Payment Requests

Payment requests are the mechanism for requesting funds (drawdowns) against a project. Each request moves through a configurable workflow and can include main form data, invoices/line items, and supporting files.

What a Payment Request Is

  • Tied to a project — Each payment request belongs to one project (and thus one program).
  • Workflow-driven — Requests move through defined steps (e.g., Draft → Submitted → Under Review → Approved → Paid). Steps can require actions, comments, or file uploads.
  • Structured data — Main form fields (configured per program) capture request-level information. Invoice/line-item tables capture individual invoices and amounts, often tied to budget contracts and categories.
  • Files — Attachments can include invoice-specific files and miscellaneous files (e.g., backup documentation).

Payment Request Lifecycle

  1. Create — User creates a payment request for a project and fills main form fields.
  2. Invoices / line items — User adds invoices or line items, optionally linking each to a budget contract and entering amounts by category or column type.
  3. Submit — Request is submitted into the workflow (e.g., to a reviewer or approver).
  4. Workflow steps — Designated users see the request in their queue, take actions (approve, request changes, etc.), and optionally attach step-level files. Status and route can change per program configuration.
  5. Completion — When the request reaches a terminal status (e.g., Approved or Paid), it can be used for bulk drawdown reporting or payment management.

Invoice and Line-Item Management

  • Invoice table — Payment requests can have an invoice table (or similar line-item grid) where each row is an invoice or line item with amount, contract, category, and optional description.
  • Contract and category linkage — Invoices can be tied to budget contracts and category types so that expenditures roll up correctly and stay within budget.
  • Bulk drawdown — Programs can support a bulk drawdown view that aggregates multiple payment requests and invoices for a period or batch, with optional payment management and request-period configuration.

Configuration (Program-Level)

  • Workflow statuses — Define statuses (e.g., Draft, Submitted, Approved) and optional routing (e.g., which status follows which).
  • Workflow step templates — Define the steps and actions (e.g., “Program Review,” “Finance Approval”) that a request can go through.
  • Main form fields — Custom fields for the payment request header (dates, amounts, narrative, etc.).
  • Invoice form fields — Custom fields for each invoice/line row (amount, contract, category, description, etc.).
  • File types — Supported miscellaneous file types for attachments.

Summary

Payment requests give programs a consistent way to collect, review, and approve requests for funds, with full traceability from request to invoice to budget contract and category.