Invoice Payments and Service Payments

Invoice and Service Payments are used when you don’t want to front the cost of a service or good. Instead, we issue a check directly on your behalf.

They are similar to Advanced Payments (where we also issue a check), but with one key difference:

Advanced Payments do not require documentation at the time of creation (proof comes later).
Invoice and Service Payments both require proper documentation upfront.

Invoice Payments	Service Payments
Used for companies/firms paying for goods	Used for individuals/organizations paying for services
Documentation Needed: - Invoice with itemized charges - Vendor letterhead + address	Documentation Needed: - Email/text agreeing on payment amount, invoice with itemized charges, or event flyer
Example: Paying ABC Photography Inc. for a photo booth rental	Example: Paying Jane Stanford directly for photography services

Additional Rules

$1,000+ → Requires OSE approval
$10,000+ → Requires OSE review + contract
Tax Information Form (U.S. Tax ID) required for both invoice and service payments

Rule of Thumb

Goods from companies → Invoice Payment
Services from individuals/orgs → Service Payment (DO NOT TRY TO SELF REIMBURSE- If you need to pay for a service, do not pay out of pocket with the intention of reimbursing yourself later. Instead, submit a Service Payment Request, and we will issue a check directly to the vendor.)

Notice about Invoice Payments: (Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, Apple Cash)

When P2P Apps Can Be Used

Only for physical goods/items or tickets/admission to events.

When P2P Apps Cannot Be Used

Payments to individuals for services/work (tax issues).
Exception: only allowed if processed as a business transaction in Venmo.

Why Can't P2P Apps Be Used For Services Generally?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps such as Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle are generally not acceptable for reimbursements or vendor payments. These services do not meet university and nonprofit financial standards for several reasons:

Audit trail limitations: P2P apps often lack official documentation (itemized receipt) needed for compliance and audits.
IRS reporting requirements: Payments made directly through P2P apps may still require a W-9, but the apps themselves do not provide the necessary taxpayer information.