Payment Options for Suppliers

Georgetown University’s preferred method of paying suppliers is through ACH (Automated Clearing House) transactions, and is often suppliers’ preferred method of being paid. Features of this payment method include:

• Georgetown initiates ACH payments on a daily basis, assuring all invoices approved the prior business day (and due to be paid) are paid within one day of approval.
• Payment is delivered directly to the supplier’s bank account, typically 1-2 business days after Georgetown initiates the payment.
• Remittance information (the supplier’s invoice number) is provided via addenda records, which suppliers can access if they have corporate/enterprise reporting.
• Only available for US-based accounts.
• Suppliers can change their banking information at any time via the Supplier Record Management Portal

Georgetown uses a payment partner “ViewPost”, for printing and mailing paper checks. This is Georgetown’s default payment method when:

• The supplier has not provided any banking information.
• The supplier’s address is a US address.

These payments are initiated on a daily basis, assuring all invoices approved the prior business day (and due to be paid) are paid within one day of approval. ViewPost then prints and mails these checks on a daily basis. First class mail is supposed to reach its destination within 1-5 business days, depending on distance from the location where the mail is sent.

Suppliers who have not provided banking information for electronic payment may be approached by our payment partner, “Viewpost”, with an offer to receive payment via a Virtual Card. A virtual card is a digital payment option that allows a payee to access a pre-approved balance; the issuer of the card, Viewpost, generates a 16-digit card number, expiration date, and security code, and securely delivers this information to the payee using an agreed-to method. 

This option can result in suppliers receiving payments more quickly than receiving a paper check. Suppliers who elect to receive payments via Virtual Card will be required to accept the payment within 14 days, after which the card will expire and payment will be reissued as a paper check, and mailed to the remittance address on file.

International suppliers must be paid via wire transfer. Georgetown is capable of sending payments to most countries and using most currencies. The international wire process often involves the use of intermediary financial institutions, which can make precise predictions as to timing difficult, but most payments will be received by the payee within two weeks of the initiation of the transfer. 

Note: Our payment partner for international wires has set a $20 minimum threshold (or equivalent in other currencies) for all payments. Any invoice valued at less than $20 that is to be paid by international wire will be held for settlement until the value of all invoices for this supplier equals or exceeds the threshold amount.

Please visit the International Wire Transfers page for more information.

On occasion, a supplier may request to be paid via a domestic wire transfer instead of ACH. This option involves a real-time bank transfer, and is costly relative to ACH transactions, so should be used sparingly. A/P will enable this option for suppliers in the presence of a signed contract stipulating payment via domestic wire, or upon the articulation of a legitimate need outside the terms of a signed agreement.