Financial Information and Services

Each disbursement transaction must be supported by adequate documentation. This requirement is primarily driven by federal regulations, but even more basic than that - it is just good business practice. If the University is making the payment, it should know precisely what it is paying for. This section of the document describes the various supporting documentation requirements of the University.

Rule 1: Original receipts are required for all expenses of $75 or more.  The two exceptions to this rule are business meals and hotel/lodging expenses which must have original receipts (detailed documentation) regardless of dollar amounts.  

Copies of original receipts/invoices are only acceptable under certain circumstances:

• The original was an electronic receipt
• More than 50% of an expense is paid by another entity.
• An individual is only seeking partial reimbursement for a phone/connectivity payment.

Rule 2: ALL receipts must sufficiently detail the item(s) that were purchased.  For this reason vendor statements, which are lists of outstanding invoice numbers and amounts, cannot be used as supporting documentation as they usually do not detail the item(s) that were purchased.  Exception: Vendor statements from the Seminary Co-op are acceptable.
Credit card receipts and/or copies of cancelled personal checks submitted without other supporting documentation will not be considered adequate unless they sufficiently detail the item(s) that were purchased.

Rule 3: All expenses must be itemized whether or not a receipt is required. A description of the business purpose, date of occurrence, and amount of expense must accompany all requests for reimbursement. 

Rule 4:  Proof of Payment is required.  The individual should always furnish a paid bill or proof that the payment was made. The bill should show "0 balance due" or "Paid", "Paid by Visa, Master Card" or some similar language. If a paid bill was not provided then the individual must furnish a copy of his/her credit card statement or personal check. Note: Cash register receipts, utility bills and the like should always be considered "Paid Receipts". Restaurant check stubs (pull tabs) by themselves are not sufficient documentation.

Rule 6: Lost receipts; if a person loses a receipt, he/she must provide a note acknowledging that the receipt(s) was lost and a description of the item(s) that was purchased, business purpose, date of occurrence, and amount of expense.

• Refer to the Matrices of Allowable Travel Expenses by Category to view the requirements for each category of Travel expense.
• The Reimbursement to Individuals Quick Reference Guide has information for other expense categories.