The IPPS Technology Program Management team is thrilled to announce that the final phase of Payment Compass is about to go live!

Completion of the Payment Compass application is the culmination of several years of dedicated teamwork, and effective communication across IPPS units and campus clients. The project started in 2017 as an IPPS key initiative to streamline and maintain the way payees do business with UC San Diego. The ambitious project was rolled out in two phases beginning with accessibility and transparency to payment status, and streamlined payee registration and invoicing processes for Marketplace. The second phase broadened the scope of the application to replace the separate registration processes for various payee types with a single registration process for all.

The final phase of Payment Compass is slated to go live before the end of April. The new enhancements will expand the payee registration process to MyPayments and MyTravel payees, including UC San Diego employees and students. An added upgrade to this enhancement is the ability for payees to copy and edit existing registration information and update payment methods and payment terms for Marketplace payees.

Launching the final (and most complex) phase of the project is exciting because it means that we’ve accomplished a goal in transforming how we do business at UC San Diego… simplifying and standardizing the payee registration processes and providing transparency to the most important concern for a payee ‘when am I getting paid?’. Our team would like to give a big shout out to all of the department business officers who contributed to the project. Their participation in our pilots provided key feedback during development that helped shape Payment Compass into the robust, self-service tool it is today. Nikki Giaquinta, Project Manager

The Payment Compass team is planning a celebration event on campus later this month which will include a Q&A session and a full-feature Payment Compass demonstration. Stay tuned! 

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A UC system-wide effort to develop and implement more automated and efficient payment methods is currently being launched by IPPS. We are now offering several payment method options to our Marketplace payee (supplier) community, and they couldn’t come at a more critical time.
 
Institutions of higher education continue to be the target of complex fraud schemes, per the Campus Notice. Over the past several years, UC San Diego has been the target of multiple types of fraud including purchase order fraud, credit card fraud, and supplier imposter fraud.  
 
IPPS is continuously looking at ways to aggressively combat these attempts. Transitioning Marketplace payees to more secure payment methods that are being adopted throughout higher education is one way to protect the university, as well as our payees. The more secure, preferred methods mitigate payment risk assumed by the university and require partnership with third-party providers that may charge a fee, although not more than standard credit card fees.
 
What this means for UC San Diego payees

• New payees: During registration in Payment Compass, new Marketplace payees will be offered low risk, preferred payment method options including a virtual credit card and direct deposit (ACH) through a 3^rd party, Paymode X, which will safeguard the university and its payees.
  • UC San Diego will no longer offer internally managed direct deposit (ACH) for new Marketplace payees, and will instead offer direct deposit (ACH) through Paymode X. Direct deposit (ACH) has been universally identified as the highest risk payment method, which is why we are partnering with Paymode X.
     
• Existing payees: Existing Marketplace payees whose direct deposit (ACH) was managed by UC San Diego are being asked to consider the virtual credit card option. If they choose to stay on direct deposit (ACH) they will eventually have their direct deposit (ACH) transitioned to Paymode X. Our teams are working to identify and transition existing direct deposit (ACH) payees.

Information and terms for the new payment methods are available on the IPPS website within the Resources for Suppliers tab, under Invoicing & Payments. Feel free to share this page with your payees and if they have questions please direct them to email disbursements@ucsd.edu.
 
Thank you for continuing to help us protect the university and our payee community.

Traveling Soon?

Get your passport at one of two campus locations. Walk-in or by appointment. Visit Passports to make an appointment, get directions, and see a list of what to bring. 

The University of California recently launched a program to promote the purchase of high-quality, energy-efficient light bulbs that are nearly half the market price! Inspired by research conducted at the California Lighting Technology Center at UC Davis, the Million LED Challenge brought together a team tasked with using specific performance criteria set by the California Energy Commission to select lamps for use across California.

These light bulbs are already available in Marketplace! Search for ‘MLC_LED’ to see all of the offerings. And the best part – you can purchase them at the discounted price for your home too! Visit the Million LED Challenge website to purchase the light bulbs and have them shipped to your home.

     

Learn more about our organization and keep up with the latest news at ipps.ucsd.edu.