Invoicing and Billing Accounts

A billing statement and an invoice are both documents used in billing, but they serve different purposes and are used at different points in the payment process.

  • Billing Statement: A summary of account activity over a period of time (e.g., monthly) that depicts both what the customer already owes and the new charges. Customer Account Services will send this on your behalf.
  • Invoice: A request for payment for a specific transaction or set of transactions. The invoice is typically issued at or shortly after goods or services are provided. The department will send the invoice to the customer.

Departmental deposits and payments on account both involve funds received, but they serve different purposes and are processed differently in the financial system.

  • Departmental deposits:
    • Deposits are collected by a department and deposited directly into the department’s fund.
    • Typically used for one‑time or infrequent transactions.
    • No customer or account setup is required.
    • Departmental deposits should be delivered to Customer Account Services in Ceres 302 daily if above $500. Amounts less than $500 may be deposited weekly.
  • Charges and payments on corporate accounts:
    • Used for recurring or ongoing transactions.
    • A corporate or individual customer account is established in Campus Connection.
    • Charges posted to these accounts are recorded as Accounts Receivable in Campus Connection.
    • Customer Account Services issues monthly billing statements and follows standard collection protocols.
    • The department issues the initial invoice when services are rendered or goods are provided; payments received are applied directly to the customer account.

  • Assessed on the 15th of each month at a rate of 1.75% on all charges 30+ days past due for individuals or 60+ days for business accounts.
  • Requests for late charge credits must be submitted to CAS for approval with justification for the requested exception to policy.

  • A credit should be issued on a customer account when:
    • A charge was billed in error (incorrect amount, duplicate charge, wrong customer).
    • Services or goods were not fully provided or were canceled.
    • An approved adjustment or refund is required per department or university policy.
    • A previously invoiced charge is reduced or reversed.
    • Credits should only be issued after the original charge has posted to the account and supporting documentation has been reviewed and approved.
  • To issue a credit, fill out a new invoice form but this time use the credit item type. Do not use the previous charge item type paired with a – negative dollar amount.

  • Step #1 – Collect vendor contact information.
    • Businesses
      • Business Name
      • Mailing/billing address
      • Phone
      • Email
      • Contact name
    • Individuals
      • Individual Name
      • Mailing/billing address
      • Phone
      • Email
      • Birthday
  • Step #2 – Send contact information with request to set up new account to ndsu.customer.acc@ndsu.edu.
  • Step #3 – Allow at least three business days to be notified of the new account number. Note: NDSU does not set up the account but instead submits a ticket to CTS.

  • Send the initial invoice to the customer.
  • Provide complete and accurate account contact information and updates as they occur.
  • Assist CAS with follow‑up on delinquent accounts when customers are unresponsive, and support CAS by clarifying charges or responding to customer billing questions, such as requests for duplicate invoices.