Many University units, both on and off campus, provide goods and services that require cash/checks to be collected. All funds collected should be deposited intact with Bursar and Treasure Services or deposited intact with the University’s bank if the unit has been given prior approval to do so by Bursar and Treasury Services. It is mandatory that all funds collected be properly safeguarded and that the unit’s recording and depositing practices provide an unbroken audit trail which reflects where funds were initially recorded, deposited and appear as a credit in an official University account. Sales records should be kept according to the record retention policy.

Recording

There should be a dated, chronological record of the original entry for each individual payment. Any method is acceptable as long as an audit trail is maintained. Examples are: pre-numbered receipt, cash register, validating machine, cash journal, or computer prepared record. The recording of the receipt of all payments should be prepared as soon as practicable after the payment is received. It is not acceptable to wait several days to prepare the receipt.

Depositing

Units with a high volume of cash typically should make deposits daily. Smaller units may deposit less frequently. All units should make deposits at least weekly. All funds collected must be deposited intact; i.e. the exact amount collected must be deposited. Units may not establish a cash fund from cash collected or make cash refunds from cash collected. It is inappropriate for University personnel to cash personal checks or to make loans (via IOU’s) from cash receipts.

When preparing the deposit, the unit should deposit the exact amount collected since the last deposit. The unit should prepare a web departmental deposit, which should reflect receipt numbers and/or dates of the funds collected. The depositing unit must specify the account(s) to be credited. A copy of each transmittal should be retained by the depositing unit. The deposit should be transported in a secure fashion. Currency and coin should not be transported by campus mail.

Accounting

The deposit unit must specify the accounts to be credited including the appropriate detail code. Detail codes represent full PeopleSoft chart strings. It is important to ensure that the credit was applied to the specified account. The depositing unit should examine the monthly PeopleSoft Financial Status Report to ensure that the credit was properly applied.

Receiving Checks

Due to the Federal Reserve Bank requirements and the refusal by some banks to process counter checks and drafts, University of Georgia units may not accept counter checks or drafts. Payers must obtain encoded checks from their respective banks before making payments to the University by check.

Any checks made payable to University of Georgia or a unit thereof must be deposited with the University Office in a University account. A check made payable to the University of Georgia or a unit thereof cannot legally be deposited in a non-University of Georgia account. Units of the University include schools, colleges, divisions, departments, and other organizations identified in the University’s State budget.

Unrestricted gifts not requiring the services or expenditure of state funds must nonetheless be deposited in a University account if the payee is University of Georgia or a unit thereof. If the maker or a check erroneously indicates the University of Georgia or a unit thereof as payee, the Bursar’s Office will work with the organization or individual involved to either seek a reinsurance of the check or to otherwise record the check for the benefit of the intended recipient.

University units may accept checks only if University of Georgia is the named payee. The University of Georgia may be named as payee in one of two ways:

• Preferably, a check should be made to the order of University of Georgia. University units regularly receiving monies should use a stamp to endorse checks to the order of University of Georgia. The stamp should also indicate the name of the receiving department.
• However, if a check made to the order of someone other than the University is presented by the payee, the University may be named payee by endorsement. Endorsement by a payee naming University of Georgia as the new payee should include the following language:

Pay to the Order of

University of Georgia

___________________________

(Signature of Original Payee)

If a check made to the order of someone other than the University is presented by someone other than the payee, and the check is endorsed by the payee, the University may be named by the endorsement of the presenter, as follows:

____________________________

(Signature of Payee)

Pay to the Order of

University of Georgia

_____________________________

(Signature of Presenter)

Checks may be transmitted for deposit with Bursar and Treasury Services by campus mail with the corresponding Web Departmental Deposit Receipt; however, in no case may currency or coins be transmitted by campus mail.

All checks/drafts written on foreign bank accounts must be sent on separate Web Departmental Deposits and cannot be included with other US currency or checks. Only foreign checks/travelers checks (payable in US dollars and on a US bank) from the following countries can be processed by the bank as if they were written on a US bank:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• England
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Saudi Arabia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Checks/drafts written on banks other than listed above must be sent by the bank for collection and the University is charged a $75.00 fee for service. It is suggested that units accept only foreign checks/drafts from countries on the listing above. If University units have excessive foreign checks/drafts from countires not listed that must be send for collection, such units will bear the expense of collection.

Please submit any questionable foreign checks/drafts on a Web Departmental Deposit and submit to deposits@uga.edu with a subject line of "Foreign Check/Draft".

In order to process cash deposits quickly and accurately, currency and coin must be properly strapped and wrapped. Currency straps, coin wrappers, endorsers/stamps can be ordered through most office supply vendors. Checks deposited should be accompanied by adding adding machine tape to insure proper credit.

Currency should be strapped as follows:

All straps should be verified twice, initialed/stamped with department name and dated. Anytime strapped currency is received, it should be verified and restrapped or initialed off so that it is clear where this currency originated.

Coins should be rolled as follows:

All coin wraps should be verified, initialed/stamped with the department name and dated.

Check Endorsement

A restrictive endorsement (i.e., specifying the "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY") should be applied as soon as practicable after checks are received. The following example is suggested:

FOR DEPOSIT ONLY

University of Georgia

(Name of Depositing Unit)

A TouchNet Web Departmental Deposit must be completed for each deposit. A Web Departmental Deposit receipt must be emailed to deposits@uga.edu or delivered with your deposit to Bursar and Treasury Services.