Budget and Finance Policy and Procedure Office
A Division of The Office of Budget and Finance
A Division of The Office of Budget and Finance
The Payment Clearinghouse (PCH) is an independent, centralized application used to record, monitor, and resolve misdirected payments and expected electronic payments, including ACH, wire, EFT, and credit card payments. The PCH app does not interface with the System for Integrated Management, Budget, and Accounting (SIMBA) and any transaction recorded in PCH must also be recorded in SIMBA.
The Payment Clearinghouse is an electronic application jointly maintained by FIS IT and the General University Reference Utility (GURU) webmaster.
This procedure applies to authorized University users who receive, record, claim, or monitor electronic payments through the PCH.
Individuals requesting access to the Payment Clearinghouse (PCH) application are required to submit a request to the GURU webmaster by submitting Technical Support Request form and selecting Payment Clearinghouse from the "Subject" drop-down list. In the message section, include:
Information will be verified and if approved, the individual will be added as a user to the PCH application. They will be notified of the results of the review.
If an individual changes their employment status or leaves the University, they are required to Disable their access within the PCH application.
Users may view their account information by selecting User Info from the PCH navigation menu.
Users may manage email notification preferences by:
The PCH supports the following functions:
Authorized users may elect to receive automated email notifications when new payments are posted.
When a business area/unit/department receives a payment that was not intended for that department, reasonable efforts must be made to identify the correct recipient. If those efforts are unsuccessful, the payment must be deposited promptly in accordance with Policy FN01 Cash Revenues.
The deposit must be recorded by submitting the Book Journal Entries form via ServiceNow to the General Accounting team,
Debiting:
Crediting:
After the payment has been deposited and recorded in SIMBA, the receiving department must post the payment in the PCH:
An automated email notification is distributed to subscribed PCH users.
When a payment is identified as belonging to a specific department, the user submits the Book Journal Entries form via ServiceNow to the General Accounting team (see the View/Claim Payments page within the PCH for complete instructions). After the journal entry has been recorded in SIMBA:
Payments claimed in error may only be unclaimed through administrative access. The department must submit a Technical Support Request and select Payment Clearinghouse from the "Subject" drop-down list. The Payor ID, from the PCH app, and all relevant information pertaining to the necessary correction are to be included in the "Message" field.
Business areas expecting an electronic payment must record the anticipated transaction in the PCH prior to funds being sent:
General Accounting monitors expected payment activity.
Requests for assistance or system support must be submitted through:
Violations of University policy or procedure should be reported to the appropriate supervisor, unit manager, Human Resources representative, or the office responsible for the relevant policy or procedure. If these channels are insufficient or unavailable, individuals may submit an anonymous report through the Penn State University Hotline, accessible via the Reporting at Penn State website.
The Shared Services Financial Approval is responsible for ensuring that procedures pertaining to the accountability and safeguarding of all cash receipts, cash funds, and other assets are established and followed in accordance with approved University policies and procedures. Regular audits relating to advances, cash, travel, equipment accountability, and other expenditures provide a means to protect University assets. The Finance Shared Services teams are responsible for collaborating with Internal Audit when audits are being performed in the administrative area. Audits relating to sponsored activities or other audits performed by external auditors may also be performed. The Finance Shared Services teams are also responsible for collaborating with the external auditor and/or a central university office related to these procedures.
In accordance with Policy AD35 University Archives and Records Management, claimed payments will be retained in the Payment Clearinghouse database from the end of the fiscal year in which it was claimed plus 3 years. This retention coincides with the retention requirements for bank statements.
Additional questions may be directed to the Office of Records Management.
There are no exhibits associated with this procedure.
For questions, additional details, or to request changes to this procedure, please contact the Policy and Procedure Office by submitting a Technical Support Request.
June 3, 2026