BuyLU, is Liberty University’s purchasing system. It is used to requisition, purchase and pay for goods and services and is our online catalog and ordering solution.

How do I request a supplier in BuyLU?

Once logged into BuyLU, navigate your cursor to the left side modules until you see suppliers. Hover over suppliers, scroll down to requests, and then select request new supplier.

Promotional Purchases Information

All branded promotional items should be purchased through the LU Branded Inventory Catalog. This process speeds order and delivery times, ensures consistent branding, and reduces spend and inventory. The catalog contains frequently purchased promotional items from preferred suppliers. If you require items not included in the catalog, an exception request form must be completed and approved prior to proceeding with the purchase. Please visit the Branded Inventory webpage for more information.

How do I determine which commodity code to use on a purchase?

The UNSPSC (Commodity) Codes Lookup is a report that can help you identify which commodity code to use for your purchase. To visit this report, please click here.

How do I make a change to an existing PO?

In order to make a change to an existing PO, you will need to perform a change request. To learn more about this process, please select the correct option for your REQ type:

Why was my requisition returned?

An email notification should have been sent stating the reason of the return at the bottom of the email. The return reason is also listed under the History tab on the requisition.

Can a receipt be deleted in BuyLU?

Receipts cannot be deleted in BuyLU. A negative receipt should be created for the amount that was incorrectly received.

Can a requisition be resubmitted if it is already withdrawn?

No, withdrawing a requisition will terminate the process completely. A new requisition will have to be submitted.

P-Card Services Questions

What is Infor?

Infor is the software program that is used to manage expenses incurred by University employees whether they are on a University P-Card, per diem allowance, an out-of-pocket expense, or a cash advance.

Who has access to Infor?

All University employees, excluding student employees, have an Infor account. The link is available on myLU.

Employees who do not reconcile their own transactions will need to set up a proxy to reconcile on their behalf.

How do I become a proxy?

The employee will need to set you up as a ‘Creator Proxy’ in Infor. Have the employee login to Infor and click on the ‘Creator Proxy’ tab on their user profile.

Application: Expense Report
Proxy User ID: Username of reconciler

Note: Make sure to check the boxes to ‘Allow creator proxies to submit’.

How do I request per diem for an employee who does not have a P-Card?

Per diem for employees who do not have a P-Card should be requested as a reimbursement after travel has occurred. Proxy as the employee who needs a per diem reimbursement and creates a monthly Expense Report. Add the Per Diem Allowance to the Expense Report along with any other out-of-pocket expenses. At the end of the month, after all expenses have been reconciled, submit the Expense Report.

How do I request a per diem check before the employee begins travel?

If per diem and travel expenses will exceed $100, the employee may request a cash advance. Proxy as the employee who needs the advance and creates an Expense Report with the purpose of ‘Cash Advance Request’. Submit the Expense Report at least 10 business days before the advance is needed.

Reconciliation will also need to be completed after travel has occurred. Proxy as the employee who received a cash advance check and create a monthly Expense Report. Add line items for the per diem allowance and any other out-of-pocket expenses. Attach receipts for all of the out-of-pocket expenses, excluding per diem meals. At the end of the month, after all expenses have been reconciled, submit the Expense Report.

How do I request per diem for a non-University employee?

Payments to non-employees should be accompanied by a contractual agreement and a BuyLU Requisition, or BuyLU Encumbrance if a Short Form Service Agreement For Guest Speakers & Performers is used. If the proper BuyLU document was not submitted, a Non-PO Check Request will need to be submitted in BuyLU.

How do I make a Sam’s Club purchase?

To make Sam’s Club purchases for Liberty University, you must have a University-issued Procurement Card (P-Card). The University’s Sam’s Club account is set up with tax-exempt status and all purchases made are tax-free.

*Prior to purchasing from Sam’s Club, please see if other purchasing options are available through our BuyLU Catalogs

Use of the University’s Sam’s Club card is available upon reservation by submitting a Sam’s Club Card Request through the Finance Portal. Further instructions will be sent by email after your reservation is complete.

*Please note that the Sam’s Club card must be dropped off on the same day as it is picked up unless special approval is obtained from buylu@liberty.edu.

What do I do if I notice or suspect fraud on my P-Card?

If you encounter fraudulent charges on your P-Card, please follow these steps:

Call Truist at (866) 907-3909
Note: To ensure a call with Truist goes as smoothly as possible have the following information ready:
- First and last name of Cardholder
- Full P-Card Number (if it’s lost, please contact the P-Card office)
- Name of Business (has to be exact: Liberty University)
- Last four digits of LU’s Tax ID # (6734)
- The details of each fraud charge (description, date, amount)
If you do have a fraud that was verified, and you will be receiving a new card, please complete this form to notify the P-Card Office. You will need your claim number from the bank for this form. Replacement cards will be sent to the P-Card Office. You will receive an email notification once it is ready for pickup.

Contract Services Questions

How to check your Contract status?

To view the status of a contract request, go to BuyLU > Contracts > Requests > My Contract Requests

Incomplete: The contract request has not yet been submitted.
Approved: The Contracts team has received, reviewed, and approved your request. A contract record will be created and assigned to a Contract Administrator.
Returned: The request has been returned to you for completion.
Completed: A contract record has been created for the request and a Contract Administrator has begun the review process. The contract can now be tracked using the LIB#.

To view the status of an existing contract, go to BuyLU and search for the contract using the LIB# or contract name.

Draft: A Contract Administrator is currently reviewing and negotiating the contract terms.
Internal Review: The contract is currently in review with an LU employee outside of the Contracts department. For more information about an internal review round, please email contracts@liberty.edu and include the LIB#.
External Review: The contract is being reviewed by the vendor.
Pending Approval: The contract is currently being routed for approvals and signatures.
Executed: The contract has been fully executed.
Expired/Complete: The contract term has expired and is no longer in effect.

For more details regarding the most current status of a contract, reach out to your Contract Administrator or email contracts@liberty.edu and include the LIB#.

How to Request a Contract in BuyLU?

For instructions on how to submit a contract request, click here to view the Contract Request Guide.

What is the typical contract processing timeframe?

Submit contract requests as soon as possible so that the Contracts team can work with your department to ensure the contract is executed in a timely manner.

Contract terms must be fully negotiated, reviewed by LU stakeholders, reviewed and approved by the applicable department, and fully executed through the vendor. This process generally takes 30-45 days to complete.
If the requested date is less than two weeks from the submission date, contact your Contract Administrator prior to submitting an urgent contract request.
Be sure to include all the required information and attachments in the contract request to avoid a returned request and/or processing delays.

How do I view the latest versions of commonly used forms and templates?

To view the latest versions of commonly used forms and templates, click here.

What are the Contract request options in BuyLU?

(Include whatever is on the main page about the different contract types)
Affiliation Agreements: To establish or renewal an affiliation with an internship or practicum site, use the Affiliation Agreement Request Form.
Contract Termination Request: To terminate an existing contract, use the Contract Termination Request.

How to request a supplier in BuyLU?

Once logged into BuyLU, navigate your cursor to the left side modules until you see suppliers. Hover over suppliers, scroll down to requests, and then select request new supplier.

Payment Services Questions

How to pick up my check?

Once you receive the email from LU Payment Services, your check is ready to be picked up. Pick-up is available 2-4 pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Cashier Department in the Student Service Center (GH Room 1896). Cashier Department is located at the end of the room. If 2-4p doesn’t work, please note that there may be a long wait for check pickup. The email notification will provide additional information.

How do I check my payment status?

If an invoice has not yet been created on your PO, it is likely that no invoice has been provided to Payment Services yet.
If an invoice has been created on PO, it will be paid by the due date list in BuyLU once it moves out of ‘Pending’ status to ‘Complete.’
Invoices marked as Prepaid/Full Paid in Advance due date will be listed further down the invoice in BuyLU under ‘Pay Date.’
Payment cannot be issued until an invoice moves from ‘Pending’ status to ‘Complete.’ This can happen if the receipt has not been created yet or the amounts are not matching up with the receipt and/or P0. A comment/create receipt request may be sent to the end-user to confirm that the payment is approved.

Email questions about payment status to Payment Services at acctspay@liberty.edu.

Why do I need to create a negative receipt?

Negative receipts are important to create if the item has yet to be received or to correct the amount reported to have been received. If an invoice is a prepaid for a good, only post receipts once the item has been received. If it’s a prepaid service, receipts can be created before, during, or after the service is complete. The receiving of the service will not affect the monthly accruals.

How do I reverse a receipt?

A negative receipt is created like a positive (aka regular) receipt. The only difference is that you would put a negative sign (-) in front of the number.

Can I enter a receipt before goods are received?

Receipts are not to be created until the item is received. An invoice should not be signified as payable if the agreement has not been satisfied.

What are the invoice payment deadlines for the Fiscal year-end?

Towards year-end, an announcement goes out with general guidance/timeframe for getting requisitions, purchase orders, and invoices finalized for the year-end budget. Last year, invoices to be paid out of the FY22 budget were requested to be provided by mid-June. (Note: Next year’s guidance could differ).

Can we overnight payments?

Yes, our team can overnight payments if it is detrimental to the department’s operation if not paid on time. Please reach out to the AP Processor for guidance.

How will we know when a process changes?

AP & Procurement are working to ensure the web page is up to date. If you have a concern, please follow this link to the Procurement Survey so that we may collect data to create improvements.

Can we use other payment terms aside from default Check Net 45 when vendors are signed up for the ePayables?

Yes. Payment terms can be modified from the default Check Net 45 terms for vendors that are signed up for ePayables. Click here to access the ePayables form. For assistance with the ePayables registration process, reach out to Payment Services at acctspay@liberty.edu.

What is a vCard payment method?

vCard is an alternative secure payment method that allows vendors to sign up to receive payments by a virtual card. Vendors that choose to receive payment via vCard will receive email notifications from VISA when a payment is ready to be retrieved. (Once the vendor accesses the link, there are a few more steps before the vendor can access the card number to retrieve payment. VISA email provides further guidance on this.)

When a company wants to send an invoice, what’s AP contact information?

We prefer invoices to be emailed to the AP department. If that’s not possible, please use the address below:

Address?
- 1971 University Blvd, ATTN: Payment Services, Lynchburg, VA 24515
Title of Person?
- Payment Services
E-mail Address?
- acctspay@liberty.edu
Phone Number?
- (434)592-3165 and select Payment Services

How do I pay an individual?

A majority of individual payments that are not in the scope of reimbursement for employees/others should review the HR Policy for further guidance.

Why is a W-9 needed? Will the supplier be set up for 1099 withholding and reporting?

Information provided by the supplier during the setup process will help determine if 1099 withholding and reporting is appropriate. W9 are required to assist with the yearly 1099 IRS reporting requirement.

Note: Reimbursements are not 1099’d. Eligible payments over a certain amount generate 1099 per IRS requirements.

How do I request another copy of my 1099?

Liberty University employees should email 1099 requests to HR at hr@liberty.edu. For non-employees, please email your request to Payment Services at acctspay@liberty.edu.

Travel Services Questions

How do I book travel?

Travel for Liberty University is booked using either Concur or our dedicated Travel Agent. (Note, the agent is great for group and VIP booking.)

How do I book travel for guests and students?

To book travel for others, simply log into your Concur account and select, “Campus Travel” and “Book for a Guest” found below, “Trip Search” found on the left hand side of the page. From there, fill in the necessary itinerary points in the fields available. Once you get to the traveler information section, input the guest’s information as necessary.

Where do I find Per Diem rates?

Process for current Per diem rates for faculty/staff can be found here.
Process for current Per diem rates for students can be found here.

How do I calculate mileage for reimbursement?

Must be a Liberty approved driver – Click here to apply.
First 500 total miles of the trip (one ways and round trips) multiplied by the current rate found here. Take any remaining miles and multiply them by half the current rate.

Can I use Concur to book personal travel?

Yes! Just be sure to select, “Personal Travel’ upon logging in to your account.

Who is eligible to use Concur?

Current University Employees.

Should I use BuyLU for my travel arrangements?

Group travel should be submitted via a requisition in BuyLU.
Individual travel should be booked using the Liberty University Booking site or through the Liberty University Travel Office.

Supplier Management Questions

How do I request a supplier in BuyLU?

Once logged into BuyLU, navigate your cursor to the left side modules until you see suppliers. Hover over suppliers, scroll down to requests, and then select request new supplier.

How do I register to become a supplier in BuyLU?

Suppliers are eligible to register based on the current needs of the University. If you are selected to register, you will receive a secure BuyLU invitation link to register within our system.

Do I need a W-9? What is a W-9?

Yes, Liberty University requires a W-9 from all domestic suppliers. A w-9 is a tax identification form used to report payment information to the IRS.

Do I need a W-8? What is a W-8?

Yes, Liberty University requires a W-8 from all international suppliers. A w-8 is a tax identification form used to report payment information to the IRS.

Do I need a COI? What is a COI (Certificate of insurance)?

Yes and no. A certificate of insurance (COI) is a document provided by a broker to show that your business is insured. Suppliers will need to provide a COI if they are performing work on campus, driving vehicles on campus, etc. Our Risk Management department has listed COI guidelines within the following two links:

Entities – COI Requirements For Entities
Individuals – COI Recommendations For Individuals

What are the payment terms offered by Liberty University?

The payment terms offered by Liberty University is available on our Payment Services page.

How do I access my supplier profile?

Each supplier is provided a login link to access their supplier profile within BuyLU upon registering. If you are having trouble locating your login link, please contact suppliermanagement@liberty.edu.

When will my supplier be available for purchases?

Each supplier has to complete a “registration workflow” in order to become active within BuyLU. This workflow checks the supplier for certain information from multiple areas of Finance to ensure the supplier is set up correctly.

What is required when I need to update my supplier information?

The Supplier Management team requires an updated W-9 upon submitting the request for supplier information change. This ensures our information is always up to date in BuyLU. To request a supplier profile update, send an email to suppliermanagement@liberty.edu. In the subject line, please indicate “Update” and the supplier’s name and Supplier ID Number.

The supplier’s profile is inactive. How can their profile be reactivated?

To request the reactivation of a supplier profile, send an email to suppliermanagement@liberty.edu. In the subject line, please indicate “Reactivate” and the supplier’s name and Supplier ID Number. It is required that a new W-9/COI will be provided upon request.

My supplier was invited to the portal several days ago. Why aren’t they active?

This is most likely caused by the supplier not completing the registration process. Suppliers need to be made aware that BuyLU will be sending an automated welcome registration email link. Sometimes, this automated email will be filtered to the junk/cutter folder. If you would like a new registration email invitation link sent, please contact suppliermanagement@liberty.edu.

BuyLU Support Services Questions

Who will be able to place orders through BuyLU?

All employees have the role of “Shopper” and have the ability to shop and add items to the shopping cart. Only designated employees will have the role of “Requester” to submit the shopping cart. The shopping cart will then route to “Approvers” for review and approval to make the purchase. (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

How can I tell what role I have in BuyLU?

You can check your role in your User Profile. Click the person icon in the upper right corner of BuyLU and select “View My Profile.” Then select “User Roles and Access” and “Assigned Roles.” (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

How can I become a “Requester” to be able to submit carts in BuyLU?

Required Finance courses (100,102, & 210) must be completed first. Instructions to register for courses are under Course Descriptions.
Once Finance 210 is completed with 100%, submit a BuyLU Permissions Request from the Finance Portal and attach approval from your level 4, 6, or 8 financial approver or ask the financial approver to submit the request on your behalf.
Once we have verified the information in your request, we will forward your ticket to IT so the permissions can be granted. Once the permissions are granted successfully, it will take overnight for your new permissions to be available in BuyLU.

How do I add a frequently used FOAPAL for me to select during checkout?

This can be accomplished by clicking the person icon in the upper right corner of BuyLU and selecting “View My Profile.” Then select “Default User Settings” and “Custom Field and Accounting Code Defaults.” Select the “Code Favorites” tab and the “Add” button. (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

How do I designate a Cart Assignee?

This can be accomplished by clicking the person icon in the upper right corner of BuyLU and selecting “View My Profile,” then select “Default User Settings,” select “Cart Assignees,” select the “Add Assignee” button to search for the desired user. (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

Why do I see two places where I can select the account number for an item?

The immediate FOAPAL section that shows up once you select “Proceed to Checkout,” is the “header FOAPAL.” A FOAPAL element added in that section will default to all lines on the requisition. The FOAPAL may also be designated at the line level. (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

How do I change my BuyLU email preferences?

This can be accomplished by going to “View My Profile,” then select “Default User Settings,” then select “Notification Preferences.” Users can customize these settings to change the type of notifications and/or emails they receive for each function listed. To change the notification settings, choose from the Notification Preferences menu in your user profile: Choose one of the options by clicking on it. To change this setting select the “Edit Section” link that is located in the upper right of the screen. Then select the “Override” radio button and choose an option from the dropdown menu next to “None.” (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

How do I remove an item from my shopping cart?

You can remove items from your cart in several ways.

You can remove an item by using the view cart option at the top of the screen and clicking the trash can icon next to the item you want to delete.
You can access your cart from the slide-out menu (Shop / My Carts and Orders / Open My Active Shopping Cart). Click the box to the right of the item you wish to remove. Activate the drop-down menu next to “Perform an action,” and choose “Remove Selected Items.”
You can also remove an item by selecting the “Remove” button within the item in your cart. (For more information, refer to the BuyLU Purchasing Manual in the Procurement Document Library)

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