, they should be requested only when a clear institutional need exists.

Acceptable Reasons

Rush requests may be approved when delayed payment would significantly impact College operations, including:

Prevention of essential service disruption (utilities or critical services facing suspension)
Legal or regulatory deadlines
Continuation of essential academic or operational services
Avoidance of substantial financial penalties or loss of significant discounts

Unacceptable Reasons

Rush processing will not be approved for:

Late submission or internal planning delays
Vendor pressure without institutional risk
Convenience or scheduling preferences
Incomplete documentation or missing approvals

How to Submit a Rush Request

Submit a written justification with the subject line including "RUSH REQUEST" explaining the institutional impact of delayed payment to Accounts Payable and cc your division Vice President. Requests that do not meet policy criteria will be processed under standard timelines.

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