Purchase Orders | Financial Services & Operations

Purchase Orders Less than $1,000

Accounts Payable will automatically pay purchase orders that are less than $1,000, without approval from the department. If the department does not want payment to be made, they must contact Accounts Payable as soon as possible.

Purchase Orders of $1,000 or More

Once an invoice is received by Accounts Payable, AP will enter the invoice into Banner and then will route it to the department's PO Receiver queue for approval.

If all items on the invoice have been received or service completed, approve the invoice and route forward to the AP PO Receiver queue.

If you do not intend to pay for certain items (returning for replacement or credit), please let Accounts Payable know as soon as possible. Hold the invoice in the department's PO Receiver queue until issues have been addressed and resolved with the vendor.

Department Receipt of Vendor Invoice

The purchase order directs the vendor to send invoices to Accounts Payable and to include this information:

Michigan Tech purchase order number
Vendor invoice number
"Remit to" address
Itemized description of goods/services
Quantity of each item

Vendors may send invoices to the department rather than to Accounts Payable. If the department receives an invoice from the vendor directly, it must be sent to Accounts Payable immediately so prompt payment can be made. Submit properly approved invoices (as separate documents) for payment via:

Email attachment to apinvoice@mtu.edu (as .tiff file- NOT .pdf)
Fax to 7-2119
Campus Mail (addressed to Accounts Payable
Upload (black and white) pdf or tiff document

The invoice should have a signature authorizing payment and include the purchase order number, if it is not provided by the vendor. Late fees may be charged to the department for late invoices.

On receipt of an invoice, it is matched to the purchase order. If there are no discrepancies, the invoice is set up for payment within the time frame indicated on the invoice or within 30 days. The University does take advantage of discounts when possible. If payment terms have been agreed upon by the vendor and the department for major equipment purchases (e.g., computer systems), please inform Accounts Payable of such circumstances.

Blanket Orders

A blanket order is issued to purchase expendable items from a single vendor over a certain period of time, often being the fiscal year. Items are purchased on one purchase order, rather than several separate orders. Equipment cannot be purchased on blanket orders.

All blanket purchase orders must include names of individuals who are authorized to purchase items. Blanket order invoices are charged to various accounts and are not encumbered.

Please do not hesitate to call Accounts Payable at 7-2371 if you have questions.

Procedure

If a purchase is made locally, the individual should obtain an invoice from the vendor.

Invoices must be sent to Accounts Payable immediately to ensure prompt payment to the vendor.

All blanket order invoices must include the following information before being sent to Accounts Payable for payment:

Vendor name
Items being purchased
Blanket Order number
Index to be charged
Account code to be charged
Authorized signature

Note: The department is responsible for indicating the index, account code, and blanket order number and for providing the authorizing signature. Accounts Payable will return invoices to the department if any of this information is missing, resulting in a delay in payment and possible late fees/service charges.

The blanket order must have an adequate balance. If additional funds are needed, a change order must be processed.

If a purchase is not made locally, invoices may be sent to the department or to Accounts Payable. If the department receives the invoice, the above procedure should be followed. If Accounts Payable receives the invoice, it will be forwarded to the department for the index, account code, blanket order number, and authorized signature.