Visitor Expenses
The Queen Mary University of London Visitor Expense Portal will be used for all expense payments to individuals who do not have access to the online staff expenses system. This portal will replace the previously manual process that required Academic Visitors/Students/Claimants to complete an Excel form and obtain claim approval using a PDF stamp or wet signature.
For the purposes of this process a “Visitor” will include individuals to whom QMUL is reimbursing appropriate out of pocket business expenses including: all students; academic visitors; other visitors and staff who do not have access to the online staff expenses system. Additionally, payments to students will include prizes and bursaries as well as Research Participants for low value participation compensation.
The portal is not to be used to pay: suppliers; individuals or intermediaries for work or time as there are other tax compliant processes in place in either HR or Finance department that cover these transactions.
Access for administrators to the system is being strictly controlled by Accounts Payable. The administrator will use the system to trigger an email directly to the Visitor, who can then complete and submit their claim online, including the uploading of receipts and providing bank details in a secure QMUL environment. Once completed, the claim returns in the Portal to the QMUL administrator for them to verify and submit for processing in Agresso (Unit4). In Agresso, the claims follow the standard cost centre workflow approval process and are reviewed by the Accounts Payable team before being included in the University’s weekly payment runs.
The permanent employees who will administer the Visitor Expense scheme are entrusted with access to the University Visitor Expense Portal and must always be mindful of this position of trust in the use of public funds. To ensure compliance with the University's Visitor Expense Policy and the appropriateness of expenditure incurred on the claims, the University supplements with several other safeguards and internal controls to ensure the appropriateness of expenditure.
Visitor Expenses - Process overview training video
Visitor Expenses - Process Overview Presentation [PPT 3,097KB]
- Reimbursement for all expenses for visitors (visitors as defined earlier)
- An Academic visitor who has incurred an agreed business expense on behalf of QMUL ie an external examiner travel or subsistence expenses; an external speaker seeking reimbursement of agreed travel costs
- Student payments ie prizes; bursaries; scholarships (Student ID required)
- Student out of pocket business expense refund (student ID required include PGR student out of pocket expense refund)
- Patient Participation* (see PPI declaration)
- If you are looking to use the portal for any other payments, please discuss first with Accounts Payable Manager
- Reimbursement of expenses to a Permanent employee
- PGR stipends payments – please liaise with Research Degrees Office
- Payments in lieu of salary or for an individual’s time – this should be processed via HR processed and settled via payroll
- Payment to any supplier; intermediary or individual who is completing work for QMUL – Accounts Payable/HR have processes in place for these
- Employees working for a temporary agency or a supplier providing goods and/or services*.
*If a temporary agency staff and/or IR35 deemed suppliers incurred expense on behalf of QMUL, the refund must be sought via either their agency or invoicing via Purchase to Pay
+ What can be claimed via the department:
- Patient Participation fees (travel – subsistence)
- Patient Participation fee
- Prizes Solely via Ast Academic Reg Bursaries Grant & Scho - Student Administration
- Accommodation
- Subsistence
- Business expense
Expenses must be in line with the QMUL Expense Policy. The QMUL expense policy applies to all staff of the University, its subsidiary undertakings and any persons on QMUL business.
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/governance-and-legal-services/policy/policies-by-category/
- Outside Expenses Policy items
- Payment to subcontractors - supplier for labour work
- Payment in lieu of salary
- Payment to permanent staff (should use online system (Agresso)
- Gifts – cards and Flowers
- Business entertainment
- QMUL Departmental entertainment
- Computer and IT equipment - Please see below a link to the IT Purchases
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/its/services/catalogue/it-purchases/
The main principal to follow is:
To ensure cost-effective and secure IT purchasing, the University requires that all IT items are purchased through IT Services. This helps to prevent duplication, enhances cybersecurity, ensures effective data management and leverages the benefits of our strategic supplier partnerships, such as extended warranties and better support
Access for administrators to the Visitor Expense portal will be managed by Accounts Payable. To request access the individual’s line manager should contact Accounts Payable at accountspayable@qmul.ac.uk .
Once an employee has been granted assess as an administrator In the Visitor expense Portal, Accounts Payable will organise a meeting to complete the Induction. The induction will cover the following:
- How to use Visitor claim portal
- Cover the restrictions on the scheme – what it can and can not be used for
- Cover the Policy and understand responsibility
- Sign the Induction pack
Administrators leaving their role must immediately inform Accounts Payable know that they are leaving their role. This is also the case if the administrator is moving in a similar role in another section. Please email Accounts Payable at accountspayable@qmul.ac.uk ensuring the subject is as follow : VISITOR EXPENSE PORTAL CHANGE – name - A new application must be completed by the head of the section if new administrators are to be given access.
You can de-activate and re-activate claim by selecting them on the left side of the Visitor Expense Portal and selecting De-activate or re-activate from the top selection. Deactivating a claim will remove a claim that has previously been sent to a claimant form the claimant view.
To manage claims as an administrator it is recommended that once a claim has been submitted to Agresso that the claim is made “inactive”. This will remove the claim from your “active” claims view.
Guide needed
Claimant experience - End to End guidance [PDF 1,867KB]
Video - Visitor expense - Claimant - example on how to complete a claim
Video - Visitor Expense- Claimant - Multi factor authentication - Registration Process
03 Claimant experience - visual 1 page record - claim [PDF 278KB]
03 Claimant experience - visual 1 page MFA [PDF 202KB]
03 Claimant experience - visual 1 page Currency claims [PDF 204KB]
YouTube Videos:
Visitor Expense- Claimant - Multi factor authentication - Registration Process
The import of Visitor claims from the Visitor Expenses Portal to Agresso is currently an overnight Process. All approved claims are taken for upload at approximately 19.00pm each evening. The Claim is made of 3 xml files.
- A supplier setup/confirmation file
- The claim file
- The receipts file
The claim reference number applied to the new claim n the Visitor Expense Portal will transfer to Agresso and be the unique record reference and the transaction number in Agresso. Additionally the Claimant ID will transfer as the supplier ID in Agresso.
The reference formats are as follows:
- Claimant ID/Supplier ID begins with VE and a numerical reference: VE********
- Claim number in both systems will be formatted as: CL*******
- The name of the Visitor Expenses Portal administrator will transfer as Text in the description in agresso for reference.
The Visitor Expense claim will enter agresso as a transaction and will follow the cost centre approval workflow. The task will show as a Visitor Expenses task and the approver will be notified by email that a new task has been sent. If the claim is above the first approver’s approval limit the claim will escalate to the next approver higher up the approval chain.
The claim can be viewed in Agresso the same format as Staff Expenses claims and Purchasing card submissions. As they are usually for smaller amounts only one approver will usually be required.
When approved the claims will follow the workflow path to Accounts Payable for a final review.
Rejection in Agresso should be avoided as the Administrator should have reviewed and verified the claim within the Visitor Expenses Portal. However, if a rejection is required the system will prompt for a reason – this should be descriptive to enable Accounts Payable to find a resolution to the issue and progress the claim for payment. If the budget holder believes that the cost should have not be recorded under their budget code, the Budget holder must contact the Visitor Expenses Portal Administrator to seek resolution and record a descriptive rejection note to facilitate resolution.
The Visitor Expense claims currently transfer from the Visitor Expense Portal to Agresso daily as part of an overnight process. (start time 19.00pm)
It takes 5 to 10 minutes for a claim to change status after approval in Agresso
It takes up the 30min for a claim to post in Agresso
If a claim is approved/submitted in the visitor claim on Monday it will be in the approver Agresso in-tray on Tuesday. If the approver approves the claim on Tuesday, it will be with Accounts Payable on Tuesday.
If the claim is approved by AP, by Wednesday 17.00, it will be part of the Weekly BACS run that week.
All claims can be found in Agresso by checking if a document has been paid.
When the claim has posted in Agresso it will be part of a payment run call 8103 Visitor claim payment run where all claims will be paid under 4 types of payment run
- GBP BACS payment
- GBP non-domestic payment
- EURO payment
- USD payment
When the payment have been uploaded from Agresso to the QMUL bank account, the claim will be posted and showing as paid in Agresso.
It is advisable for the administrator and the team to ensure all claim have been completed by the claimant and have been submitted to Agresso. If a claim form is no longer required the form can be de-activated as described above.