Disbursement Parameters

Automated Disbursements is an application process that selects disbursement requests based on criteria defined for payment generation. Although the Automated Disbursement process has many batch parameters, the selection criteria for the process are maintained on the Disbursement Parameters (DISPA) page. Each record is a complete set of selection parameters with several other parameters used in controlling output. The process is not restricted to a single parameter record as multiple records are selected when more than record is active.

As the Check Date and Select To date fields are constantly changing, there is the Disbursement Parameter Update batch process available to make those updates. When there are multiple instances of the Automated Disbursement process run, there will be updates made by an external process to deactivate records and activate others between runs.

Field InformationField Information

The following set of fields apply to all types of disbursement activity.

Field

Description

Active

When selected, this field specifies that the record is used as selection criteria in the disbursement request selection process.  

Alignment Voids

The number of checks that should be voided before checks begin to print. This field is used for preprinted check stock, and may be required if a check was used to test the alignment of the printer before printing a series of checks.

Bank Account Code

A required bank account used for selection. Banks are defined on the Bank Account (BANK) page.

Check Date

A required date assigned to the disbursements generated, that is, the check/warrant issue date or the effective date of an EFT.

Disbursement Category

An optional parameter to select only disbursement requests of a certain category for processing. Categories are defined on the Disbursement Category (DISC) page.

Disbursement Limit

An optional maximum cumulative dollar amount that can be disbursed from a parameter for cash management purposes. Use of this parameter is an alternative to putting disbursement requests on hold to ensure the cash available isn’t exceeded. Disbursement sorting criteria are critical when using this parameter as processing will cut off when this limit is reached.

Disbursement Priority

An optional parameter to select only disbursement requests of a certain priority for processing. Categories are defined on the Disbursement Category (DISP) page.

Disbursement Type

A required type of disbursement for selection from the following list of values: Check, Warrant, Remittance Advice, and EFT.

Description

An optional field to capture details of a record to assist with identification purposes.

From Date

A required date that defines the earliest scheduled payment date for selection.

Latest Vendor Information on Check

A required indication for whether or not vendor and address information should be from the disbursement request (value of false) or inferred from the current Vendor/Customer (VCUST) data (value of true).

Online Disbursement

A required indication for selecting only disbursement request marked as an online disbursement (setting of true) or not use the online disbursement setting in selection (setting of false).

To Date

A required date that defines the latest scheduled payment date for selection.  

Transaction Code

A required indication of the disbursement transaction code (AD or EFT) for which the selection and output rules apply.

Transaction Department

An optional parameter to select only disbursement requests with a certain Transaction Department.

The following set of fields apply to credit memos only and how they are consolidated with positive accounting lines to ensure a zero or positive disbursement is made. Disbursement requests where the Single Payment indication is true and requests for PCard payments do not use any of these options. All of the options are separate where none can be used, all can be used, or any combination.

The following consolidations happen after disbursement grouping, consolidation, and sorting. Consolidation options are defined on Consolidation Objects Configuration (COCNFG).  Sorting criteria are defined on Check/EFT Sort Preference (CHKSORT).

Field

Description

Consolidate Credit Memo by AL Department

When this option is true, credit memos will be applied within the same Bank, Payee code, Payee Legal Name, Vendor code, Vendor Legal Name, and Accounting Line (AL) Department.

Consolidate Credit Memo by Disbursement Grouping

When this option is true, credit memos will be applied within the same Bank, Payee code, Payee Legal Name, Vendor code, Vendor Legal Name, and Disbursement Category.  

Consolidate Credit Memo by Payment Request Transaction Department

When this option is true, credit memos will be applied within the same Bank, Payee code, Payee Legal Name, Vendor code, Vendor Legal Name, and Transaction Department (using the Consolidation Object 6 field). Although labeled ‘Payment Request’, this applies to all transaction types that can request a disbursement.

Include Address in Credit Memo Consolidation

When this option is true, credit memos will be applied within the same Bank, Payee code, Payee Legal Name, Payee Address code, or Vendor code, Vendor Legal Name, and Vendor Address code.

Match on Disbursement Priority

When this option is true, a credit memo is only applied to a positive payment with the same Disbursement Priority. This applies to all transaction types that can request a disbursement.

The following set of fields apply to only electronic funds transfers (EFT) disbursements. Using these criteria when the Disbursement Type is not EFT should not be made as these options do not apply.

Same day ACH processing allows for the same-day processing of returns, regardless of whether the forward transaction is a same-day transaction or not. The Clear Date on the ACH file and EFT transaction is set to the Check/EFT Date.

Field

Description

Allowable Same Day ACH Amount

This amount represents the maximum amount of a single EFT disbursement that will qualify for same day ACH processing. Care should be taken to not set an amount greater than the NACHA limit, else the payment will be considered regular EFT when being processed. If the Allowable Same Day ACH Format is entered, this amount is required.

Allowable Same Day ACH Format

When using the same day ACH feature, not all EFT formats should be included.  International payments, for one, are not allowed. Formats are defined on the Disbursement Format (DISF) page.

EFT to Hard Copy

This field may only be selected on records where the Disbursement Type field is set to EFT. The field will force all disbursement requests matching this set of selection criteria to be processed using a physical disbursement instrument (check or warrant) in place of the EFT transaction that is specified on the disbursement request record.

EFT to Hard Copy for Intercept

When selected, an AD transaction is automatically created for intercepted payments.

Lag Days

The number of days after which EFT payments will become effective. When using same day ACH, lag days are not used.

Zero Dollar EFT to Hard copy

When selected, an AD Transaction is automatically created for zero-dollar EFT payments.

Bank Changes in Conversion

When one of the indications to create a hard copy disbursement instead of an EFT triggers a change in banks, this field determines what should occur.

  • N/A – Nothing occurs because this value is the only one allowed when each of the hard copy is false.

  • Bank Change Allowed – The EFT goes to a hard copy disbursement and the bank changes within the same AD Chain so that the payment is not interrupted.

  • Hold Payment – The Disbursement Request is placed on hold and not disbursed in that run of the AD Chain.

  • Hold Payment if Bank Change – In the event the bank is different for EFT and hard copy disbursements, then the Disbursement Request will be placed on System Hold with the following as the Hold Reason - Bank code and Disbursement format are different from Payment Transaction.  A user with security can take action, if necessary, before the next instance of the AD Chain processes the payment.