This document explains best practices for submitting invoices. Most invoices are sent to a third-party invoice service provider Nimbello. Nimbello receives our invoices to confirm the information before feeding the invoice to Oracle.

Nimbello has controls set to avoid duplicate payments and ensure all invoice requirements are listed on the invoice before sending the details to Oracle.

• Invoices for goods and services should be submitted to invoices@uchicago.edu
  • Invoices for Payment Requests and After-the-Fact orders should never be sent to invoices@uchicago.edu/
    • Those invoices must be attached to the requisition using the To Approver attachment category
  • Suppliers set up to submit their invoices via the cXML file interchange should not also send invoices to invoices@uchicago.edu as these invoices are sent electronically through a different method.
• Once an invoice is sent to invoices@uchicago.edu the invoice can take up to a week to appear in Nimbello.
• Any changes to a Supplier’s information including paysites and payment information must be updated by the Supplier in PaymentWorks. Any invoices sent prior to the completion of the Supplier’s update in the system will result in payment delays and other unintended consequences.
• Invoices should not be manipulated in any way by University of Chicago employees.

Invoice Requirements

Invoice requirements are listed on the Purchase Order received by the supplier. They are:

• Invoice Number: The invoice number is assigned by the Supplier to each invoice to help the issuer and recipient track and organize financial transactions
• Invoice Date: The date the invoice was generated and is used to track the payment due date based on net terms negotiated with suppliers.
• Purchase Order Number: The University’s assigned purchase record created during order intake.
• Invoice Amount: The amount owed to the supplier.
• Remittance Address: The address where the payment will be sent.
  • This must match the information the Supplier included in their PaymentWorks account.
• Bill To Information: The place to which the invoice should be sent to request payment.

Additional requirements are:

• The document must be clearly marked as an invoice
  • Documents such as a statement, quote, or proposal will not be accepted
• The font color must be dark enough to easily read the invoice requirements.
  • It is recommended that all required information is listed in black.
• The date format should be Month, Date, Year
  • As an example, if the invoice date is June 12^th, 2025 but it is written on the invoice as 12/06/2025, the invoice will pay according to net-terms from December 6^th, 2025

 

The images below show the invoice workflow. The boxes outlined in yellow are steps that require approval.

Goods & Services:

 

Payment Requests and After-the-Fact Orders:

 

If an invoice has been submitted to invoices@uchicago.edu and you do not see it in Oracle/Orbit, take the following actions:

1. Confirm with the supplier the invoice was sent to the correct email address and it contains all the required information.
2. Confirm the date the invoice was submitted. Invoices can take up to a week to show in Nimbello after being sent to invoices@uchicago.edu
3. If it has been over a week since submission and the invoice is not in Oracle/Orbit, contact the Knowledge and Support Center.
   • Contact either by phone at 773.702.5800 or submit a ticket that includes the Purchase Order Number(s) and Invoice Number(s).
     • UChicago employees can use the Ask a Purchasing/Payment Question form
     • Suppliers can use the Ask a Supplier/Payee Related Question form
4. If the invoice is not in Nimbello, ask the Supplier to resubmit their invoice using the same invoice number and making the appropriate adjustments as recommended by the Knowledge and Support Center.
   • To avoid duplicate payments do not resubmit the invoice through a Payment Request or After-the-Fact Smartform.
5. If the invoice is in Nimbello, you’ll receive a reason why the invoice was not able to export to Oracle. In most cases the invoice requires manual review from the Account Payables team and may take up to 2-weeks.

 

In order for the invoicing and payment process to work as seamlessly as possible, follow these best practices:

• Suppliers should submit their own invoices to invoices@uchicago.edu.
• Confirm with Suppliers that their invoices include all required information.
• UChicago employees should not make any edits to a Supplier’s invoice. Only the company or individual who issued the invoice is allowed to amend an invoice. The University Employee is not authorized to make changes. When an amendment is needed, the University Employee should work directly with the Supplier to request adjustments.
• If an invoice has not paid, do not submit it again using a different invoice number, i.e. Inv123 and Inv123-1. This could result in a duplicate payment to the Supplier.
• If an invoice has not appeared in Oracle/Orbit a week after submission, reach out to the Knowledge and Support Center before asking the Supplier to resubmit their invoice.
• Oracle Invoice Holds trigger review by the charge account’s Financial Approver and/or the Requesters. To avoid unintended consequences rigorous review matters. Do not approve the invoice until you fully reviewed the order.
  • Financial Approvers (OFMs and Project Managers) receiving notifications to resolve Oracle Invoice Holds because the invoice received is more than what was initially approved and allocated during Requisition approval. This could be because we are being charged more for the product, or we’ve received a duplicate invoice. Your approval to pay this invoice will impact on the charge accounts available budget.
  • Requesters receiving notifications to approve invoices over $5,000 to ensure we have received the goods/services, that the goods/services meet our purchasing expectations, and that we have not already received this invoice. At any point, if you feel that there is an issue with paying this high dollar invoice, we recommend working with the Supplier prior to approving the invoice. If the invoice should not be paid, select reject on the Oracle notification.
• Payment Request invoices should utilize the invoice number box on the requisition Smartform. The invoice number should match exactly what is listed on the invoice and should not be the same as a previous invoice received by this supplier.
  • These invoices should not be sent to invoices@uchicago.edu.
  • If a Payment Request was approved and should not be paid, submit a ticket asking the invoice to be rejected and cancelled
• Review how to find invoice information in Orbit by watching this video.