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EBS Vendor FAQ

Vendors Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: 12/7/15

What vendor classification do I use for research participants who are paid less than $75?
For research participant payments under $75, add the payee as a Special Payments (SP) vendor (no SSN needed). Please check the system first - it is possible that the person already exists as a vendor.
How do I know why a Vendor that I submitted for payment was disapproved?
After you create a Vendor in the financial system it is sent to Central Offices for approval. If the Vendor is disapproved, notice is sent to you in your Action List. To learn the reason the Vendor was disapproved, open the document and click on the “Route Log” tab that is located at the bottom of the document. The reason for the disapproval and who disapproved it will be noted in the log. The person who disapproved the e-doc will also be in the Route Log. Contact the disapprover for more information.
What should I do if a vendor includes a Social Security Number on an invoice?
Individual service providers often include their Social Security Numbers (SSN) on invoices. When attaching an invoice or other supporting documentation to a Disbursement Voucher (DV), please be sure to conceal or redact the SSN.
Will non-MSU and student travelers have to be set up as Vendors in the Finance system?
Yes. These travelers will need to be set up as “SP” or Special Vendors. The vendor e-doc contains information about where to send the payment. MSU does not require tax identification information (social security numbers) for this type of vendor. Central Accounting must approve these vendors prior to the DV e-doc being created. The vendor e-doc may be created when arranging travel to avoid delays in processing the reimbursement.
When is a W-9 needed when adding a Disbursement Voucher vendor?
When adding a new Disbursement Voucher vendor to the system, a W-9 is required for all businesses with a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). If a vendor uses an EIN, please obtain a W-9 from the vendor and attach it to a new vendor request document. A W-9 is not needed for vendors that are already in the system. If a vendor is an individual using a Social Security Number (SSN), simply input the SSN on the vendor request document and attach the W-9.
How do I add an alternate address or change an address for a vendor in the Finance system?
  1. How to add an alternate address: Edit the vendor record, enter the additional address information, click the “add” button, and then attach the invoice or reasoning as to why the additional address is being added.
  2. How to change an address: It is not recommended that you change an existing address in the Finance system unless there is incorrect data within the address already listed. If the address is no longer valid, inactivate that address and add a new address. Please attach or add information as to why the address is being inactivated and the new address being added. The more information that departments can supply to the vendor reviewers, the faster the approval process will happen.

Please note: This applies only to Disbursement Voucher (DV) and Special Payment (SP) vendor types or Purchase Order (PO) vendor remit to addresses when paying on a DV. All other PO type vendor address changes or additions are to be handled by the buyer in Purchasing (departments can add a note to the buyer in the Notes and Attachments tab of the requisition).

How do I create a Special Payments Vendor in EBS?

MSU faculty and staff should be in the system already. If you are processing a travel reimbursement for an individual, you can skip this step and go straight to creating the disbursement voucher.

  1. To create a new vendor, begin by clicking the “Create New” button.
  2. The vendor document opens. This document looks long and complicated, but there are only a few fields you need to complete to create a vendor for travel reimbursement.
  3. Complete the Description and Explanation.
  4. Indicate that you are creating this vendor to reimburse travel.
  5. Enter the traveler’s last name in the “Vendor Last Name” field and their first name in the “Vendor First Name” field.
  6. Enter the Vendor Type. By selecting SP – Non-Employee Reimbursement/Refund, you do not need to enter social security or tax ID information.
  7. Ownership Type: Select Individual/Sole Proprietor from the drop-down.
  8. Complete the address. In this section, you enter where the individual would like the check mailed.
  9. Select the address type of "Remit to" and make it the default address by checking the box.
  10. Click the "add" button to add the address information.
  11. Click the submit button to submit the e-doc. Close exits without making any changes. Cancel will cancel the document even if you have saved it.
How do I search for a vendor in the Finance system?
To search for an existing vendor, type in the unique part of the vendor’s name in the vendor field between asterisks (wildcards). For example, for the company AT&T, type *AT* into the vendor name field and “search” and the results will appear below. Using these wildcards will return the largest list of possible matches. From there you can determine if your vendor exists or further refine the search and filter the results.

Note: Vendors can be listed by a parent company, acronym or the entire name of the company. For example UPS is in the system as United Parcel Service.