3024.2 How to Use “Hold” Business Purposes in Expense Reports and Identify Reports on Hold via Reporting

All Purchasing Card, Shared Liability Card, and out-of-pocket transactions are reconciled in Workday Expenses by creating and submitting an expense report. It may be appropriate to include a secondary review of an expense report prior to submission for approval. Claimants/cardholders and Expense Data Entry Specialists may utilize the “Hold” Business Purposes to indicate whether an expense report is still in process by the expense report initiator (**Hold – In Progress) or if it is ready for review prior to submission, typically by departmental or divisional finance staff (**Hold – Ready for Review). This procedure outlines where to find the Business Purpose field, when to utilize the “Hold” Business Purposes, and how to run reporting to find which reports might be ready for review and/or submission.

Procedure #3024.2; Rev.: 1 (Effective July 1, 2025)
Related Policy: UW-3013 Purchasing Cards Policy, UW-3014 Shared Liability Cards Policy, UW-3024 Expense Reimbursement Policy
Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services
Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Contact roles and responsibilities
  5. Definitions
  6. Related references
  7. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

All Purchasing Card, Shared Liability Card, and out-of-pocket transactions are reconciled in Workday Expenses by creating and submitting an expense report. It may be appropriate to include a secondary review of an expense report prior to submission for approval. Claimants/cardholders and Expense Data Entry Specialists may utilize the “Hold” Business Purposes to indicate whether an expense report is still in process by the expense report initiator (**Hold – In Progress) or if it is ready for review prior to submission, typically by departmental or divisional finance staff (**Hold – Ready for Review). This procedure outlines where to find the Business Purpose field, when to utilize the “Hold” Business Purposes, and how to run reporting to find which reports might be ready for review and/or submission.

Note: This functionality is NOT used by every Department/Division. Check with your Division Coordinator to see if this will be implemented for your Department/Division.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

Departments/Divisions who plan to utilize “Hold” Business Purposes to facilitate Expense Data Entry Specialist pre-submission review of expense reports. Department/Divisional staff that wish to monitor pending expense reports with “Hold” Business Purpose activity.

May apply to employees who seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket or Shared Liability Card expenses; cardholders who must reconcile Purchasing Card transactions; and Expense Data Entry Specialists who prepare, review, and/or submit expense reports.

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III. Procedure

  1. Applying the “Hold” business purposes to an existing expense report (expense report initiator)
    1. Create a new expense report. See Procedure 3024.1 Creating and Submitting an Expense Report for full instructions on creating an expense report.
    2. The Business Purpose field in the header section of an expense report is used to summarize the official purpose of the expense report or indicate the status of the report. Upon creating an expense report, the initiator (claimant, cardholder, or Expense Data Entry Specialist) may utilize the Business Purpose field in the header section of the expense report to identify activity and progress on the report and indicate that the report is ready for review by Expense Data Entry Specialists assigned to review/submit expense reports.
      In "Create Expense Report" task, for the "Business Purpose" field there are two selection options: "**Hold - In Progress" and "**Hold - Ready fore Review" with two red arrows showing their location

      1. Note: Some units have two teams of Expense Data Entry Specialists, one team that creates reports and one team that reviews prior to submission, which is why a report may be created by one Expense Data Entry Specialist and reviewed by a second, different Expense Data Entry Specialist.
      1. The expense report initiator should select **Hold – In Progress if the report is incomplete and not ready to be reviewed yet.
      2. The expense report initiator should update the Business Purpose field to **Hold – Ready for Review when all expense lines have been completed, and all supporting documentation has been attached. This Business Purpose will signal to Expense Data Entry Specialists who are reviewers that the report is ready for them to take action.
    3. Click Save for Later and close the expense report.
  2. Searching for Expense Reports with the Business Purpose **Hold – Ready for Review or **Hold – In Progress (Expense Data Entry Specialist reviewers)
    1. Expense Data Entry Specialists who are tasked with reviewing expense reports prior to submission will run the report Expense Report (UW) to identify reports ready for review and submission.
    2. In the Search bar of the Workday homepage, type “Expense Report (UW)” and press Enter.
      Show the Workday search bar with a "Expense Report (UW)" search term; the "Expense Report (UW)" report item is the first search result
    3. In the search results category Tasks and Reports, click the hyperlinked text Expense Report (UW).
      Screenshot with arrows showing the "Tasks and Reports" category and the "Expense Report (UW)" text that shows as the first result under "Tasks and Reports"
    4. Fill out the search parameters as applicable below. Note: All fields highlighted below are optional. Utilize individual fields as appropriate to your assigned units.
      Screenshot of the Expense Report (UW) in Workday, with number labeling to help identify different fields

      1. Limit search results by selecting a date for Report Date on or After or Report Date On or Before. May also run wide open with no dates entered.
      2. Cost Center Hierarchies: Limit search results by entering the Cost Center Hierarchy/Hierarchies assigned to the Expense Data Entry Specialist for oversight/review. Reports will populate if expense line funding on the expense reports falls within the selected Cost Center Hierarchies (e.g., UWMSN | CCHL5 | L&S | College of Letters and Science). This does not have to be entered, especially if more narrow elements of the Foundational Data Model are used in the ensuing fields (e.g., Program).
      3. If a more specific search is desired, enter a specific Fund or Driver Worktag (Program, Gift, Grant, Project), (i.e. a research administrator EDES may wish to search for expense reports ready for review by Grant).
      4. Expense Report Payee: Enter a claimant or cardholder name to limit results to reports belonging to that specific claimant/cardholder.
      5. Expense Report Created By: Enter the name of the expense report initiator (claimant, cardholder or Expense Data Entry Specialist) to restrict results to a specific initiator.
      6. Business Purpose: Select the Business Purpose **Hold – Ready for Review to return results only for expense reports ready for review. If desired, the search may also be run for **Hold – In Progress to view reports in progress by initiators given the specified criteria.
    5. When done entering search criteria, click OK to run the report.
  3. Reviewing Expense Reports and Updating the Business Purpose for Submission (Expense Data Entry Specialist reviewers)
    1. The search results of Expense Report (UW) may be used as a queue for Expense Data Entry Specialists performing the review function prior to submission.
      Screenshot showing how to find the Actions menu for an Expense Report and then to find the Edit panel; written steps found in procedure 3024.2

        1. (1) From the search results, hover over the Expense Report number to reveal the Related Actions menu for the expense report. Click the Related Actions icon (…) to view the Actions menu.
        2. (2) Hover the cursor over Expense Report to populate options.
        3. (3) Click Edit to enter into the expense report.
          1. Tip: Right-click on Edit and select See in New Tab to maintain original search results in one tab, and the selected expense report for review in a second tab.
        4. Scroll down to the bottom of the expense report screen and click the Edit button. The Expense Data Entry Specialist now has an editable version of the expense report open.
        5. The Expense Data Entry Specialist may now edit, revise, and update the data and supporting documentation in the Header, Attachments, and Expense Lines tabs. (5)
          Screenshot showing the various parts of the Edit Expense Report view in Workday; sections explained in procedure text
        6. (6) When finished with the report, the Expense Data Entry Specialist must remove the **Hold – Ready for Review Business Purpose and add the correct Business Purpose to categorize the expenses (e.g., Purchasing Card Reconciliation for purchasing card transactions).
        7. Click Submit to advance the expense report into the approval workflow. Note: If an expense report for an employee is submitted by an Expense Data Entry Specialist, the employee will be the first approver of the report to attest to the accuracy of the expenses entered or being reconciled.
  4. The Expense Data Entry Specialist reviewer may return to the results of Expense Report (UW) and proceed to the next expense report for review/submission, repeating the process in step C above.

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IV. Contact roles and responsibilities

  • Expense Report Initiator – employee claimant, cardholder or Expense Data Entry Specialist that creates expense reports and is responsible for applying “Hold” Business Purposes.
  • Expense Data Entry Specialist (reviewers) – Expense Data Entry Specialists identified by Departments and Divisions to review and submit expense reports created by others; responsible for running Expense Report (UW) to identify reports ready for review.

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V. Definitions

  • Business Purpose: Selection in the header section of an expense report used to summarize the official purpose of the expense report or indicate the status of the report.
  • Cost Center Hierarchy: A group of cost centers in a tree structure within a controlling area that represent specific areas of cost incurrence from a controlling perspective.
  • Driver Worktag: The primary funding source for the transaction. Types of worktags that can be a driver are Grant, Gift, Project, or Program.
  • Foundational Data Model: The framework to support accounting and financial reporting in Workday.
  • “Hold” Business Purposes: A subset of business purposes to identify reports in progress and reports ready for review.
  • Expense report: Electronic submission to request reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and/or to submit card-product expenses for approval.
  • Workday: The cloud-based software used by the Universities of Wisconsin to manage finance and human resources.
  • Workday Expenses:  The Workday module used to create, submit, and approve expense reports for out-of-pocket, Shared Liability Card, and Purchasing Card transactions.

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VI. Related References

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VII.  Revisions

Procedure Number 3024.2
Date Approved May 8, 2017
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Updated Procedure Number to 3024.2 from 320.2
June 30, 2025 – Updated to reflect Workday procedures and terminology.

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3024.9 Expense Report Review and Approval Procedure (for Driver Worktag Managers)

This procedure explains how to review and approval expense reports in e-Reimbursement, the Expense module of the Shared Financial System (SFS), from the perspective of an Approver or Auditor.

Procedure #3024.9; Rev.: 1 (Effective July 1, 2025)
Related Policy:  UW-3013 Purchasing Cards Policy, UW-3014 Shared Liability Cards Policy, UW-3024 Expense Reimbursement Policy
Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Business Services
Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525; Purchasing Card Program Administrator – Meghann Grove, meghann.grove@wisc.edu, (608) 262-3300


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Contact roles and responsibilities
  5. Definitions
  6. Appendix
  7. Related references
  8. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

All Purchasing Card, Shared Liability Card, and out-of-pocket transactions must be reconciled by submitting an expense report in Workday Expenses. Expense reports are reviewed by an Expense Partner (policy compliance) and Driver Worktag Manager (budget/funding) prior to payment. Approval routing is based on the Driver Worktag referenced in the funding allocation for each expense line. When an expense report has been approved by an Expense Partner, the report will route to the Driver Worktag Manager(s) assigned to the driver worktag(s) on each expense line. Driver Worktag Managers will receive a Workday Inbox task and bell-icon notification prompting them to take action on expense reports. Driver Worktag managers must review expense reports for sufficient budget and appropriateness of funding.

This document details the required procedures for Driver Worktag Managers to review and approve an expense report in Workday Expenses.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

Employees who have been assigned the Driver Worktag Manager role in Workday.

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III. Procedure

To get started, log into Workday. If there are expense reports awaiting your approval, a notice will appear in the section Awaiting Your Action. To view expense reports waiting for your approval in My Tasks in your Workday inbox, click the link Go to My Tasks or click the inbox icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

Screenshot of the Workday home page, noting spots where you can find expense reports awaiting approval: "Awaiting Your Action" section, "Go to My Tasks" (under "Awaiting Your Action", and the inbox (upper right-hand corner with inbox icon)

  1. Navigate to an individual expense report awaiting Driver Worktag Manager approval
    Screenshot showing how to use the search bar in "My Tasks" to find expense reports -- type "Expense report" into search bar and then navigate to (and click on) the specific expense report you want to work on

    1. In My Tasks, all items awaiting your action will appear. To see only expense reports awaiting your action, type “expense report” into the Search This will narrow your results to only expense reports (pictured below).
    2. Click on an expense report in the search results.
    3. Click on the arrows icon to expand the screen.
  2. Review general report information; navigate to the Expense Lines tab for review
    1. On this screen, Driver Worktag Managers should review general report information prior to navigating to expense lines for individual transactions.
    2. View the top section of the expense report for claimant/cardholder name and dollar amount totals for the expense report.
      Screenshot example of a Workday expense report with alphabetical labels of different areas; explanation of each in procedure text

      1. Pay to – Name of the claimant/cardholder
      2. Status – Indicates the current workflow step
      3. Personal – The total dollar amount of any expense lines marked personal by the claimant/cardholder. A purchasing cardholder or shared liability cardholder will mark a transaction Personal to identify accidental personal purchases. Purchasing card transactions marked personal create a receivable for the employee for the amount owed back to UW-Madison.
      4. Company Paid – The total dollar amount of all purchasing card and shared liability card transactions included in the report. (not including those marked as Personal).
      5. Prior Balance Applied – A dollar amount will show here if an employee has elected to deduct the amount owed for a purchasing card transaction marked Personal.
      6. Cash Advance Applied – The dollar amount of a Spend Authorization for a Cash Advance that has been attached to the current expense report.
      7. Reimbursement – The dollar amount the claimant will receive for out-of-pocket transactions.
      8. Total – The sum total of the expense report.
    3. Navigate to the tabs section (middle of the page)
      1. Header – Click on header to view header-level details. See Appendix I. below for detailed explanation of header fields.
      2. Attachments – Attachments at the header-level are not required but may be found on this tab. Attachments are required at the line-level.
      3. Business Process – This tab contains information about the business process history of the expense report, including prior approvals and any future-required approvals.
      4. Expense Lines – Click on this tab to view individual expense lines. Funding review will start in this tab. There are two methods for funding review that are discussed in the following section, and Driver Worktag Managers will need to utilize one or both, depending on whether a transaction is Itemized.
  3. Review funding on the report
    1. The first way to review funding is by filtering Driver Worktags in the Expense Lines This method is preferred for lines that do not have itemization (e.g. split billing). This section will review how to filter an expense report by Driver Worktag and identify itemization on an Expense Line.
    2. It is recommended to expand the viewing pane as you review the expense report. Click the double arrows to the right of the gear icon.
      Screenshot of an expense report in Workday, specifically in the "Expense lines" section allowing view of worktags and value to help determine funding
    3. From this expanded screen, click the Expense Lines tab.
    4. Click Worktags to filter based on your assigned Driver Worktag.
    5. For Value, select the Driver Worktag(s) for which you are a manager.
    6. Click the Filter button.
    7. The resulting view will show transactions allocated to the Driver Worktag(s) selected.
    8. The primary responsibility of the Driver Worktag Manager is to assess the funding entered on every expense line for appropriateness, allowability and sufficient budget. The expense report will show the details of the first expense line clicked on.
      Screenshot of an example in Workday of an expense report, broken down to an expense line; shows the various categories for each expense line

      1. Expense Item – A sub-classification of Spend Category, used to categorize and track specific expenses within an expense report.
      2. Charge Description/Memo – For out-of-pocket and Shared Liability Card transactions, this field may contain additional detail about the expenses claimed. For purchasing card transactions, a complete justification with the business purpose and benefit to UW should be enumerated here.
      3. Total Amount – Total dollar amount for the Expense Line (transaction).
      4. Expense Report Line Date – Transaction date
      5. Itemization – Indicates whether a line has been itemized (e.g. split billed, hosted meal, per diems). Note: If “Yes”, there are additional instructions for viewing itemized funding in Section B.
      6. Worktags – The Foundational Data Model (FDM) values are located in the Worktags Review each dimension of the FDM values to ensure that the Program, Grant, Gift, or Project has budget and funds available for the expense listed. Confirm expenses are allocable to and allowable on the listed funding and that other elements of the FDM are accurately presented.
        1. Cost Center – Financial or operational unit.
        2. Function – Identifies the general purpose of a transaction (e.g., instruction, research).
        3. Fund – Identifies the funding source to facilitate financial reporting.
        4. Driver Worktag – Every expense line will require a driver worktag. The cost center, fund, and function will flow from the selection of driver worktag.
        5. Additional Worktags may be present, such as Expenditure Treatment for Grants.
    9. Once review of the first funding line is completed, scroll to the next listed expense line.
    10. The next expense line in this example is ITEMIZED. If a Driver Worktag Manager sees indicators of Itemization on an Expense Line when reviewing, they must go into the detailed view of expense lines to review the funding. Indicators visible on the report include: the column Itemized will say “Yes”; the Worktags will be blank; and the Outline Icon is present. See below for these indicators of an itemized Expense Line.
      Workday screenshot: shows an expense line that has itemization, indicated by three items: "itemization" column, lack of worktags, and a present outline icon
    11. If no itemization is present in the report, proceed to Section E. to Approve, Send Back, or route to an Ad Hoc approver.
  4. Review the funding on detailed expense lines (for itemization)
    1. To enter the detailed view of an itemized Expense Line (such as per diem, hosted meals or split-funded expenses), hover over the Expense Line until the cursor changes and click to enter the detailed view of the Expense Line.
    2. Click the View Details button to open a pop-up showing all funding lines.
      Workday screenshot showing a detailed expense line and has a red arrow indicated the "View Details" button that shows all funding lines
    3. The pop-up screen will contain a series of funding allocations. Each one must be reviewed sequentially for budget and funding by scrolling through the entries.
      Workday screenshot showing where to view funding allocation details and how to scroll in the expense to see all details (scroll is right-side bar)
    4. Once all itemized lines are reviewed, click Done to exit itemization.
    5. Click the left-facing arrow in the upper-left corner of the expense report (on the red banner) to return to the main section of the expense report, where you will take action on the report based on your funding review.
  5. Driver Worktag Managers have the following options for acting on an expense report:
    1. Approve – If the funding is correct on all expense lines/itemizations, click Approve. The report will advance either to the next stage of approval (if there are Foundation Expense Items) or it will have fully completed the approval process with shared liability card transactions and out-of-pocket transactions approved for payment. Approved expense reports for purchasing card transaction reconciliation will post to the general ledger, as payment of purchasing card balances is handled separately by the institution and is not connected to the final approval of the expense report.
    2. Send backIf the funding on a report or on an expense line is incorrect, the report must be sent back to the initiator or a prior approver. Click on the To field to identify who to send the report back to. Choices will include the initiator (claimant, cardholder, Expense Data Entry Specialist) or a prior approver (Athletics Approver, Expense Partner). The Reason field should provide direction to the claimant, cardholder, Expense Data Entry Specialist, or prior approver selected in the To field that the funding must be changed/updated prior to resubmission/approval. Indicate the new funding string for relevant expenses (if known).
      1. In the example below, the expense report is being sent back to the Expense Partner. The Expense Partner can be identified by the language “Review Expense Report” next to their name. The Reason should identify the expense line (e.g., by Expense Item, dollar amount) that requires a funding change as well as the appropriate Driver Worktag and/or other FDM values that should be updated. Once the recipient (To) and the Reason are filled in, click Submit to execute the send back.
        Workday screenshot showing the "Send Back" pop-up for an expense report; you choose who to send the report back to and type out the reasoning
    3. More Actions Menu (approving and adding an ad hoc approver) – The Driver Worktag Manager may approve the expense report and manually route it to a Cost Center Manager or Expense Operations Lead for further review by clicking the “…” icon next to Send Back.
      Workday screenshot: Shows the "More Actions Menu" when working on finalizing an expense report; appears as "..." icon next to the "Send Back" button

      1. This launches the Add Approver pop-up. Note: This should only be done if all expenses are on the correct funding and sufficient budget is available to cover the costs, as ad-hoc-routing to a Cost Center Manager (CCM) or Expense Operations Lead (EOL) will record a full approval of the report for the Driver Worktag Manager first. Identify the Additional Approver by clicking the icon of three bulleted bars (see below). This will open a menu to select the assigned CCM or EOL. Add a Comment to indicate why the report is being sent to an additional approver. Click Approve and Send to Approvers. The approval step is complete, and the report will route to the selected CCM or EOL.
        Workday screenshot: Demonstration of the "Approve and Send to Approvers" button for expense report workflows; manually add additional approvers and then click "approve and send to approvers" button
    4. After clicking Approve, Send Back, or completing the More Actions approval and ad hoc routing, the Driver Worktag Manager’s task is complete.

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IV. Contact roles and responsibilities

  • Cost Center Manager: May be responsible for ad-hoc approval of an expense report.
  • Driver Worktag Manager: Divisional/Departmental staff responsible for reviewing Workday Expenses transactions for budget and funding. Driver Worktag Managers may send an expense report back to the Expense Partner or expense report initiator to update the funding on an expense report.
  • Expense Operations Lead: May be responsible for ad-hoc approval of an expense report.
  • Expense Partner: A member of the central audit team in the Division of Business Services responsible for reviewing expense reports for policy compliance.
  • Expense Report Initiator: Person who creates an expense report. The initiator may be an employee claimant, employee cardholder, or Expense Data Entry Specialist. The initiator is responsible for entering the appropriate funding on an expense report and may be responsible for updating the funding on an expense report if it is sent back by the Driver Worktag Manager.

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V. Definitions

  • Expense Item: A sub-classification of Spend Category, used to categorize and track specific expenses within an expense report.
  • Foundation Expense Item: Used to identify expenses to be charged to a University of Wisconsin Foundation (UWF) account.
  • Expense report: Electronic submission to request reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and/or to submit card-product expenses for approval.
  • Workday: The cloud-based software used by the Universities of Wisconsin to manage finance and human resources.
  • Workday Expenses: The Workday module used to create, submit, and approve expense reports for out-of-pocket, Shared Liability Card, and Purchasing Card transactions.

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VI. Appendix

The Header tab of an expense report contains the following informational data fields:
Workday screenshot showing an expense report example and the "Header" tab's various fields: expense report number, memo, company, expense report date, business purpose, and reimbursement payment type

  • Expense Report Number – System-assigned numerical identifier for the expense report.
  • Memo – May be used for the title of the expense report. May be used for a general justification for related out-of-pocket or Shared Liability Card expenses. This field should not be used to enter justifications for Purchasing Card transactions. Purchasing Card transactions MUST utilize the Expense Line-level Memo field for justifications. Field is not required at the header level.
  • Company – Identifies the business unit as University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • Expense Report Date – Claimant/cardholder entered date.
  • Business Purpose – Claimant/cardholder selection that identifies the general category and purpose of the expense report.
  • Reimbursement Payment Type – Identifies the payment method for the expense report, if applicable (e.g., Direct Deposit).

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VII. References

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VIII. Revisions

Procedure Number 3024.9
Date Approved Nov. 16, 2023
Revision Dates July 1, 2025 – Updated to reflect Workday procedures and terminology.

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Accounting Procedure on Clearing Accounts

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the accounting and reconciliation of clearing accounts. A clearing account is a temporary place (e.g., fund, department identification (DeptID), account code, project ID, etc.) to hold revenues or expenses until the appropriate place where the revenues or expenses should be distributed is determined

Effective date: July 1, 2023
Functional Owner:
Division of Business Services, UW–Madison Controller
Contact: UW–Madison Controller, David Honma (david.honma@wisc.edu)


Contents

  1. Background
  2. Purpose
  3. Procedure
  4. Related references

I. Background

Definition
Clearing account: a temporary place (e.g., fund, department identification (DeptID), account code, project ID, etc.) to hold revenues or expenses until the appropriate place where the revenues or expenses should be distributed is determined, and the clearing account should be reconciled to zero at some point.

Clearing accounts are utilized to deposit funds to or pay bills from when the correct funding string may be unknown, or an allocation will be made to various funding strings. The goal for using a clearing account is to ensure timely deposit to the state treasury and prompt payment to a supplier.

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II. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the accounting and reconciliation of clearing accounts.

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III. Procedure

Clearing account reconciliations should be prepared for all clearing accounts at least semi-annually. A formal reconciliation should be prepared annually for fiscal year-end balances. The reconciliation must be signed and dated by a preparer and reviewer, and either prepared or reviewed by an individual not involved with processing the transactions in the clearing account.

No formal template needs to be followed, but the reconciliation should contain a screenshot of the ending balance from WISER. If there is an ending balance, the reconciliation must include details and supporting documentation of the open items.

A listing of clearing accounts and balances will be provided to the Dean’s/Divisional Business Offices twice per year (after December close and fiscal year-end close). The clearing account listing is based on the following criteria, and the listing may not be all inclusive:

  • Department IDs with “Clearing” in the department description
  • Project IDs with a UW Project type of NS_15 Suspense/Clearing

At least two attempts should be made to determine the correct funding string for any deposit. After two attempts, the unidentified revenue can be transferred to a funding string for use at the discretion of the applicable division.

For expenditures, the expense should be transferred to the funding string identified by the department or division. It will be the responsibility of the division that owns the clearing account to obtain the correct funding string for the expense. At least two attempts should be made to determine the correct funding string for an expense by June 30 of the current fiscal year. It will be at the discretion of the division that owns the clearing account if they prefer to keep the expense in the clearing account for continued reconciliation and follow up, or transfer the expense to a funding string of their own.

Items outstanding more than 180 days should be reviewed to determine if those funds should be transferred elsewhere.

Clearing accounts should be periodically reviewed to determine if the account is still needed. If an account is no longer needed, it should be closed.

The UW–Madison Controller can grant an exception to the above stated procedures on a case-by-case basis.

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IV. Related references

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3012.8 Reloadable Debit Card Account Procedure

Reloadable Debit Card Account Procedure used for UW–Madison research studies that pay participants with reloadable debit cards.

Procedure #3012.8; Rev.: 0 (Effective February 1, 2022)
Related Policy: UW-3012 Custodian Funds Policy
Functional Owner: Cash Management, Business Services
Contact: Custodian Funds Mailbox – cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Definitions
  5. Related references
  6. Revisions

I. Procedure Statement

The University of Wisconsin–Madison conducts research studies that are 1 year or longer and the research participants are compensated with payment by reloadable debit card. Reloadable Debit Card Accounts are used for these research participant studies.

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II. Who is affected by this Procedure

This procedure applies to all Deans, Directors, Financial Officers, and staff involved with research participant studies that provide payments by reloadable debit card to research participants.

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III. Procedure

  1. Opening Reloadable Debit Card Account
    1. Custodian obtains the NR Number from the NR Number Generator. The NR Number from the NR Number Generator is required on some of the necessary forms for opening a reloadable debit card account.
    2. Custodian composes a Letter of Justification explaining the purpose of the study and how it is linked to the project.
    3. Custodian completes the following forms and obtains the necessary departmental approvals:
      1. Custodian Fund Request Form
      2. Custodian Fund Agreement Form
      3. Custodian Fund Budget Form
      4. Prepaid Administrative Website User Request Form (PDF)
        1. Client Program Name = Leave blank for now. We will eventually get this name from US Bank.
        2. Check “New User”
        3. Use wisc.edu email address (this will end up being the username)
        4. Roles are as follows:
          1. Custodian = Role Group 1.1
            • Also check boxes for “Report Viewer – Standard Reports” and “Report Viewer – Financial Reports” under the Add-on Features section
          2. Reconciler = Role Group 2.2
            • Also check boxes for “Report Viewer – Standard Reports” and “Report Viewer – Financial Reports” under the Add-on Features section
          3. Coordinator who enrolls participants = Role Group 2.2
          4. Coordinator who approves fund disbursements = Group Group 2.3
          5. Dean’s Office = Role Group 1.1
          6. Also check boxes for “Report Viewer – Standard Reports” and “Report Viewer – Financial Reports” under the Add-on Features section
    4. Custodian reviews and signs the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Reloadable Debit Card Account – Custodian (PDF).
    5. Reconciler reviews and signs the MOU for Reloadable Debit Card Account – Reconciler (PDF) and provides it to the Custodian.
    6. Coordinators review and sign the MOU for Reloadable Debit Card Account – Coordinator (PDF) and provides it to the Custodian.
    7. Custodian routes the Letter of Justification and signed forms to the Dean/Director’s office.
    8. Dean/Director’s office verifies that the Custodian needs a Reloadable Debit Card Account by verifying that:
      1. The research study will be for 1 year or longer.
      2. The research study has an Institutional Review Board (IRB) Number or self-certification paperwork showing that no IRB approval or certification is necessary.
      3. Each payment to a research participant will be $249 or less.
      4. The payment(s) to the research participants will be made by reloadable debit card.
      5. At least 10 payments will be made per month.
    9. Dean/Director’s office verifies accurate funding information.
    10. Dean/Director’s office reviews the documentation and signs the necessary forms.
    11. Dean/Director’s office keeps a copy of the forms for internal records.
    12. Dean/Director’s office sends the original forms to Cash Management via inter-d mail or email to the Cash Management Office (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu).
    13. Cash Management processes the request.
    14. Cash Management will notify the department and Dean/Director’s office when the US Bank reloadable debit account is set up and cards are ordered.
    15. The Custodian can check WISER using account code 6167, on the balance sheet, to see if the request has been processed. On the Transaction Search page in WISER, ensure the Show Balance Account checkbox is checked.
  2. Maintaining Reloadable Debit Card Account
    1. Reconciliations
      1. Reconciler completes and documents monthly account reconciliations between the US Bank Account Reconciliation Report and the Card Load Report on the US Bank Account Reconciliation Worksheet within 30 days of month end.
      2. Reconciler submits the monthly reconciliation, Account Reconciliation Report, and Card Load Report via the Custodian Fund System within 30 days of month end.
    2. Replenishments
      1. Reconciler obtains the research participant log, without HIPAA or sensitive information, and completes the Custodian Fund Accounting Form to replenish the Reloadable Debit Card Account at least every 90 days, based on activity.
      2. Reconciler obtains necessary departmental approvals for the Custodian Fund Accounting Form.
      3. Custodian routes the completed/signed Custodian Fund Accounting Form, along with the research participant log, reconciliation(s), Account Reconciliation Report, and Card Load Report from US Bank Prepaid Administrative Website to the Dean/Director’s office for review and approval.
      4. Dean/Director’s office reviews the documents and signs the Custodian Fund Accounting Form.
      5. Department keeps a copy of the forms for internal records. Department is the official record holder.
      6. Dean/Director’s office sends the original forms via inter-d mail or email to the Cash Management Office (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu).
      7. Cash Management processes the replenishment request.
    3. Other
      1. Any errors on the account are to be reported by the Reconciler via email to Cash Management (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu) and their Dean’s/Business Office within 30 days of month-end.
      2. Notify the Dean/Director’s office and Cash Management when there is a change in Custodian, Reconciler, and/or Coordinators and prepare applicable Custodian Fund forms.
      3. Respond to Cash Management’s periodic review request.
  3. Closing Reloadable Debit Card Account
    1. Custodian completes the Custodian Fund Accounting Form and obtains the research participant log.
    2. Custodian obtains the necessary departmental approvals for the Custodian Fund Accounting Form.
    3. Custodian routes the completed/signed Custodian Fund Accounting Form, research participant log, and card shred confirmation to the Dean/Director’s office.
    4. Dean/Director’s office reviews the documents and signs the Custodian Fund Accounting Form.
    5. Dean/Director’s office keeps a copy of the documents for internal records.
    6. Dean/Director’s office sends the original documents via inter-d mail or email to the Cash Management Office (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu).
    7. Cash Management process the closing request.

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IV. Definitions

  • Custodian: UW–Madison employee who is responsible for monitoring the cash advance for research participant studies.
  • Coordinator: UW–Madison employee responsible for registering and funding cards to the appropriate recipient and responsible for ensuring all payments are logged and accounted for.
  • Reconciler: UW–Madison employee who is responsible for performing and submitting monthly reconciliations and replenishments.

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V. Related References

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VI. Revisions

Procedure Number 3012.8
Date Approved February 1, 2022
Revision Dates N/A

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3031.C PCI Non-compliance Procedure

PCI Non-compliance Procedure

Procedure # 3031.C; Rev.: 1 (Effective September 1, 2020)
Related Policy: UW-3031 Credit Card Merchant Services and PCI Compliance Policy 
Functional Owner: Cash Management, Business Services
Contact: PCI Mailbox: pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Rationale
  4. Procedure
  5. Supporting tools
  6. Related references
  7. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has merchant accounts which accept payment for goods sold and services rendered via payment card transactions. All merchants who accept payments via payment card must comply must comply with Policy UW-3031 and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). The purpose of this procedure is to provide a framework for the disciplinary steps that will be taken in the event a UW–Madison merchant account is found to be non-compliant with Policy UW-3031 and the PCI DSS. Persistent noncompliance after the enactment of the disciplinary steps described in this procedure may result in the suspension or termination of the non-compliant merchant account.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments that accept payment cards via payment card terminals. This procedure should be understood by all relevant personnel including Divisional Business Representatives (DBRs), Site Managers, and Operators of the merchant accounts.

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III. Rationale

If a merchant does not appropriately store, process, or transmit cardholder data as defined by Policy UW-3031, deficiencies exist in that merchant account’s standard operating procedures. As a result, these deficiencies deem the merchant account non-compliant with the PCI governance framework. Deficiencies in a merchant’s ability to appropriately secure cardholder data is the foundation of a potential data breach. Acts of PCI noncompliance and data breaches may result in reputational damages, loss of customer confidence and loyalty, and a potential loss of gift and grant donors.

The ability to accept payment card transactions is a convenient and efficient method of collecting revenue owed to the University. This method of payment is a privilege granted to the University by the contracted acquirer, Elavon, and the payment card brands Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. If a merchant account is not in compliance with the PCI DSS or a data breach occurs, these agencies have the authority to assess fines for noncompliance. These fines begin anywhere between the range of $5,000 to $100,000 per month for violating PCI DSS, depending on the length of noncompliance. These fines would accumulate quickly and could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in monetary damages.

Further, if Elavon or the payment card brands find the University noncompliant, UW–Madison’s ability to accept payment cards could potentially be revoked. This decision would require departments to find alternative ways to collect revenue and could result in a decline in sales.

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IV. Procedure

The Division of Business Services Cash Management team and Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Cybersecurity team will jointly conduct a review of campus merchant accounts’ level of compliance on an annual basis and complete a risk assessment. Each risk assessment will document the review team’s opinion of the merchant’s level of compliance with the PCI DSS. A disciplinary step would be implemented if any non-compliant practices are identified.

All risk assessments  which have a level of noncompliance will be presented to the merchant’s Divisional Business Representative for review and signature. Below are examples of possible noncompliance:

Level 0 – No instances of noncompliance identified.

Level 1 – Minor instance(s) of noncompliance identified. Compliant procedures must be implemented as of the next annual review.

  • Incomplete PCI Security Awareness Training
  • Incomplete PCI Operator Training
  • Missing or incomplete device inspection logs
  • Missing merchant standard operating procedures

Level 2 – Significant instance(s) of noncompliance identified. Compliant procedures must be implemented as of a designated deadline which has been agreed upon with the merchant.

  • Working with unsupported technology or non-approved Service Providers
  • Lack of security regarding access to physical devices and technology
  • Inability or neglect to provide documentation indicating appropriate security of e-commerce merchant accounts(s); missing the signed Service Provider’s Attestation of Compliance (AoC)
  • Unauthorized or unsecured storing of cardholder data
  • Inappropriate use of e-commerce merchant accounts or inappropriate use of in-person or over-the-phone transaction processing
  • Failure to implement appropriate procedures to resolve Level 1 noncompliance
  • Failure to complete the annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)

If a deficiency in compliance was identified and agreed upon by the merchant in a previous review, the PCI review team will follow up and evaluate the merchant’s progress towards achieving compliance. If measurable progress has not been made towards achieving compliance, the following disciplinary steps will be executed in this order:

  1. Requirement to attend an in-person PCI Training
  2. Notification from PCI review team of Level 1 noncompliance
  3. Notification from PCI review team of Level 2 noncompliance
  4. Temporary suspension of merchant account for up to 9 months
  5. Permanent termination of merchant account

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V. Supporting tools

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VI. Related references

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VII. Revisions

Procedure Number 3031.C
Date Approved September 1, 2020
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Changed Procedure Number to 3031.C from 404.C

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3024.8 Using UW Foundation Funding in Workday Expenses

Expenses may be charged to the Wisconsin Foundation Alumni Association (WFAA) when appropriate. E-Reimbursement Approvers are responsible for entering WFAA funding. Upon approval of the expense reimbursement, the claimant receives one payment from the University. Accounting Services then bills WFAA for their portion.

Procedure # 3024.8; Rev.: 2 (Effective June 30, 2025)
Related Policy: UW-3024 Expense Reimbursement Policy
Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services
Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Contact roles and responsibilities
  5. Definitions
  6. Related references
  7. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

Out of pocket, shared liability card, and purchasing card transactions reconciled in Workday Expenses may be billed to the University of Wisconsin Foundation (UW Foundation). Claimants, cardholders, and/or Expense Data Entry Specialists are responsible for assigning Foundation Expense Items to transactions and entering UW Foundation funding details prior to report submission. Accounting Services bills UW Foundation weekly for fully approved UW Foundation charges in Workday Expenses.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

  • Employees who seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket or shared liability card expenses
  • Purchasing cardholders
  • Expense Data Entry Specialists who prepare expense reports in Workday Expenses
  • Expense Partners and Expense Foundation Specialists who approve reports
  • Divisional Business Officers who review/manage Foundation spend.

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III. Procedure

  1. Foundation Expense Items
    1. An Expense Item is a sub-classification of Spend Category, used to categorize and track specific expenses within an expense report. Expense Items are entered into an expense line (at the line level or within itemization) to identify the type of expense. The Foundation Expense Item Group contains Expense Items used to identify expenses to be charged to a University of Wisconsin Foundation (UW Foundation) account.
    2. The Foundation Expense Items are:
      Screenshot of Workday and the Expense Item types for UW Foundation

      1. Alcohol (Foundation) – to be used for alcoholic beverages at hosted meals and events within specified UW-Madison limits ($50/person alcohol).
      2. Meals-Hosted/Event Food and Drink Overage (Foundation) – for Hosted Meal and Event food and drink expenses which exceed UW allowable amounts and are to be charged to a Foundation account.
      3. Non-Travel (Foundation) – Non-travel expenses to be charged to a Foundation account which do not belong in another Foundation expense item. Note: Non-travel expenses require justification for billing UW Foundation in lieu of UW-Madison.
      4. Other Business Meal/Event Expense (Foundation) – Meal- or Event-related expenses other than food and drink to be charged to a Foundation account. Note: We do not anticipate this category to be frequently utilized by UW-Madison.
      5. Travel (Foundation) – Travel-related expenses to be charged to a Foundation account. Note: Routine, allowable travel expenses must be paid by UW-Madison. Policy non-compliant expenses may not be billed to UW Foundation. There must be justification and approval from UW Foundation for billing travel expenses to UW Foundation.
    3. When a Foundation Expense Item is assigned to a transaction at the expense line level, the Foundation Account Number must be added in the Item Details panel. The Foundation Account Name is not a required field but should be added for data validation purposes.
    4. Expense reports with Foundation Expense Items will require an additional approval by an Expense Foundation Specialist prior to payment. This is to ensure accurate, appropriate, and allowable billings to University of Wisconsin Foundation in Workday Expenses.
  2. Assign Foundation Expense Items to expense lines
    1. Refer to Procedure 3024.1 Creating and Submitting an Expense Report for directions on how to create a new expense report.
    2. Navigate to the Expense Lines tab of the expense report and begin entering required line-level documentation and details:
      1. Drop and/or select files to add to the attachments. This should include, at minimum, a receipt, as well as any other relevant documentation. For items split-billed to UW Foundation, a business meal calculator should be attached showing how the claimant or cardholder arrived at the amounts to be billed to UW-Madison and UW Foundation.
      2. Enter required Expense Line details. In the example below, directions are provided for a hosted meal to be split billed to UW-Madison and UW Foundation utilizing the Itemization capability.
        1. For Expense Item, enter Meals-Hosted. Note: The Foundation Expense Items will be added at the Itemization step to assign part of this transaction to UW Foundation. However, if an expense is to be billed entirely to UW Foundation, with no portion assigned to UW-Madison, the appropriate Foundation Expense Item may be added at this step instead.
        2. For Total Amount, enter the total dollar amount of the meal.
        3. In the Memo section, write a business purpose for meal.
        4. Enter and/or update the funding on the expense line by adding the appropriate Program, Grant, Project, or Gift.
      3. When the Expense Item Meals-Hosted is added, a panel on the right side of the screen titled Instructions pops up. Additional Item Details need to be added, and the Itemization functionality will be utilized to bill to UW Foundation.
        Workday example of an added Expense Item Meals-Hosted, showing where "Item Details" and "Itemization" fields are

        1. For the Attendees section, search for and/or add all attendees. Manually add all attendees if the total number is under 25. For attendees at or exceeding 25, an attendee list can be attached instead (with the Number of Persons field updated to reflect the total number of attendees).
        2. For Destination, begin typing the city/town where the meal took place. Press Enter to search and select the correct location.
        3. For Number of Persons, enter the number of attendees at the meal.
        4. For Merchant, enter the name of the establishment or restaurant.
        5. After completing all Item Details, click Add in the Itemization section.
        6. A pop-up window will appear that allows you to add additional funding lines to the Meals-Hosted expense line, including amounts to be billed to UW Foundation.
        7. The amount entered into the first itemization will be the allowed amount on UW-Madison funding. For Total Amount, enter the amount allowable on UW-Madison funding (in example image, $46 x 4 attendees equals $184). For Memo, type “UW-Madison allowed meal costs.” After accounting for the amount on UW-Madison funding, we can see that we still have $226.60 to expense (see Remaining for the dollar amount remaining to itemize at the top of the page). Click Add to initiate the next entry.
          Example of adding Expense Line for a Hosted Meal in Workday; shows where to enter total amount for expense, the necessary memo line, and "add" button to continue to next expense
        8. The next itemization is for UW Foundation meal overage. To assign a line to UW Foundation, update the Expense Item to the appropriate Foundation Expense Item. For meal overage, the Foundation Expense Item is Meals-Hosted/Event Food and Drink Overage (Foundation). For Total Amount, enter the dollar amount of the overage. For Memo, enter “Foundation meal overage.” On the right side of the pop-up, enter the Foundation account number in the field Account Number. Enter the name of the Foundation account in the field Foundation Account Name. Click Add to initiate the next entry.
          Example in Workday of a Hosted Meal/Event expense item under UW Foundation; special memo, account number, and account name must be applied
        9. The last itemization (if applicable) is for UW Foundation alcohol charges. Update the Expense Item to the appropriate Foundation Expense Item, Alcohol (Foundation). For Total Amount, enter the dollar amount spent on alcohol. For Memo, enter “Alcohol-related charges.” On the right side of the pop-up, enter the Foundation account number in the field Account Number. Enter the name of the Foundation account in the field Foundation Account Name.
          Example in Workday of a alcohol purchase expense item under UW Foundation; special memo, account number, and account name must be applied
        10. Review all itemization entries for errors/missing information. Then, click Done to complete the itemization process
    3. Click Submit to submit the report for required approvals. Expense reports with Foundation Expense Items will route to a Expense Foundation Specialist after the Driver Worktag Manager for review of Foundation data entry
  3. Payment/Reimbursement and UW Foundation Billing Process
    1. Purchasing card transactions are paid to U.S. Bank in full by the University, even when charged in part or entirely to UW Foundation. Claimants filing expense reports for out-of-pocket or Shared Liability Card transactions will receive full payment upon approval of the report, even when items are charged in part or entirely to UW Foundation.
    2. UW Foundation is billed on a weekly basis for the Workday Expenses receivables created by entry and approval of Foundation Expense Items. UW Foundation then pays the University back for the expenses.
    3. UW Foundation has the final authority to approve or deny any billings for payment, which could require reimbursement from the claimant/cardholder if the billing is denied.

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IV. Contact roles and responsibilities

  • Claimant/Expense Data Entry Specialist: Responsible for understanding and complying with Business Meals, Hosted Events, Official Functions and University travel and purchasing policies. Responsible for entering Foundation Expense Items, number of attendees and their names and affiliations, Foundation account numbers and Foundation account names. Responsible for ensuring amounts split between UWF and UW funding are accurate and providing sufficient justification for Workday Expenses approvers and UWF personnel to approve expenses.
  • Driver Worktag Manager: Divisional/Departmental staff responsible for reviewing Workday Expenses transactions for budget and funding.
  • Expense Foundation Specialist: Central audit team in the Division of Business Services responsible for reviewing and approving Foundation Expense Items in expense reports prior to payment. Responsible for initiating the billing process to UW Foundation for approved Foundation Expense Items on a weekly basis.
  • Expense Reimbursement Program Manager: Oversees the UW Foundation billing process for UW-Madison and reconciles the Foundation receivable account on a monthly basis.

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V. Definitions

  • Claimant: individual claiming reimbursement for expenses.
  • Cardholder: the UW–Madison employee whose name appears on a UW credit card product and who is responsible for all purchases made with that card.
  • Expense Data Entry Specialist: An Expense Data Entry Specialist (EDES) is a security role in Workday Expense that grants the ability to create, edit, and submit expense reports on behalf of employees, external committee members, and pre-hires.
  • Expense Foundation Specialist: Central audit team responsible for reviewing card activity and out-of-pocket transactions allocated to the University of Wisconsin Foundation.
  • Expense Item: A sub-classification of Spend Category, used to categorize and track specific expenses within an expense report.
  • Expense Item Group: An organized set of related expense items.
  • Foundation Expense Item: Used to identify expenses to be charged to a University of Wisconsin Foundation (UWF) account.
  • Expense report: Electronic submission to request reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and/or to submit card-product expenses for approval.
  • University of Wisconsin Foundation (UW Foundation): The University of Wisconsin Foundation raises, invests and distributes funds for the benefit of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UW Foundation pays back UW-Madison for allowable Foundation expenses billed via Workday Expenses.
  • Workday Expenses: The Workday module used to create, submit, and approve expense reports for out-of-pocket, Shared Liability Card, and Purchasing Card transactions.

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VI. Related references

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VII.  Revisions

Procedure Number 3024.8
Date Approved June 30, 2020
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Updated Procedure Number to 3024.8 from 320.8
June 30, 2025 – Updated to reflect Workday procedures and terminology.

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3077.1 Non-Sponsored Centralized Accounts Receivable Procedure

UW-Madison Non-Sponsored AR and Billing has a shared customer file that is managed centrally by the Division of Business Services (DoBS).

Procedure #3077.1, Rev.: 7.7.25 (Effective July 7, 2025)
Related Policy:  UW-3077 Non-Sponsored Centralized Accounts Receivable Policy
Functional Owner: Director of Financial Information Management
Contact: Supervisor Central AR for Non-Sponsored Billing, (608) 890-1328, uwmsnar@bussvc.wisc.edu


Procedure statement

UW–Madison Non-Sponsored AR and Billing utilizes the shared customer file for UW System that is managed in collaboration by the Division of Business Services (DoBS) and UW System Shared Services. Departments can request new external customers by following the Create Customer Profile job aid or submitting the Submit Customer Inbound EIB.

Departments will upload invoices to Workday using a shared customer file. Invoices will be sent to the customer through an automated nightly process. The Division of Business Services will process all transactions related to the invoices from that point.

Invoices can be entered as either one-time or installment. Payment terms generally will be Net 30, unless an exception has been approved by DoBS.


Shared Customer

Departments can request new external customers by submitting the Customer EIB. Customers can have multiple contacts and locations. Modifications to existing customer information including additional contacts or locations should be requested through the uwmsnar@bussvc.wisc.edu mailbox. DoBS will review each customer request to ensure compliance with export control lists such as OFAC.

The following steps represent the overall process for requesting new customers:

  1. Follow instructions on the Create Customer Profile job aid or upload the Submit Customer Inbound EIB.
  2. If the customer is already set up but a different contact or location is needed, follow the instructions on the Edit Customer Contact job aid, or upload the Put Customer Contact Inbound Template EIB.
  3. DoBS will review the customer information and ensure the customer is not on any export control lists such as OFAC.
  4. DoBS will Complete or send back the task in Workday as needed.

 

Creating a Bill

Bills can be entered as either one-time or installment. Payment terms will be Net 30, unless an exception has been approved by DoBS.

The following steps represent the overall process for creating a bill:

  1. Follow the Create Customer Invoice Event job aid or upload the Submit Customer Invoice Inbound EIB.

The following journal entries are a sample of what will post when the bills are generated:

External customer:

Debit: Selling Department Accounts Receivable (#6200) XXXX
Credit: Selling Department Revenue XXXX

 

Cancellation or Adjustment of an invoice

Adjustments and cancellations need to include explanation for the adjustment. This procedure should not be used to write off a debt. For instructions on how to write off a debt, please refer to Write-off and Collection procedure.

The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a cancelation or adjustment of an invoice:

  1. Follow the job aid (job aids being created) instructions to create a credit invoice or upload the Submit Customer Invoice Adjustment Inbound Template EIB
  2. Follow the job aid (job aids being created) instructions to create a credit invoice and rebill a new invoice
  3. The credit invoice or rebilled invoice will route for approval through Workday. Once the task has been fully approved, the transaction will post to the customer account and the original invoice will be zeroed out.

The following journal entries are samples of what will post after a cancellation or adjustment is processed:

External customer:

Debit: Selling Department Revenue XXXX
Credit: Selling Department Accounts Receivable XXXX

 

Write off and Collection

(Non-Sponsored receivable balances will be managed centrally by the Division of Business Services.)

Once an invoice is generated the customer will receive a monthly statement. If payment is not received, the customer will receive dunning letters each month after the due date. Once the invoice reaches 90 days past due, write offs and collection activities will be managed centrally by the Division of Business Services (DoBS) in collaboration with UW–Madison divisions and departments. Write off and collection activities need to be processed timely to ensure responsible stewardship of UW–Madison resources.

The following steps represent the overall process for collection efforts:

  1. Statements will be sent for all outstanding invoices regardless of the due date on or around the 15th of the month.
  2. Dunning letters (reminder notices) will be issued by DoBS monthly on or around the 15th. Dunning letters will begin after 30 days past due and will continue to be sent until the debt is cleared.
  3. At 90 days, DoBS will reach out to the billing department to discuss collections. A decision needs to be made at that time if the invoice should be sent to a collection agency, the state of Wisconsin Department of Revenue or written off. If the department is working with the customer on payment, a note can be placed on the invoice in Workday providing details on the expected date of resolution.

The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a write-off:

  1. Write-off transactions are initiated through workflow in SFS. Follow the Bad Debt Write off job aid.
  2. Write-offs over $1,000 require Dean or Director and DoBS approval.
  3. Write-offs must include an explanation.

The following journal entry is a sample of what will post after a write off has been processed:

Debit: Selling Department contra-revenue account (#9312) XXXX

Credit: Selling Department accounts receivable account (#6200) XXXX

 

Declined Payment

To handle customer payments that have been declined for any reason including insufficient funds, closed bank accounts, etc.

The following steps represent the overall process for a declined payment:

  1. Notification received that a credit card or check payment has been declined.
  2. Business Services will reverse the payment in SFS and will reinstate the debt outstanding.
  3. Business Services will apply an NSF fee of $25 to the customer account for the declined payment.
  4. The customer will receive an updated invoice reflecting the additional fee.
  5. The NSF fee will be used to offset the bank fees UWMSN incurs. The NSF fee will not be distributed to the department.

The following journal entries are samples of what will post when a declined payment is posted:

Reverse the payment:

Debit: Selling Departments Accounts Receivable $500.00

Credit: Central funding string for bank transactions          $500.00

Add the NSF fee:

Debit: Selling Departments Accounts Receivable $25.00

Credit: Central funding string for bank fee transactions $25.00

 

Refunding a Payment

Refunding a payment is specifically for transactions that have been processed through centralized Accounts Receivable. Refunds may become necessary as a result of duplicate or overpayments made by customers or adjustments and cancellations of invoices that result in overpayments.

The following steps represent the overall process for requesting a refund:

  1. Refunds can be requested for either a payment on account or a credit invoice adjustment
  2. Any duplicate payments received by customers will be placed on account for the customer. DoBS will work collaboratively with departments to determine if the payment needs to be refunded or can be applied to other open invoices.
  3. Follow the Request Customer Refund job aid.
  4. DoBS will complete the task once all approvals are done and the task is sent to DoBS. DoBS may send the task back if additional information is needed.

The following journal entry is a sample of what will post when a payment is refunded:

Debit: Selling Department Accounts Receivable (#6200) XXXX

Credit: Central funding string for payments XXXX

 


IV. Related references

 


V. Revisions

Procedure Number 3077.1
Date Approved July 7, 2025
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Procedure number updated from 100.1 to 3077.1 in new numbering system.

July 7, 2025 – Updated to combine 3077.1-6 base

 

3031.B Open and Manage a Merchant Account using an EMV Chip or Swipe Machine Procedure

Open a Merchant Account using an EMV Chip or Swipe Machine

Procedure #3031.B; Rev.: 2.12.20 (Effective January 1, 2020)
Related Policy: UW-3031 Credit Card Merchant Services and PCI Compliance Policy
Functional Owner: Cash Management, Business Services
Contact: PCI Mailbox: pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Definitions
  5. Related references
  6. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

The University of Wisconsin–Madison can accept payment card payments from customers to pay for goods and services in person. A payment card terminal is used for processing payments in-person or over-the-phone by a merchant at the point-of-interaction. In some cases, payments can be made via fax communication if proper security is in place and is properly documented.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments that accept payment cards via payment card terminals. This procedure should be understood by all Divisional Business Representatives (DBRs), Site Managers, and Operators of the merchant accounts.

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III. Procedure

Below are the steps for opening a merchant account that uses an approved PCI P2PE or an approved EMV payment card terminal with no electronic cardholder data storage:

  1. Complete and submit the Card Merchant ID Request Form.
    1. The Divisional Business Representative (DBR) must approve the new merchant account.
      1. The DBR will receive an email upon completion of the Card Merchant ID Request Form. The DBR should then sign into the portal to approve the request.
    2. The DBR should determine which card brands the new merchant will accept.
      1. The standard set up for a new merchant account includes MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. Should the department decide to choose to accept American Express cards, an additional reconciliation and an additional connection is required.
  2. Cash Management will review and approve the submitted Card Merchant ID Request Form and contact the Site Manager to facilitate setting up Payments Insider access.
    1. Cash Management will provide information on payment card machines, including pricing information. Standalone payment card machines will ship directly from Elavon to the campus department. The cost of the new payment card machine will be charged directly to the merchant account.
    2. Each person who logs into Payments Insider for settlements and monthly statements is required to have a unique operator ID.
    3. Complex Point of Sale Systems will require additional PCI review and approval, signed contracts, and annual AoC documentation. Please contact pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu for additional information.
  3. The PCI Site Manager is required to establish card handling procedures and a contingency plan for processing transactions should the primary system be unavailable. Once complete, these policies and procedures shall be submitted to Cash Management via email (pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu).
  4. Cash Management will schedule a PCI site visit with the Site Manager once a Merchant ID (MID) is assigned by Elavon. During the PCI site visit, Cash Management will review the department business policies and procedures and assist with completing the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).
  5. When the equipment is received, verify the machine has the correct address, merchant name, and MID on the machine.
  6. The PCI Site Manager is responsible to document:
    1. Make and model of the device(s)
    2. Physical location of the device(s)
    3. Device Serial number(s) or other methods of unique identification
    4. Physical inspection of each device periodically to detect tempering, skimming devices, and unauthorized substitution; Record your device information and inspection dates (charge.wisc.edu/users)
  7. Call Elavon Training at (866) 451-4007 to schedule a training on how to use the payment card terminal; training includes daily transactions and settlements. Note: the payment card terminal will not auto settle unless the terminal is turned on.
  8. Elavon terminals are factory shipped and contain incorrect information on each terminal. The merchant is required to add the correct information directly on the terminal containing this information:
    1. Equipment problems – Relationship Premier Services: (800) 725-1245
    2. Supplies such as thermal paper – Customer Service Center: (800) 725-1243
    3. Elavon Training: (866) 451-4007

Merchant account fees

Any fees associated with the acceptance of payment cards in a campus department will be charged to the related merchant on a monthly basis. These fees will post to WISER on the first of the month for the prior month’s transactions. Expenses include a monthly account maintenance fee of $5.00, Elavon processing fees of approximately 2.5% of each transaction, and in some cases $7.50 for chargeback fees (rare). American Express charges a fee of 2.1% of each transaction.

Requirements to manage a Merchant Account

  1. Annual completion of a Self-Assessment Questionnaire every calendar year.
  2. Participation in assessments of your environment by the designated PCI Compliance Analyst and/or Internal Security Assessor.
  3. Completion of mandatory annual payment card industry (PCI) merchant training.
  4. Maintaining documentation of employees who have participated in the annual training, with the ability to produce to the PCI Compliance Analyst upon request.
  5. In some instances, maintaining relationships with third party vendors for departmental specific payment applications, to receive compliance documentation from the vendors (AOCs, ASV Scans, etc.).
  6. Review annually the University Policies and Procedures related to the PCI compliance environment. UW-3031 Credit Card Merchant Services and PCI Compliance Policy
  7. Maintain accurate lists of individuals within your organization directly involved in the credit card processing environment.
  8. Reconcile the transactions from the merchant account to WISER, at a minimum, monthly.

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IV. Definitions

  • Campus Merchant Department – Manage the daily operations of the merchant account(s) and maintain PCI compliance.
  • Divisional Business Representative (DBR) – An individual within the divisional or dean’s office. This individual has the highest level of PCI responsibility, including approving the initial merchant account request and annually reviewing the SAQ as the executive officer.
  • Payments Insider – An online tool from Elavon, the credit card processor, which displays transaction activity and monthly statements.
  • Site Manager – This individual is the point of contact for the campus department merchant account(s) and should have influence to establish procedures for the day-to-day handling of payment cards to ensure compliance.

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V. Related references

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VI. Revisions

Procedure Number 3031.B
Date Approved January 1, 2020
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Changed Procedure Number to 3031.B from 404.B
Sept. 14, 2023 – Small tweaks related to language change (terminal vs. machine) and added a section with what is needed to manage a merchant account.

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3031.A Open and Manage an Internet Storefront Merchant Account Procedure

Open an Internet Storefront Merchant Account Procedure

Procedure # 3031.A; Rev.: 2.12.20 (Effective January 1, 2020)
Related Policy: UW-3031 Payment Card Merchant Services and PCI Compliance Policy 
Functional Owner: Cash Management, Business Services
Contact: PCI Mailbox: pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Definitions
  5. Related references
  6. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

The University of Wisconsin–Madison can accept payment cards from customers to pay for goods and services. An Internet storefront is a method of accepting e-commerce payment transactions via a website.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments that accept payment cards online. This procedure should be understood by all Divisional Business Representatives (DBRs), Site Managers, and Operators of the merchant accounts.

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III. Procedure

Below are the steps for opening an internet storefront merchant account:

  1. Complete and submit the Card Merchant ID Request Form.
    1. The DBR must approve the new merchant account.
      1. The DBR will receive an email upon completion of the Card Merchant ID Request Form. The DBR should then sign into the portal to approve the request.
    2. The DBR should determine which card brands the new merchant will accept.
      1. The standard set up for a new merchant account includes MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. Should the department decide to choose to accept American Express cards, an additional reconciliation and an additional connection is required.
  2. Cash Management will review the submitted Card Merchant ID Request Form and contact the Site Manager to facilitate setting up CASHNet and Merchant Connect.
    1. Each person that will log into CASHNet and Merchant Connect must have a unique operator ID.
    2. The department should provide a logo for the checkout page.
  3. The PCI Site Manager must establish card handling procedures and a contingency plan for processing transactions should the primary system be unavailable. Once complete, these policies and procedures shall be emailed to Cash Management (pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu).
  4. The PCI Compliance Assistance Team and Elavon will review the website that is being used and ensure that it directs customers to CASHNet for payment. The hosting location must be determined and approved before the Merchant ID (MID) goes into production.
  5. Cash Management will schedule a PCI site visit with the Site Manager once a MID is assigned by Elavon. During the PCI site visit, Cash Management will review the department business policies and procedures and assist with completing the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).
  6. Cash Management, or a specific DoIT staff, will activate the MID within CASHNet after the PCI site visit. Once the MID is in production in CASHNet, the storefront website may be used by customers.
  7. The PCI Site Manager must track all live websites in use that redirect to the payment page. Contact pci-help@bussvc.wisc.edu to close the websites that are no longer used for payment.

Merchant account fees

Any fees associated with the acceptance of payment cards in a campus department will be charged to the related merchant on a monthly basis. These fees can be seen in WISER/WISDM once they have been posted. Expenses may include a monthly account maintenance fee of $5.00, Elavon processing fees of approximately 2% of each transaction, and $7.50 for chargeback fees. American Express charges a fee of 2.1% of each transaction.

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IV. Definitions

  • Campus Merchant Department – Manage the daily operations of the merchant account(s) and maintain PCI compliance.
  • CASHNet – A third-party, e-commerce service provider contracted by the University of Wisconsin that is used to process credit card payments.
  • Divisional Business Representative (DBR) – An individual within the dean or divisional office. This individual has the highest level of PCI responsibility including approving the initial merchant account request and annually reviewing the SAQ as the executive officer.
  • Merchant Connect (MCP) – An online tool from Elavon, the credit card processor, which displays transaction activity and monthly statements.
  • Site Manager – This individual is the point of contact for the campus department merchant account(s) and should have influence to establish procedures for the day-to-day handling of payment cards to ensure compliance.

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V. Related references

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VI. Revisions

Procedure Number 3031.A
Date Approved January 1, 2020
Revision Dates Jan. 19, 2021 – Changed Procedure Number to 3031.A from 404.A

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3025.2 Cash Advance Approval Process and Reconciliation

How to Approve and Reconcile a Cash Advance (Approver/Auditor Procedures)

Procedure # 3025.2; Rev.: 2 (Effective July 1, 2025)
Related Policy: UW-3025 Cash Advance Policy
Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Business Services
Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525


Contents

  1. Procedure statement
  2. Who is affected by this procedure
  3. Procedure
  4. Contact roles and responsibilities
  5. Definitions
  6. Related references
  7. Revisions

I. Procedure statement

Spend Authorizations for Cash Advance requests are submitted via Workday Expenses. Cash Advance requests are approved by a Driver Worktag Manager and an Expense Advance Repayment Specialist. Employee travelers must fully reconcile Cash Advances within 30 days of the end of the trip.

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II. Who is affected by this procedure

  • Driver Worktag Managers who review and approve Cash Advances
  • Expense Advance Repayment Specialists who approve Cash Advances and reconcile outstanding Cash Advances balances

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III. Procedure

  1. Cash Advance Approval: Cash advances are approved by a Driver Worktag Manager and an Expense Advance Repayment Specialist.
    1. The Driver Worktag Manager must ensure the funding for a cash advance is appropriate and that sufficient budget exists to support a cash advance payment.
    2. The Expense Advance Repayment Specialist will review the business purpose and confirm estimated expenses are policy-compliant, reasonable, and properly justified by supporting documentation.
  2. Reconciliation: Cash advances must be fully reconciled within 30 days of the end of the trip. The Expense Advance Repayment Specialist monitors outstanding cash advance balances, follows up with employees regarding repayment, records repayments, and reconciles the cash advance general ledger account on a monthly basis.

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IV. Contact roles and responsibilities

  • Employee Traveler – Employee travelers are responsible for requesting cash advances via a Spend Authorization, reconciling cash advances within 30 days of the end of the trip, and refunding any unused portion of the cash advance.
  • Driver Worktag Manager – Upon submission, cash advance requests are first reviewed by the Driver Worktag Manager for budget and appropriateness of funding.
  • Expense Advance Repayment Specialist – Expense Advance Repayment Specialists are responsible for reviewing cash advances for policy compliance and for reconciling refunded payments related to cash advances.

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V. Definitions

  • Cash Advance – Funds disbursed to an employee in advance of UW business travel to offset expenses expected to be incurred out of pocket during the course of travel.
  • Expense Report – A report submitted by a cash advance recipient to account for use of advanced funds.  The cash advance balance must be applied against expenses in the expense report to reconcile the original cash advance.
  • Spend Authorization – A request submitted in Workday Expenses that can be used to obtain approval for a cash advance.
  • Workday Expenses: The Workday module used to create, submit, and approve expense reports for out-of-pocket, Shared Liability Card, and Purchasing Card transactions.

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VI. Related references

 

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VII. Revisions

Procedure Number 3025.2
Date Approved October 1, 2018
Revision Dates July 23, 2019 – Updated instructions for depositing refund checks
Jan. 19, 2021 – Updated Procedure Number to 3025.2 from 321.2
July 1, 2025 – Updated to reflect Workday procedures

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