Payment Options

There are three forms of payment commonly used at UC Berkeley:

Credit Card
Paper Checks
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Wire Transfers

Paper Checks

The default payment method is a paper check. Checks are printed only on Tuesday and Thursday, excluding holidays. Disbursement options include:

Mailed to address printed on the check (default)
Courier (i.e., Fed Ex) if pre-paid airbill is provided
Held for pick-up (exceptional)
- Checks held for pick-up are disbursed from the Central Payroll service windows, M-F, 12:30pm-2:30pm
- Student refunds from their Campus Solutions accounts are held for pick-up at Cal Student Central, 120 Sproul Hall

Uncashed Checks

Checks that are not cashed within 6 months are stale dated and no longer eligible to be negotiated at the bank. Stale dated checks are canceled in BFS at the beginning of each calendar quarter. If a stale dated check has not yet been canceled in BFS, it can be reissued through the Stop Payment process. Once a stale dated check is canceled in BFS, the funds are returned to the paying department’s budget. To reissue a canceled payment, submit a new invoice or BearBuy Payment Request Form.

Stale Dated Check Cancellation Schedule

Check Issue Date	Expect Stale Date Cancellation in BFS on¹:	Last Date to Request Stop Payment
January 1 - March 31	October 15	October 5
April 1 - June 30	January 15	January 5
July 1 - September 30	April 15	April 5
October 1 - December 31	July 15	July 5

_{¹ - After this date, the payment must be reinitiate in BFS}

Stop Payment

Complete a Check Cancellation/Stop Payment Request form and submit it as an email attachment to apbankforms@berkeley.edu. Accounts Payable will notify the bank that the check should not honored. If a replacement check is requested, allow 10 business days for receipt.

Information about a payment, including the check number and issue date, can be viewed in BearBuy by following the steps on the View Payment Status job aid. Instructions for finding payment information in BFS, including whether or not a check has cleared our bank account, are in the Find Vouchers and Payment Information job aid.

Credit Card

UC Berkeley has two methods of payment via credit card:

Payment Plus - one-time use credit cards sent electronically, ideal for payment against a purchase order.

Procurement cards - physical and virtual cards for instant guarantee or settlement of payment.

Payment Plus

The Controller’s Office has partnered with US Bank to provide campus suppliers with an additional electronic payment option. Payment Plus is being offered as an alternative to paper checks and may be preferred over Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by some suppliers. Payment Plus allows for the secure delivery of automated payments to our suppliers via credit card and is an ideal option for vendors looking for the fastest possible payment of invoices related to a new or existing purchase order. The current BearBuy processes for purchase requisitions and invoices remain unchanged. This initiative is an important opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce costs for the campus and our suppliers.

Key benefits our suppliers will receive from Payment Plus:

Payments issued within 2 business days of invoice approval
Improved cash flow
Targeted supplier payment support team

Key benefits UC Berkeley receives from Payment Plus:

Reduced costs from a streamlined payment process
Enhanced controls and compliance

How it works:

Upon enrolling, suppliers will receive an automated email for each payment made by UC Berkeley. These emails will contain a link to a secure web portal where they will obtain a unique Visa credit card number, the amount to charge and the other pertinent details of the transaction needed to process and reconcile their payments. The credit card account will change with each payment so suppliers will not need to keep this information on file.

To learn more or enroll:

To learn more about Payment Plus or enroll in this payment method, please email creditcard@berkeley.edu.

Procurement Cards

Vendors also have the option of accepting credit card payments via UC Berkeley's procurement cards. This is an ideal method for vendors whose primary method of receiving payment from customers is via phone or a web portal, or for whom instant delivery of payment is an important factor. Procurement cards are typically held within UC Berkeley departments; vendors preferring to take payment using this method should contact the department and request payment directly. For more information on UC Berkeley's Card Program, please see our website: creditcard.berkeley.edu.

Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT)

Also known as ACH transactions, electronic funds transfers are secure and efficient transactions sent electronically to bank accounts within the U.S. EFTs have a two day settlement period and will be credited to the payee's bank account within two days of the Berkeley Financial System (BFS) payment date. Although BFS can generate both checks and EFTs, the latter is the preferred method of payment for student, employee, and vendor reimbursements (petty cash reimbursements must be made via check, however.)

For Students
For Employee
For Vendors

If you are a UC Berkeley Student:

Important! Direct deposit requirements for students transferring funds outside the U.S. (Word)

Click here to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer.

Student inquiries should be submitted by opening a case with Cal Student Central.

Additional student information can be found at: studentbilling.berkeley.edu

If you are a UC Berkeley Employee:

Faculty and staff employees can establish and revise their salary direct deposit instructions through UCPath Online by navigating to Employee Actions > Income and Taxes > Direct Deposit. An employee’s salary direct deposit bank information entered in UCPath Online is automatically linked to the Berkeley Financial System (BFS) deposit information for the employee. Reimbursements (e.g. travel, entertainment, miscellaneous business expenses) and other non-salary payments issued through BFS will be directly deposited to the same primary bank account as that maintained for salary in UCPath Online. When employees update their salary direct deposit banking information in UCPath Online, the information will also be updated in BFS for reimbursement purposes. No additional action is required by the employee or department when an employee wants salary and reimbursements to be directly deposited to the same bank account.

If an employee wants to receive a paper check for reimbursements or to have reimbursements deposited to a different bank account than their salary direct deposit bank account, they should “opt-out” of the automatic update process:

To opt-out of the automatic update process and receive a paper check, please send an e-mail to disburse@berkeley.edu. Include the employee’s name and employee number with specific instructions indicating they are electing to opt-out of the employee EFT update process and wish to receive paper checks for reimbursements.
To opt-out of the automatic update process and use a different bank account for reimbursements, please complete the EFT Authorization form (PDF) and e-mail the completed form to apbankforms@berkeley.edu.

In these "opt-out" situations, any changes an employee may make to their UCPath Online (salary direct deposit) bank account will not affect their BFS (reimbursements) bank account or receipt of paper checks.

Please note that Petty Cash Custodians, as required by policy, will continue to receive BFS reimbursements by paper check regardless of their payment method preferences in UCPath Online.

Student employees are not affected by this process. Student employees may continue to establish or revise their salary direct deposit instructions through UCPath Online. Students may continue to set up or make changes to their banking information through Bear Facts for purposes of receiving reimbursements and/or fellowship payments via EFT.

If you have any questions, please email disburse@berkeley.edu.

If you are a UC Berkeley Vendor:

To authorize Electronic Funds Transfer of Vendor payments, please read the privacy notifications below, complete and sign UC's EFT Authorization Form (PDF), and return it via email to apbankforms@berkeley.edu. Please be sure to sign the form before submitting. If the authorization is for EFT deposits to a checking account, you must also provide a voided check that is imprinted with your name and account number. Incomplete forms will be returned to you resulting in delays. Please allow 5-7 business days from our receipt of the form for EFT to be established.

Please keep the following in mind before submitting an EFT Authorization Form:

All EFT Authorization Forms MUST be typed. Hand-written forms will not be accepted
All forms (including EFT bank account changes and cancellations) require a signature
A voided, pre-printed check is required for checking accounts
The bank you designate must be located in the United States
We cannot transfer deposits to investment firms that use an intermediary bank

You will receive an email notification 2 business days before each deposit is sent to the bank. If you close your bank account, you must notify us of your new account information by submitting a new authorization form; failure to do so may result in delays in your funds being received. You may revoke your EFT authorization at any time by indicating “Cancel” on the EFT Authorization form and sending the form to the Accounts Payable Office via an email to via email to apbankforms@berkeley.edu.

Privacy Notifications

Pursuant to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, you are hereby notified that disclosure of your Social Security Number is mandatory. Disclosure of the Social Security Number is required pursuant to sections 6011 and 6051 of Subtitle F of the Internal Revenue Code and with Regulation 4, Section 404 1256, Code of Federal Regulations under Section 218, Title II of the Social Security Act, as amended. The Social Security Number is used to verify your identity. The principal uses of the number may include the reporting of (1) state and federal income taxes withheld, (2) Social Security contributions, (3) state unemployment and Worker's Compensation earnings, (4) earnings and contributions to participating retirement systems, and (5) as an identifier for your insurance carrier to verify your eligibility and to maintain claim records for you and your eligible dependents.

The State of California Practices Act of 1977 (effective July 1, 1978) requires the University to provide the following information to individuals who are asked to supply information about themselves: The primary purpose for requesting information on this form is to acquire authorization to disburse payments directly to a financial institution of your choice. Furnishing all information on this form is mandatory, and failure to provide such information will delay or even prevent completion of the action for which the form is intended. The office responsible for maintenance of the information on this form is the Accounts Payable Office.

A wire transfer is a payment made to a foreign vendor by electronically transferring payment from UCB's bank account directly to the vendor's bank account. Generally, wire transfers are accepted world-wide, though a wire transfer cannot be processed to a sanctioned country.

When is it appropriate to request a wire transfer?
Wire transfers are used for foreign vendors only. A wire transfer may be the best payment method when:

The vendor will have difficulty cashing a check drawn on a U.S. bank account or issued in U.S. dollars
The time to mail a check overseas, and the risk that the check may be lost in the mail, are not acceptable.

Processing a wire transfer is manual and costly, so this payment method should be used only when it makes good business sense.

An Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through the U.S. NACHA network should be requested for vendors with U.S. bank accounts.

What is the cost?
Many recipient banks levy a handling fee (or “landing” charge) for the administration of wire transfers. This practice varies but is common among Asian and European financial institutions. The handling fee is deducted from the wire transfer, and consequently, the beneficiary’s bank account may not be credited with the full amount that was originally disbursed by UCB. UCB does not reimburse vendors for wire transfer fees.

Currently, the fee charged by UCB’s bank to initiate a wire transfer is paid for centrally. This fee is not distributed to vendors or to departments requesting wire transfers.

What is a Confirmation Number?
A confirmation number indicates the sending bank has initiated the transfer; the confirmation number does not imply that the beneficiary has received the funds. Such code numbers are internal to the processing bank and generally have no relevance to the beneficiary’s institution.

Once Initiated at the Bank, How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take?
The University cannot guarantee nor indicate when a wire transfer will be credited to a beneficiary's bank account, as this is not under the University's control, nor is it under the control of UC’s bank. The processing time is impacted by the location of the receiving bank and correspondent relationships between the financial intermediaries through which the wires are processed.

Bank Code Definitions for Requesting Wires
Please see link below for commonly used bank code definitions:

Bank Code Definitions for Requesting Wires (PDF)

Foreign Bank Authorization Form (PDF)

What is the Process for Making a Payment by Wire?

Steps	Description
1. Supplier Set Up	A vendor number is required on the Foreign Bank Authorization Form (PDF), and that can only be provided after the payee has been set up as a supplier in BearBuy. This set up is handled through Accounts Payable, and instructions may be found on the Vendoring section of their website.
2. Collect required banking information	Request the Payee/Vendor provide a completed Foreign Bank Authorization Form (PDF). The form must be signed by the payee as a way to confirm that the banking instructions are accurate. The payee’s bank information will stay in effect until the payee notifies the University by submitting a new Foreign Bank Authorization Form. Submit completed form to apbankforms@berkeley.edu. Include "Wire" in the subject line of the email. You will receive a ticket number via email from apbankforms@berkeley.edu. Retain the ticket number for use in the Payment Request Form.
3. Create and submit a Payment Request in BearBuy	Create a Payment Request Form in BearBuy. Select “Wire” for Payment Method. Ticket Numbers are only required for all wire transfer requests. In the field labeled “Ticket Number,” provide ticket number received from apbankforms@berkeley.edu that was created when the Foreign Bank Authorization Form was submitted. BearBuy supplier name should match supplier name on invoice and beneficiary name on FBA form. Prior to initiating the wire transfer, departments must confirm the banking information. If the invoice contains banking information that is different from the FBA form, the wire could be rejected. In the field labeled "Internal Payment Note”, provide the currency in which payment should be made. Unless specifically requested otherwise by the vendor, the currency type and the amount authorized on the Payment Request Form should be in US dollars. If payment in a foreign currency is required, use this currency converter and enter the amount converted to US dollars on the Payment Request Form. Please attach a copy of the currency conversion. (CAUTION: Some countries do not accept their currencies from outside their borders. To prevent unknown currency conversion rates, it is highly recommended that wire transfers be in US Dollars.) For Invoices: Attach the invoice and supporting documentation to the Payment Request. For Travel Reimbursements Attach the applicable completed travel reimbursement form below in lieu of entry into the travel reimbursement system. For Domestic Travel For International Travel For foreign visitors/guests (not a UC student or employee), please ensure all documentation and requirements are met. If the payee is a UC student or employee, then the requirements referenced for foreign visitors do not apply, regardless of their citizenship status. Attach required itemized travel receipts and, where applicable, note the currency conversion to US Dollars on the receipts. Please redact any confidential information. Submit the Payment Request Form in BearBuy. If any additional documentation needs to be attached after submission of the Payment Request, please attach to the voucher. NOTE: If creating and submitting payment using any BearBuy form other than a Payment Request Form, please do the following: 1. Note in the internal notes section of the PO that payment should be made by wire. 2. If possible, also note payment should be made by wire on the invoice. 3. Email the invoice to ucinvoice@berkeley.edu. 4. Email the Foreign Bank Authorization form to apbankforms@berkeley.edu.
4. View the status	The status of a wire transfer can be viewed in BearBuy under the Approvals tab. It takes approximately 3-4 business days for Payment Request Review. Some payments may be subject to additional tax review or travel reimbursement review. Additionally, it takes 1-5 business days for the bank to release funds after the final wire approval (US Dollar wires are next day, Foreign Currency wires take longer).

PRIVACY WARNING: Do NOT scan and attach the Foreign Bank Authorization Form, or documents containing ANY confidential information, to a Payment Request Form in BearBuy. See Data Privacy requirement for protecting restricted information.