Processing Invoices and Payments

Accounts Payable works in partnership with Purchasing Services to onboard and disburse payments to vendors using the Penn Marketplace. 

Access the Penn Marketplace 

The timing of payments made to suppliers is based on when an invoice is received and entered in Accounts Payable. This applies to all payment terms: Net 10, Net 30, and Net 45. For those suppliers following best practices and using Penn’s supplier portal, the invoice date and invoice receipt date should be close.

Suppliers/Payees who are individuals currently paid on Immediate terms will not see their payments impacted by invoice receipt date.

The suppliers most impacted by invoice receipt date are those businesses that continue to mail invoices to Penn, which adds time to the end-to-end invoice-to-payment cycle. Basing payment terms on Invoice Receipt Date encourages suppliers to take advantage of electronic invoicing (cXML, PO Flip, Email box), and it eliminates excessively early payments to those suppliers that back-date invoices to expedite payment.

Please submit an email with any questions to DoFAPSupp@pobox.upenn.edu.

Submitting Invoices

After a vendor has been set up with a purchase order, they have several options for submitting an invoice to Accounts Payable. 

• Sign up for access to the Penn Marketplace supplier portal: 
  • cXML 
  • Flat file 
  • Create an invoice in the system (“PO flip”)
• Send invoices via email: POINV@upenn.edu  
  • Must send in PDF format: one file per invoice, number of files per email is unlimited
  • PO number must be included on the invoice, not in the body of email or subject
  • DO NOT send other attachment formats with the invoices such as excel spreadsheets. This will cause the email/invoice to be rejected.
  • This email address is for invoices only. Suppliers should not send inquiries or promotional items.
• Invoices can also be sent via mail (AP comes into the office every two weeks to scan PO invoices): 

Accounts Payable
440 Franklin Building
3451 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6281 

Benefits of sending invoices via Penn Marketplace portal or email include: 

• The Penn Marketplace is real-time 
• Eliminates supplier paper and postage cost 
• Eliminates the time it takes for AP to receive invoices via postal mail 
• Eliminates the time it takes to open the mail and scan invoices into our system 
• Emailed invoice goes directly into our processing queue 

Once received by Accounts Payable, the turnaround time for invoice-processing is between 3-5 business days. All invoices must have a valid purchase order number in order to be paid. Payment terms are dependent on selected payment methods. 

Please note: Suppliers should verify shipping location with the School/Center. Accounts Payable will not accept any packages, and the packages will be returned.