Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below are some of the most common Accounts Payable related questions.
COVID Comment Location - will show you the various modules that the "COVID" term is required in.
- Locate the submitted expense report(s) through the “Submitted Last 90 Days” section of Chrome River.
- Open the report and click on the appropriate expense line.
- Enter “COVID” in the comment section of each expense line related to the canceled travel event.
- Contact the vendor associated with each charge and request a refund to be issued back to the pcard.
Reconciled Expenses
- Locate the submitted expense report(s) through the “Submitted Last 90 Days” section of Chrome River.
- Open the report and click on the appropriate expense line.
- Enter “COVID” in the comment section of each expense line related to the canceled travel event.
- Attach any correspondence from the vendor that documents their refusal to issue a refund.
- If the vendor does not provide written correspondence, enter a comment on the expense line to document that a refund was requested but not obtained from the vendor.
Unreconciled Expenses
- Create a new expense report for the cancelled travel event.
- Reconcile the pcard charge as if the trip had occurred as normal.
- Save the expense line.
- Before submitting the expense report, enter “COVID” in the comment section of each expense line related to the canceled travel event.
- Attach any correspondence from the vendor that documents their refusal to issue a refund.
- If the vendor does not provide written correspondence, enter a comment on the expense line to document that a refund was requested but not obtained from the vendor.
- Make a list of all expenses related to the canceled trip.
- Contact each vendor (i.e. conference, airline, hotel, rental car company) to inform them of the cancellation and ask for a refund.
- Communicate the status of each expense/refund to the Travel department wsutraveloffice@wichita.edu and the appropriate departmental personnel (i.e. supervisor, delegate, business manager).
Vendor issues credit
No further action is needed
Vendor does not issue a credit
- Create a new expense report for the cancelled travel event.
- Add each expense to the report as if the trip had occurred as normal.
- Save each expense line.
- Before submitting the expense report, enter “COVID” in the comment section of each expense line related to the canceled travel event.
- Attach any correspondence from the vendor that documents their refusal to issue a refund.
- If the vendor does not provide written correspondence, enter a comment on the expense line to document that a refund was requested but not obtained from the vendor.
- Locate the submitted Pre-Approval report(s) through the “Submitted Last 90 Days” section of Chrome River.
- Enter “COVID” in the comments field on the header of the Pre-Approval and click the Post button located to the right of the comment.
- Click the Expire button located at the top of the page.
- Click the Expire button when the system asks if you are sure you want to expire the Pre-Approval.
- Discuss situation with Supervisor and upon agreement, proceed with the following steps.
- Make a list of all expenses related to the canceled trip.
- Contact each vendor (i.e. Conference, airline, hotel, rental car company) to inform them of the cancellation and ask for a refund.
- Communicate the status of each expense/refund to the Travel department wsutraveloffice@wichita.edu and the appropriate departmental personnel (i.e. supervisor, delegate, business manager).
- See the appropriate FAQ above for detailed directions on how to proceed.
- Send an email to wsutraveloffice@wichita.edu to provide details about the credit (i.e. the airline carrier, amount of credit, fees assessed, etc.).
- Traveler enters a comment on the original expense line for the transaction indicating that a ticket credit has been obtained.
- Traveler tracks the unused ticket credit and applies the credit towards the airfare ticket for the next scheduled business travel event.
- At the time of rebooking, airline may assess a $200 change fee. If they do, inform airline of the reason for the original cancellation (COVID-19) and send cancellation documentation to airline.
- Traveler provides documentation in Chrome River showing the application of the unused ticket credit.
If you have questions or need guidance on processing your travel in Chrome River, please contact the Travel department at wsutraveloffice@wichita.edu or by phone at (316) 978 -5988.
ICD's related to Purchase Orders route to Accounts Payable for review and processing. When research funds are used the ICD's will also be reviewed by ORTT. Contact Accounts Payable at accountspayable@wichita.edu for more information regarding the status of the ICD.
The account code guide is a resource to use for selecting the correct code. If you need further assistant contact Account Payable at accountspayable@wichita.edu.
Accounts Payable will cancel or reissue a lost check upon request from the department. To request a check to be cancelled email accountspayable@wichita.edu. Include the action to be taken (cancel or re-issue), the Banner invoice number and the reason for the request.
NSF stands for non-sufficient funds; this means you do not have enough budget to pay the invoice.
Possible Actions needed for Resolution
- A Budget Adjustment to increase OOE
- An email sent to accountspayable@wichita.edu to use different funding
- Cash Transfer and a Budget Adjustment to add more OOE
In order to process payments the fund and org must have available budget to spend.
If you have access to Reporting Services first look at the report Vendor Payment Status by Period. If the payment is not listed contact Accounts Payable at accountspayable@wichita.edu.
316-733-2753 Laurie O'Leary
Possibly, go to the Price Quote Comparison to see when an airline quote is required.
Possibly, if meat is provided at the breakfast you must remove the meal from your reimbursement.
All meals provided at no cost to the traveler must be excluded from the per diem calculation.
A Pre-Approval is required when:
- using Sunflower Travel
- traveling out of state beyond 200 miles of the Kansas border
- traveling internationally
- traveling out of state and requesting reimbursement by WSU Foundation Funds
The current rate for fiscal year 2024 is $0.655.
Possibly, in general Kansas Sales Tax should not be charged to the BPC. You must supply each vendor with the tax exempt form.
When Kansas Sales tax is inadvertently paid, and the amount of tax is LESS THAN $5.00 the individual is not required to obtain a credit for the tax paid.
Please contact the BPC Administrator via email for further clarification on gift cards.
Q: What is Chrome River and when will it be available?
A: Chrome River is the online Travel Pre-Approval (formally Travel Authorization),
Travel Expense Report (formally Travel Reimbursement), Procurement Card Reconciliation,
and Invoice system for WSU. Chrome River Expense will be available to all employees
July 29, 2019. The implementation of Chrome River Invoice is coming soon!
Q: How do I access the System?
A: The link will be provided in myWSU. Chrome River is a web-based system and does
not require the VPN. Use your myWSU credentials to log in. You can also access Chrome
River from your mobile device using web access (there is no app). The recommended
internet browser for Chrome River is Google Chrome.
Q: Can I access Chrome River on my mobile device?
A: Chrome River is web-based software and does not require an app. More information
will be provided on how to access Chrome River after the system is live on July 29,
2019.
Q: Do I need to have my WSU email account on my cell phone to use the Chrome River
SNAP app?
A: No, the Chrome River SNAP app will ask you to input an email address and you will
have to list the wichita.edu address.
Q: How do I learn how to use Chrome River?
A: Chrome River is very user-friendly. Visit the reference section on the Chrome River
webpage to view quick reference guides, step-by-step job aids, demonstration PowerPoint,
and the Chrome River manual. In addition, Chrome River has a robust help section
that can be accessed from within the software. To schedule a training session in
your department, please contact Kristie Courtney 978-5988 or Sonya Emmart 978-5886.
Q: What are the benefits of using Chrome River?
A: There are many benefits to utilizing Chrome River, that include but are not limited
to; the system is intuitive and user-friendly; automated approvals (that allow for
tracking); built in edit checks that help verify compliance before submission; eliminates
paper waste by managing receipts within the system and speeds up the reimbursement
process.
Q: What Benefits will the Traveler Experience?
A: Chrome River is a fast, fluid mobile web application that offers the latest in travel
and expense management. Travelers will enjoy the same user experience across all devices
– desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The business rules engine in the application
will assist travelers in complying with State of Kansas and WSU policies more efficiently
by applying those policies as the Expense Report is created. This prevents downstream
delays in processing reimbursements by eliminating much of the back and forth that
currently happens as reports are audited. The application provides multiple options
for attaching receipts to transactions, which will greatly increase efficiency and
decrease processing time for reimbursements. Just imagine completing your Expense
Report from your smartphone with snapshots of receipts while you wait in the airport
for your flight home!
Q: Will all travelers/cardholders enter their own documents (Pre-Approval, Expense Report,
Pcard Reconciliation Reports) themselves or does Chrome River allow for delegates?
A: Departments can chose whether travelers/cardholders (expense owners) enter their own
transactions or whether a delegate enters transactions on their behalf.
To assign a delegate, the traveler/cardholder (expense owner) will log into Chrome River, then tap their name displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. This will open up the user menu. Select Settings, then select Delegate Settings from the menu displayed on the left side of the screen. In the section labeled “My Delegates” click the Add New Delegates link. In the field that appears, begin typing the name of the person you would like to assign as your delegate. When you have located the appropriate name, click on the name to select it. That person’s name should now appear in the My Delegates section with an “X” directly to the left of it. Click your name in the upper right corner to return to the user menu and select Logout to exit Chrome River.
Q: Do I need to train my travelers on how to use Chrome River?
A: We highly recommend attending one of the trainings offered by Accounts Payable along
with reviewing the training and reference material posted on wichita.edu/cr. There
will also be multiple open lab offerings beginning July 30, 2019 where we will be
offering assistance with getting started in Chrome River.
Q: Can Students sign into Chrome River?
A: Students cannot log into Chrome River unless they are also an employee of WSU.
Q: How do we process student travel in Chrome River if students cannot log in?
A: A WSU staff member will need to create a Pre-Approval or Expense Report in Chrome
River for the student. The staff member will select “Student” from the Traveler Type
drop down on the header of the document, and select the appropriate record for the
student in the vendor drop down. Please see Reference Documents in the section above
for detailed instructions.
Q: What is the email address to send receipts to a profile?
A: Emailing from user’s wichita.edu account
To: receipt@ca1.chromeriver.com
Subject: Dollar amount (e.g. 125.00)
Attachments: Copy of receipt
A: Emailing from one user to another user’s e-wallet
To: receipt@ca1.chromeriver.com
Subject: Email address (e.g. kristie.courtney@wichita.edu)
Attachments: Copy of receipt
Q: Do I need to have myWSU email account on my cell phone to email receipts to my Chrome
River Profile?
A: No, you can add an alternative email address to your Chrome River profile. Once
added and verified, you can email receipts from the alternative email address directly
to your Chrome River profile.
Q: How do I submit receipts from restaurants where I have included a tip?
A: You would submit both the itemized receipt and the summary receipt (which shows
the tip amount) to Chrome River.
Q: What if I already have a TA in TEM. How do I complete the reimbursement in Chrome
River?
A: TA's that are in TEM for travel that occurs after July 29th will be entered into
Chrome River and you will import the Pre-Approval to the Expense Report. Any travel
that has occurred before July 29th will not be in Chrome River and you will reference
the TA number in the submit compliance area when asked.
Q: How do I edit a Pre-Approval (PA) that has already been approved?
A: Users cannot edit Pre-Approvals or Expense Reports that have already been approved.
You have the ability to ‘recall’ and edit if the Pre-Approval or Expense Report has
not been finalized.
Q: If you are taking a group of students on a travel event, does each student need
to have a Pre-Approval entered into the system?
A: No, only the faculty member will have a Pre-Approval within Chrome River. The faculty
member will still fill out the Student Affairs form ‘University-Sanctioned Student
Travel Registration Form’ per WSU policy 8.14 Student Travel and submit this to Student
Affairs.
Q: How do I handle it when a candidate or student does not have a vendor id when I am
ready to create an Expense Report?
A: The system has a field on the report header to input the Student or Candidate’s
information. You will obtain the W-9 from the student when creating the Pre-Approval
and send it to Accounts Payable Box 38. You will obtain the W-9 from the Candidate
after they have arrived to campus and send it to Accounts Payable Box 38 as soon as
they have completed the form to allow for processing time by the State of Kansas.
This will allow Accounts Payable to have the Candidate set up and in Chrome River
by the time you are ready to complete the reimbursement.
Q: If an expense was purchased with WSU issued Pcard in advance of the business travel
do I submit multiple Expense Reports?
A: Yes, you will reconcile the Pcard transactions based on statement cycle. If the
transactions are in advance you could possibly generate 2 reports based on timing,
one for the expenses in advance and one for the expenses after the trip is completed.
A: The Pcard statement date along with the due date will be listed on the company information page within Chrome River. It is the cardholders responsibility to remain aware of the statement dates and due dates. Cardholders will also receive an email and paper statement from UMB Card Services which will also serve as a reminder that the reconciliation deadline is approaching. At this time, Financial Operations will send out the monthly email notification to alert cardholders of the Pcard Reconciliation Report due date.
Q: If I have Pcard charges loading to my profile each day, do I have to wait until the statement closes to begin my Pcard Reconciliation?
A: No, you can begin reconciling Pcard charges as soon as they appear in Chrome River. Users are encouraged to start a Pcard Reconciliation (Non-Travel) Report on the first day of the new statement cycle (if you are going to utilize your card during the cycle). Then as transactions load to Chrome River, you can reconcile individual charges and add them to that cycles Pcard Reconciliation (Non-Travel) Report. At the end of the statement cycle when all transactions have been accounted for and reconciled, the user can submit the report.
Q: What do I do if a Pcard transaction appears in Chrome River and I don't recognize it or isn’t the correct amount?
A: Contact the Vendor for further information, if the charge is fraud contact the BPC Program Administrator for assistance. Once the charge and any corresponding credits have been loaded into Chrome River they must be reconciled and submitted on an Pcard Reconciliation (Non-Travel) Report.
If you choose to book your own rental vehicle, you must reference the following numbers to receive contracted rate and benefits. All rentals booked through Sunflower Travel will automatically link to the WSU account.
Enterprise:
- XZ51WSU – Use when renting a Compact, Intermediate, Full Size, Compact SUV, Midsize SUV, Large SUV, Minivan, Hybrid Midsize vehicle.
- XZ51WSC – Use when renting a Pickup Truck, Cargo Van, or 12/15 Passenger Van.
Hertz:
- 1978737
If using a WSU BPC card or Sunflower Travel do not accept the insurance. If using personal funds do accept the insurance.
If renting under the State of Kansas Contract, the CDW/LDW insurance is included in the daily rate. If you do not rent under the State of Kansas Contract, you may need to purchase this insurance coverage separately. For additional clarification, contact the BPC Administrator.
Do accept the insurance; it is not built into the daily rate. If you are using personal funds to pay for the rental vehicle; accept the CDW/LDW insurance.
This is not a reimbursable expense based on State of Kansas Policy, however, if the traveler chooses to purchase this expense they may do so.
Search for the vendor using the Vendor Addresses (Linked) report in Reporting Services. If the vendor does not display contact Accounts Payable at accountspayable@wichita.edu.
All non-employee individuals and entities (businesses, corporations, organizations). Employees DO NOT need to submit a W-9.
All non-employee individuals and entities (businesses, corporations, organizations) that would like to receive their payment via ACH.
Employees no long fill out the DA-130 to provide banking information. Employees now log onto myWSU and click the Direct Deposit Information link located in the Employee Self-Service section. Once on the Direct Deposit Allocation page, the employee will enter banking information in the section titled WSU Employee Travel/Reimbursement Direct Deposit Distribution.
Students no long fill out the DA-130 to provide banking information. Students now log onto myWSU and go to the myFinances page then click the Direct Deposit Information link located in the Employee Self-Service section. Once on the Direct Deposit Allocation page, the student will enter banking information in the section titled WSU Employee Travel/Reimbursement Direct Deposit Distribution.
Many businesses have a dba (doing business as) name and then a W-9 name. Be sure you are using the keyword feature when searching.
Example: The Lunchbox dba Roxie's in Riverside - a keyword search on roxie's or lunchbox will return this vendor when using Reporting Services report Vendor Addresses.
If you are still unable to locate them, please contact Accounts Payable at accountspayable@wichita.edu.
