Accounts Payable
Accounts Payable area is responsible for processing non-payroll disbursements of expenses and managing the College issued credit cards.
All request for payments are due on Mondays at 4:30 p.m. in order to be paid on the following Thursday.
Requests received after this deadline will be included in the check run for the following week.
Modifications may be made during a week with a college holiday.
A complete request for payment includes the following: an original invoice and/or explanation sheet, name and address of vendor, proper signatures, account numbers, and routing information.
The Request for Payment form is online. Form is fillable upon download.
A Request for Payment is required for each invoice. Vendor statements are not a substitute for an original invoice and will not be accepted.
New vendors
All new vendors need to have a W-9 on file. These are available in the Accounts Payable Office. IRS requires us to have a Federal Id number for all vendors.
Meals reimbursement
If you are being reimbursed for meals you must attach documentation to support who attended the event and the purpose of the event with your receipt to comply with IRS rules.
Incomplete RFPs
If a request is not complete, it will be returned to you through campus mail.
Approval signatures
All department expenses must be signed by the department chair. Expenses payable to the department chair must have a vice president's approval.
The College has established charge accounts at the following businesses for your convenience:
- A to Z Rental
- B-Stark
- C&S Supply
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Cub Foods
- Dollar Store
- Dominos
- Family Fresh Market
- Erbert & Gerberts
- Hy-Vee
- Jake's Pizza
- Menards
- Nelson Printing
- Paper Service Plus
- Scheels
- St. Peter Food Coop
- St. Peter Lumber
- St. Peter Rental
- Swedish Kontur
Gustavus is a tax exempt organization. Therefore, most purchases should not include sales tax. Please deduct sales tax from any invoices. If the vendor needs verification of our tax exempt status, please print and bring along our Form ST3 Certificate of Exemption.
All purchase orders must be obtained in person from the Finance Office. The Finance Office maintains a log of all distributed purchase orders.
Each department is responsible for purchase orders assigned to their department. Therefore, we recommend that the purchase orders be kept in a secure place to reduce the risk of unauthorized purchases.
Department heads are responsible for authorizing purchase orders for their department. If the purchase price exceeds $5,000, Finance Office approval is required.
We recommend that the purchase order be detailed enough to ensure no unauthorized purchases are made.
Information regarding Purchase Card Policy and Procedures can be found in this PDF manual.
If you make a purchase with your Gustavus Wells Fargo card and do not have a receipt and have done your due diligence in trying obtain one, you will need to fill out a Missing Receipt Declaration, have it signed by the appropriate manager, and turn it into the Finance Office for our records.
The Internal Revenue Code states that when gift certificates, prizes, gifts, and awards are given to employees or students, the value of the item represents taxable income to the individual and is subject to Federal income, Social Security, and Medicare tax withholding. Failure to comply with the Internal Revenue Code would result in substantial tax and penalty assessments in the event of an audit.
To ensure compliance with the Code, please observe the following guidelines:
- If you choose to provide a gift or award from the College to an employee or student, you will have to complete a Request for Payment (RFP) form for the amount or value of the gifts and obtain a vice president's signature of approval. Send the RFP to payroll for processing. The amount of the gift will be included with the employee's next payroll check as taxable income.
- If you are providing a gift to a non-employee, complete an RFP and send it to accounts payable for processing. The non-employee may receive a 1099 form depending on whether the gift meets the specific requirements.
To request payment for a speaker, performer, band, or some other form of honorarium, the IRS dictates that we MUST have the person's social security number and home address. Please include this information on the request for payment. The request for payment will not be processed until the above information is provided.
Before booking a foreign speaker who will require an honorarium, contact Accounts Payable regarding the necessary documents that will be required.
The fiscal year ends on May 31. To include purchases in the current fiscal year, your purchase must occur prior to June 1 and be received on campus by May 31. Travel expenses are included in the fiscal year in which the travel takes place. Travel overlapping fiscal years will be posted to the year in which the majority of travel takes place.
As of January 1, 2026 the IRS mileage reimbursement is 72.5 cents per business mile.
Check the Motor Pool website for vehicle reservation and key pick up availability.
We do not accept any COD packages. Please make the proper shipping/delivery arrangements prior to shipment.
Notary Public
Notary Public services are available for no charge in the Jackson Campus Center Monday through, Friday 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please bring a photo identification with your document and do not sign that document until you are in front of the Notary. Notary Publics are available in the Admission Office, Registrar's Office, and Student Accounts/Financial Aid Office.