Miscellaneous Payment Process: Tips and Tricks
A Miscellaneous Payment is a payment made to a person (U.S. citizen or resident alien) or an entity that is not an OSU supplier. Miscellaneous Payments should be infrequent and are typically to provide a one-time payment for costs that are not feasible through other procurement options.
Refer to the Procuring Goods and Services job aid in the ARC for procurement options that should be prioritized over use of a Miscellaneous Payment when possible.
MISCELLANEOUS PAYMENT COMMON USE CASES
- Pay a Refund (money previously paid to the University that needs returned to Payee)
- Pay a Human Subject for research participation (using cash advance payments or direct payments)
- Pay a Stipend (payment to non-employee subject matter experts for subsistence costs)
- Pay an Honorarium
- Request Petty Cash or a Change Fund
More information about these and other Miscellaneous Payment categories.
WHEN TO NOT USE A MISCELLANEOUS PAYMENT
- Paying for goods or services
- Paying a Non-Resident Alien (NRA) - instead use Supplier Invoice Request (SIR) process.
- Paying via a wire - instead use the Supplier Invoice Request (SIR) process.
- Paying for employment services, wages, relocation or making payments that should be part of the student financial aid process
Process
Adherence to this process supports fiscal accountability, procurement guidelines and the timely processing of miscellaneous payments.
Workday Access for Miscellaneous Payments
* In most cases (except for Refunds), the Miscellaneous Payee MUST have the Supplier/Payee Setup Form attached to the Miscellaneous Payee in Workday.
** Before creating a new Miscellaneous Payee, search Workday to verify if the name of the Miscellaneous Payee has already been established. In the Find Miscellaneous Payees report, be sure to check the box to include Inactive Payees. If a Miscellaneous Payee was inactivated, request reactivation rather than create a new one (after selecting the inactive Miscellaneous Payee, click related actions, Miscellaneous Payee and Activate).
*** Workday approvals route based on various parameters (for example, Miscellaneous Payment amount, spend category, worktags, etc.).
Roles
Business Role | Business Responsibilities | Security Roles |
| Requester | The Requester identifies a miscellaneous payment need (other P2P purchasing options are not available). The Requester initiates the Miscellaneous Payment Request. The Requester is responsible for collecting the information required on the Supplier/Payee Setup form when needed and including the completed form in the Workday submission. Responsible for compliance with all applicable policies. | Expense Data Entry Specialist Cost Center Accountant Company Financial Analyst |
| Cost Center Manager | Reviews all Miscellaneous Payments. Responsible for ensuring the purchase has an appropriate business purpose, within budget, and within the parameters of a Miscellaneous Payment. | N/A |
| Department leader (UNIV) | Approve for business purpose when • Miscellaneous Payment is > $2,500 • Miscellaneous Payment is related to a high-risk category and >$200 | N/A |
| Other Approvers (Office of Sponsored Programs OSP Accountant, Special Approvers, Program Manager, etc.) | Approves for business purpose for applicable approval area | N/A |
| Service Center Rep & Lead (UNIV) | Reviews Miscellaneous Payment for accuracy and compliance with university policies and takes appropriate action (approval, edit, send back). | Business Operations Center Representative - Rep Business Operations Center Representative - Lead |
Petty Cash Custodian Applicable for Petty Cash, Change Funds and Cash Advance Payments | Unit leader / SFO / Fiscal person / PI (for human subject) or individual designated by the Unit leader with the responsibility for a specific petty cash program and the monies held in it. Manages the day-to-day activity in the petty cash fund, including payments, documentation, etc. Maintains the documentation required for monthly petty cash reconciliation. An individual designated by the unit other than the custodian or backup custodian should reconcile the petty cash account. | N/A |
Petty Cash Reconciler Applicable for Petty Cash, Change Funds and Cash Advance Payments | A fiscal person who ensures all policies are followed and all documentation is appropriate to substantiate the monthly petty cash reconciliation. | N/A |
Office of the Controller Applicable for Petty Cash, Change Funds and Cash Advance Payments | Establishes requirements for the use of petty cash, change funds and cash advance payments. | N/A |
Office of the Treasurer Applicable for Petty Cash, Change Funds and Cash Advance Payments | Establishes requirements for the use of petty cash, change funds and cash advance payments. | N/A |
| Travel, PCard & Expense Team | Advises on policy or process, as appropriate. | N/A |
| Supplier Maintenance | Ensures completeness of Supplier/Payee Setup Form. | N/A |
Reports
The following reports can be used to provide oversight and perform analytics on Miscellaneous Payments. Reports can be scheduled to automatically run within Workday and notifications can be set to alert users that the report is available in Workday.
Key Reports | Description | Supports Process Steps |
| Find Miscellaneous Payment Summary - OSU | This report returns Miscellaneous Payment Request data based on header information such as status, payee, and total amount and can be used for basic metrics and transaction status tracking. | Create Miscellaneous Payment Request |
| Find Miscellaneous Payment Details – OSU | This report provides detailed information on Miscellaneous Payment Requests including header information as well as line details such as funding and item description details when applicable. | Create Miscellaneous Payment Request |
Training and Practice Aids
Resource Type | Resource Name | Resource Description |
| Job Aid (ARC) | Miscellaneous Payment Process | Instructions on how to create a miscellaneous payee and a miscellaneous payment |
| Job Aid (ARC) | Cash Advances for Human Subjects, Petty Cash and Change Funds – Process and Accounting | Instructions on journal entries for and how to reconcile petty cash |
| Website | Payments to Research Subjects | Information from the Office of Research on Payments to Research Subjects |
| Policy | Expenditures Policy | Policy on University expenditures |
| Policy | Cash and Cash Alternatives Payment Methods | Policy on petty cash, change funds and cash advance payments |