Our Check Request Policy includes two samples that outline essential guidelines for the request and approval of manual checks, emphasizing the importance of standardized procedures to enhance operational efficiency and maintain internal controls. It defines the check request process, which requires the completion and authorization of a check request form by relevant departmental personnel before submission to accounts payable. Original documentation, such as contracts and invoices, must accompany each request, and original signatures are mandatory to validate submissions. This policy also prohibits the use of faxed copies to prevent double payments and specifies that invoices cannot be subdivided across multiple requests.

Additionally, this document delineates authorized and unauthorized expenditures, ensuring that all transactions comply with the company's signature authorization matrix. Authorized expenditures include fees for taxes, payroll-related matters and charitable contributions, each requiring specific documentation. Unauthorized expenditures, such as employee reimbursements for travel expenses and advanced payments on purchase orders, are explicitly prohibited. Overall, this policy serves as a critical framework for ensuring financial accountability and transparency in the disbursement of company funds through check requests.

Sample procedures include:

• A check request form must be completed and authorized by appropriate departmental personnel prior to submission to the accounts payable department.
• The approver on a check request cannot be the payee of the check request; therefore, next-level authorization needs to be obtained.
• Original documentation (e.g., a contract) must be firmly attached to the original check request.
• Advanced payments on items ordered through a purchase order should not be paid utilizing the check request process.