Check and Electronic Payments

Requesting checks or electronic payments starts with a Payment Request (PREQ) or a Disbursement Voucher (DV) e-doc. In terms of accounting, creating a PREQ or DV produces an accounts payable or liability for the university – a credit entry, as well as an expense – a debit entry.

Replacement Checks

Checks can be replaced if they are lost, stolen, stale-dated, or otherwise unusable for some reason. Checks that are replaced must be voided or stopped before they are reissued.

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Checks Never Received

Vendors should wait at least three weeks from date of issue for a check to arrive.

If after three weeks the check has still not been received, contact Accounts Payable to request replacement.

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Found, Stale-Dated Checks

Cornell Accounts Payable checks are only valid for six months after the issue date. If a check is found that is older than six months, it should not (nor can it) be cashed. For additional help, contact Accounts Payable with the following information:

1. Name on the check
2. Check number and date
3. Amount of the check
4. Address to send a replacement check to, if not by direct deposit

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Voided Checks

Checks can be voided for several reasons:

• Cash advance not used
• Issued in wrong amount
• Issued to wrong payee
• Name is spelled incorrectly
• Duplicate payment
• Stale-dated (check is no longer valid after six months from issue date)

If you have a check that needs to be voided, email Accounts Payable or call us at (607) 255-0869 or (607) 255-0867.

The original physical check should be returned to Accounts Payable with a reason why the void is needed. When returning the check to DFA, we recommend including as backup a copy of the email requesting a void and stating the reason.

Send checks in campus mail to:

Cornell Procurement and Payment Services
Accounts Payable
377 Pine Tree Road

In U.S. mail, send to:

Cornell Procurement and Payment Services
Accounts Payable
377 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

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Stop Check Requests

Typically, Accounts payable will wait three weeks from a check’s issue date before processing a stop payment. If the payee has not received a check, Accounts Payable can request a stop-payment at the bank.

To request a stop on a check, email Accounts Payable with the following information:

• Subject line: Stop Check: {eight-digit check number}
• Body: Payee name, doc number, reason for stop, and whether the payment needs to be replaced

Stop requests will be processed within three days of receipt.

When a request is received Accounts Payable staff will take the following steps:

1. Verify that check is outstanding at bank.
2. Place a stop on the check at BNY Mellon.
3. Update the check’s status in the Check Reconciliation module of KFS.
4. Add notes to the e-doc that created the payment about the stop placed.
5. Respond to the Stop Check email stating that the stop was placed at the bank.

If a replacement check is needed, it is strongly recommended that the payee sign up for Direct Deposit, which will expedite the replacement. Often the original doc number can be used to reissue the payment from within the Pre-Disbursement Processor (PDP).

Replacement by check may require that a new e-doc be created by an business service center staff member. A replacement e-doc should not be created until a stop has been placed on the check.

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Returned Checks

Checks may be returned by United Stated Postal Service (USPS) for several reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:

• The country code for the payment was incorrect.
• The post office has a forwarding address on file.
• The payee was not found at address on the check.
• The address is incomplete and the check could not be delivered.

If the USPS returns a check, Accounts Payable will add a note to the KFS e-doc, indicating whether a check was forwarded to a new address provided by the post office label, or any other action that was taken. If the address was invalid, the initiator of the e-doc or the payee will be contacted to provide updated address.

Cornell faculty, staff members, and students can request that a returned check to be held at the front desk in DFA for pick-up at the following location:

Division of Financial Services
377 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

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