Accounts Payable

About Accounts Payable

The City of Columbia has a centralized Accounts Payable System which processes payment of invoices for all City Departments.

Location:  701 E. Broadway, 5th Floor, Columbia, MO 65201
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.,  Monday – Friday

Vendors —To ensure timely payment, please note the following procedures:

 e-mail invoices to: [email protected]

OR

Mail invoices to the following address:
(original invoice if possible)

City of Columbia
Finance Department – Accounts Payable
P.O. Box 7236
Columbia, MO 65205

Supply the City Department making the purchase with a copy of the invoice to ensure timely approval of the purchase. Please reference the purchase order number on the invoice. 

Frequent vendor payment questions

What determines the payment terms for an invoice?

The terms set on the purchase order. Accounts Payable will not override the terms on a purchase order without consulting first with our Purchasing department.

Will the City pay from statements?

Rarely. Payment will only be processed from a statement in those instances where a vendor does not issue invoices and the statement has a detailed description of the charges.

Why do invoices need to be mailed directly to the Accounts Payable department in addition to a priced packing slip or invoice copy to the City order location?

The City’s Centralized Accounts Payable department processes payment for all 14 City divisions which are located throughout the City. It is difficult and time consuming to shuffle paper between the various locations.

The order location enters an on-line approval for the goods received, and retains the paperwork as back up documentation. When the Accounts Payable department receives the invoice, it is entered on-line and matched with the order location’s approval to pay according to the set terms.