As an institution, The Ohio State University sells a wide variety of goods and services to external customers comprising over $750 million in university assets. To best serve our customers, we are pleased to offer a shared model for management of accounts receivable: individual departments and units provide products or services and invoice for them while the Office of the University Bursar serves as the central clearinghouse for receipt and processing of payment for most invoices issued across campus.
To learn more about accounts receivable at Ohio State, review the information below.
About Your Invoice
Your invoice is the itemized summary of the goods and services you received from the university department or unit who billed you. Each invoice contains a unique customer number (CST- ) and invoice number (CI- ) that you must include with your payment when you remit it.
A paper copy of your invoice is printed and mailed to the address listed in the Bill-To field on your invoice. Additionally, you may receive an emailed copy of your invoice, depending on your communication preferences shared with the department who billed you.
If you have questions about your invoice, please contact the Ohio State department or unit who billed you. Their contact information may be included in the Memo of your invoice. If it is not, please refer to the Billing Contact Directory on the right side of this page.
Example Customer Invoice - Account Receivable
Establish Ohio State as a Vendor - W-9
If you require a W-9 to establish Ohio State as a vendor in your Accounts Payable system, please utilize the form in the Resources section below.
Contact the department or unit who billed you if you need other information. Their contact information may be included in the Memo of your invoice. If it is not, please refer to the Billing Contact Directory on the right side of this page to find the appropriate billing department.
Resources
- Ohio State University IRS Form W-9
Payment Options
Pay Online
Paying online is the fastest and safest way to post payment to your account. When you pay online, the transaction posts within 24 hours, clearing the balance due by the amount you paid. You may choose from one of the following payment methods:
- eCheck (ACH) - use your bank account and routing number for funds withdrawal from your account; there are no fees associated.
- Credit or Debit Card - use your MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express debit or credit card number for payment processing; there is a 2.85% convenience fee assessed at checkout. All credit and debit cards must be payable in US dollars.
Important: This web payment portal is intended for external (non-Ohio State) invoiced customer payments only. $250,000.00 is the maximum amount that can be paid online.
Other Common Ohio State Payment Portals
- Student Tuition and Fees
- Wexner Medical Center Patient Billing (link is external)
- Optometry (link is external), Dental (link is external), or Veterinary (link is external) Clinic Patient Billing
- Accounts in Collections placed with the Ohio Attorney General
Other Payment Methods
Please consider paying online when feasible, as it is fast, convenient, and safe. If you are unable to remit payment this way, you may utilize one of the following options. For our safety and your peace of mind, we cannot accept cash payments, either in person or by mail.
Mail a Payment
Please make all checks payable to The Ohio State University and include your Customer Number (CST- ) and Invoice Number (CI-; CIC-; CID-; CIR-) in the Memo line. Failure to include this information with your payment may result in processing delays.
Submit your check payment to:
The Ohio State University
PO Box 182905
Columbus, OH 43218
Finance charges and/or late fees may apply if payment is not received by the due date listed on your invoice. Please allow 1-2 weeks from the time you send your payment for it to post to your account. All mailed payments are processed within 2-3 business days of receipt at the Office of the University Bursar.
Wire Transfer
The Ohio State University accepts both domestic and foreign wire transfers as payment for customer invoices. To obtain our wire transfer information, contact the department or unit who billed you. Their contact information may be included in the Memo of your invoice. If it is not, please refer to the Billing Contact Directory on the right side of this page to find the appropriate billing department.
Wire transfer payments may incur a fee from either the sending or receiving bank (or sometimes both). Please confirm with your bank how fees are managed prior to sending your payment and be sure to account for them in your payment amount.
Domestic wire transfers are generally processed within 24 hours of initiation, while international wire transfers can take between one and five business days to process. All wire transfers are posted to your account within 24 hours of receipt at the Office of the University Bursar.
Late Payments and Collections
Finance charges and/or late fees may apply after the due date listed on your invoice. The Ohio State University reserves the right to withhold subsequent goods, services, and/or university records until the outstanding balance is paid in full.
Past due balances are subject to collection efforts by The Ohio State University and the Office of the Ohio Attorney General (OAG) in accordance with state law. Collection methods include but are not limited to state tax refund offsets, bank account attachments and litigation.
University Departments
If you are a staff member in a university department who sells goods or services to external (non-Ohio State) customers, please use the Dept/Unit Admin Portal button on the right side of this page to access specialized accounts receivable resources intended for you. Note that you must use your university credentials (OSU name.# and password) to access the page.
Resource topics include:
- About A/R
- Customer Creation and Maintenance
- Billing
- Payment Processing
- Collections
- A/R Reporting
- Training, Policies and Other Topics
Contact Accounts Receivable
Questions About Your Bill
Contact the Ohio State University department or unit who provided your goods or services if you have questions about your bill. Often, their contact information is listed in the Memo line of your invoice. The Billing Contacts Directory to the right features a list of departments and units who commonly bill customers - you may also use this to help you determine who to contact with questions.
About Payment Processing and Deposit
The Office of the University Bursar (OUB) serves as the central payment processing and deposit clearing house for payments received toward accounts receivable. In addition, they assist over 68,000 students and their families with making payment toward tuition and fees and other charges assessed to the student financial account. University Collections, a division of OUB, monitors and collects on past due accounts receivable, student debt, and certain types of student loans.
Each year, the office processes and accounts for over $1 billion in transactions.
