Payment Requests

A vendor profile must be created in Accounting and Reporting at Columbia (ARC), the University’s financial system, before initiating a payment request, except for honoraria processed through Candex. All prerequisites or additional requirements for suppliers, service providers, and consultants must be completed before work begins or a payment request is submitted. For any questions, please contact the Payments Team at [email protected]

Foreign Individuals

Payment eligibility for non-resident aliens is determined by immigration status, in accordance with tax and immigration regulations. Adhering to these regulations is essential. Please review the chart of Allowable Payments by Visa Type and verify the recipient's eligibility before extending an invitation or promising payment.

ARC Payment Requests

Cover Sheet

The Cover Sheet is an essential form that must accompany each ARC Payment Request submitted to the Business Office, excluding Honoraria requests processed through Candex. It is a fillable PDF with designated fields for required information, which should be downloaded, completed, and digitally signed: Cover Sheet

Request to pay an Invoice

To request an invoice to be paid, submit the following documents and be mindful of possible prerequisites for certain types of goods or services:

Cover Sheet – complete all specified fields

Proof of Event – event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity

Invoice – official document submitted to a Law School department by a vendor requesting payment for goods or services. The invoice should include the following:

  • Supplier/Payee Name
  • Bill-to Address (Columbia Law School)
  • Payment Remit Address
  • Invoice Date
  • Invoice Number
  • Description of goods or services
  • Amount Due

Prerequisites – certain prerequisites may be required depending on the type of goods or services, which must be completed prior to commencing work or requesting payment. 

  • If a Purchase Order is required, reference the approved PO number in the Cover Sheet. Refer to Purchase Orders for more information
  • If a Contract or Agreement is required, include a copy of the fully executed document. Refer to Contracts & Agreements for more information

Foreign Currency – use Oanda Currency Converter to convert an invoice in foreign currency to US Dollars (USD) and include the print out with your request.

Wire Transfers

Payment requests for international payees to be disbursed by wire transfer needs to include a Wire Request form, in addition to an invoice or in place of a Check Request, for the University to wire the funds to their foreign bank account. 

About Prizes & Awards

Awards to Columbia students who receive Financial Aid must be submitted to the Financial Aid office for processing. Awards to Columbia students who do not receive Financial Aid, or payments to non-Columbia students, may be submitted to the Business Office for processing, and do not need to go through the Financial Aid office. If your department does not know whether or not a student receives Financial Aid, check with the Financial Aid office first to determine the appropriate route for payment. Please note, prizes are won in a competition; awards are achieved or granted.

Request a Student Prize or Award

To request a prize or award for a qualified Columbia Student, submit the following documents:

Cover Sheet – complete all specified fields

Proof of Event – event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity

Check Request – use this form to create a PDF document

Prize or Award Letter – official letter on department letterhead, addressed to the payee, including the amount of the award or prize, and signature of department authority

The following language must be included in the description of services:

  • Prize for a Columbia student who won in a competition (include the name and details of the competitive event).
  • Award for a Columbia student who does not receive Financial Aid, or, non-Columbia student award, or, Scholarship or fellowship (stipend) for a Columbia student who does not receive Financial Aid, or, non-Columbia student scholarship / fellowship / stipend.

Request to Reimburse an International Guest

To request reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses for an international Guest, submit the following documents:

Cover Sheet – complete all specified fields

Proof of Event – event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity

Wire Request – use this form to create a PDF document

Non-Employee Expense Worksheet – use this form to list each expense in chronological order  

Receipts – must be original and identify date of purchase, vendor name/logo, itemized list and unit price of purchased items, total amount paid. 

Proof of Payment – receipts must indicate proof of payment by stating “Cash Tendered,” “Paid,” a zero balance due, or evidence of debit/credit charged. Proof of payment is required to validate that payment was tendered. If the receipt does not have proof of payment, submit the receipt along with the debit/credit card statement reflecting the transaction. 

Foreign Currency – use Oanda Currency Converter to convert a receipt in foreign currency to US Dollars (USD) using the receipt date, and include the print out with your request.

Missing Receipt Worksheet – use this form to certify the expenses were reasonable and incurred in accordance with University policy.

Columbia University issues 1099 forms to the IRS and to vendors who received payments exceeding $600 in a calendar year. These forms are mailed to recipients by January 31st of the following year. If vendors have questions about their 1099 form or have not received a copy, please have them complete and submit a Tax Form Inquiry or contact the Finance Service Center at 212-854-2122.

To request an internal transfer or journal voucher, email [email protected] with the subject line: Internal Transfer/Journal Voucher. In the email, include an explanation of how the expenses should be reallocated and attach the following documents for review:

  1. Cost Transfer Justification Form explaining the extenuating circumstances for reallocating the expense
  2. Trial Balance by Account Detail Report highlighting the row of the expense

If the vendor has completed their PaymentWorks registration and their profile is up to date, payments are typically processed within 30 days of receiving the request in the Business Office. To check the status of an ARC Payment Request, please email [email protected] with the subject line: Payment Status - Vendor Name and include the following information:

  1. Date submitted to the Business Office
  2. Vendor/Payee Name
  3. Invoice Number
  4. Amount Due
Purpose and Eligibility 

An honorarium is a token of appreciation given to individuals participating in University-sponsored activities, such as guest lectures or symposiums. Honoraria are typically paid to external individuals, not University students, employees (faculty or staff), or those with a contractual agreement with the University. Please note that honoraria payments are considered taxable income and may be subject to IRS reporting and withholding requirements. 

Honoraria eligibility for non-resident aliens is determined by immigration status, in accordance with tax and immigration regulations. Adhering to these regulations is essential. Please review the chart of Allowable Payments by Visa Type and verify the recipient's eligibility before extending an invitation or promising payment.

For full details, please refer to: Columbia's Honoraria Policy
 

Threshold and Exceptions

At Columbia Law School, the standard honorarium payment threshold is $250. Departments wishing to issue an honorarium payment exceeding this amount must contact the Business Office to request an exception prior to promising or requesting the payment.

In rare circumstances, any exceptions to the expense reimbursement guidelines associated with honoraria must be submitted to the Business Office for review.

Request Honoraria Payment

Honoraria payments are submitted electronically to the Business Office and processed through Candex in the CU Marketplace. To request an honoraria payment, the following documentation must be included with the request:

Steps for Submission:
  1. Download and complete the Honoraria Request Form. 
    View a sample of the Honoraria Request Form here
  2. Attach the relevant supporting documentation before digitally signing the form.
    a. Proof of Event (e.g., event flyer, agenda, or email invitation) that justifies the event or activity.
  3. Save the document as a PDF, following the specified naming format: 
    Honoraria [YYYY-MM-DD] [RecipientName] [HonorariaAmount].
    For example: Honoraria 2025-03-05 Sofia Parra $250
  4. Submit to the payment requests folder on the shared drive G:\BUSINESS_Payment_Requests for processing.

Please ensure all submissions adhere to the guidelines outlined in the University’s Honoraria Policy for timely processing.

If Honoraria Includes Expense Reimbursement:

Expense reimbursements related to honoraria must adhere to the University's Travel Expense Policy. Please note the following guidelines:

  • Reimbursable Expenses: Only travel and strictly business-related expenses that comply with University policy are eligible for reimbursement.
  • Non-Reimbursable Expenses: Alcohol, first-class or business-class airfare, and any expenses that exceed established policy thresholds will not be reimbursed. Airfare should be booked in economy/coach class through the University’s travel system whenever possible to ensure compliance with University guidelines.

To request both honoraria and expense reimbursements, the following documentation must be included with the request:

Steps for Submission:
  1. Download and complete the Honoraria Request Form. 
    View a sample of the Honoraria Request Form here
  2. Attach the relevant supporting documentation before digitally signing the form.
    a. Proof of Event (e.g., event flyer, agenda, or email invitation) that justifies the event or activity.
    b. Honoraria Expense Reimbursement Form
    c. Itemized Receipts and Proof of Payment
    d. If applicable, OANDA Currency Conversion for foreign expenses
  3. Save the document as a PDF, following the specified naming format: 
    Honoraria [YYYY-MM-DD] [RecipientName] [HonorariaAmount].
    For example: Honoraria 2025-03-05 Sofia Parra $250
  4. Submit to the payment requests folder on the shared drive: G:\BUSINESS_Payment_Requests for processing.

Please ensure all submissions adhere to the guidelines outlined in the University’s Honoraria Policy and Travel Expense Policy for timely processing.

The process begins when the department submits the payment request to the Business Office. Upon receipt, the Business Office reviews the request for completeness. If there are any questions, the Business Office will reach out to the department contact who submitted the request. 
Once verified, the request is submitted for payment processing through Candex and undergoes a series of review and approval steps, including financial approval and Accounts Payable audit and review. The payee will then receive an email invitation from Columbia via Candex to create a Candex account and receive payment from Candex. 

Candex Onboarding Instructions for Payees

Payees receiving Candex honoraria payments from Columbia University must register and enter their payment details to request (claim) their payment. For detailed instructions on creating a Candex account, refer to the Payee's Guide to Receiving Candex Payments

For assistance with Candex, as detailed in the guide, the payee can message Columbia through the "Add a message to your buyer" field or click the link next to it to reach out to Candex Support via email.