How we pay suppliers for goods, works, and services

If you’re a supplier for Renfrewshire Council, you must include a valid PO number on all your invoices. 

We will not pay invoices from external suppliers for goods, works, or services if it does not clearly state a valid Purchase Order (PO) number. If the invoice does not have a PO number, it’ll be rejected and returned to you unpaid. 

It applies to all suppliers who we order goods, works, or services from, unless your order is exempt from having a purchase order.

Purchase order (PO) exemptions

Certain payments do not need a purchase order, like rent, some legal settlements, and grant payments, and those paid with purchasing cards.

These include:

• property rent
• property rates
• property service charges
• planning applications
• stamp duty land returns
• VAT payments
• cashflow payments
• payroll payments
• legal settlements
• foreign payments
• land transactions
• payments to Scottish Court & Tribunal Services
• grant payments
• utility services
• urgent or emergency payments
• election related payments with unique tax implications
• payments made by purchasing cards, where purchases are made in accordance with the Purchasing Card Policy
• payments to suppliers who physically cannot add a PO Number to an invoice
• alternative payment arrangements detailed within applicable contract terms and conditions 
• orders that cannot be placed through the council’s ERP Business World system (such as property repairs and orders placed via WorkHub or CAMIS) 
• payments that are not within scope of the No Purchase Order No Pay Policy

Any exemptions must be approved by our Corporate Procurement Manager. 

We keep a record of all exemptions and review it every year.

There is a separate process if you’re an individual who needs to pay for a service we’ve provided to you (sundry income).

Check the purchase order (PO)

We’ll send you a purchase order (PO) with a unique PO number through one of our approved electronic ordering systems, with our request for goods, works, or services.

If this is not possible, we’ll email you the purchase order. However, this must be approved by our Corporate Procurement Manager.

The format of the PO number will depend on the system we issue purchase orders from, but it’ll look like this:

• 9-digit reference number starting with 2 or 6 or WH
• 7-digit reference number starting with DO or CAM or SFM
• 6-digit reference number starting with PS.

If you do not have a purchase order (PO) number

Do not accept an order for goods, services, or works from us unless we provide you with an official purchase order with a PO number.

We will not pay invoices if we do not have a valid PO number.

Contact the council officer who made the request if:

• your purchase order does not have a valid PO number
• you do not have a copy of the official purchase order
• you have a PO number but not a purchase order.

Ask them to provide you with: 

• an official purchase order
• a valid PO number.

The purchase order should state where to send the invoice. If you send the invoice by any other means, we cannot process it and we will not be able to pay you. 

If the invoice does not say where or who to send it to, contact the council officer who made the request and ask them to send you instructions on submitting your invoice.

We scan and process invoices using optical character recognition (OCR) software. 

When you submit an invoice to us, make sure: 

• there’s only one attachment per email - If you’re submitting an invoice with supporting documentation, these must be combined into a single file before you send it to us
• the invoice is electronically typed in Word or PDF – we cannot accept other formats or file types
• each attachment has a unique file name
• you do not apply security restrictions to the attached file.

What the invoice must include

All invoices you send to us must contain:

• a valid PO number
• the word 'invoice' or 'credit'
• an invoice number and supplier details, including company name, address, contact details
• clear and separate lines describing the goods, works, or services provided
• each line must include a line number, item number, quantity, and unit price
• the name of your contact at Renfrewshire Council
• any other unique reference numbers or information that we have provided
• the total gross amount owed, the VAT rate and amount (if applicable), and net amount
• a VAT registration number (where applicable).

If you’re a HMRC tax-deductible supplier, you must detail the split between labour and materials.

Send your request for payment to invoices.prop2p@renfrewshire.gov.uk for:

• invoices with a 9-digit reference number starting with 2 or 6
• invoices on the PO exemptions list

Send your request for payment to invoices.finit@renfrewshire.gov.uk for:

• invoices with a 9-digit reference number starting with WH
• invoices with a 7-digit reference number starting with DO, CAM, or SFM
• invoices with a 6-digit reference number starting with PS
• credit notes with a PO number.

If the credit note is exempt from having a PO number, send it to the council officer who requested the goods, works, or services.

Send statements to creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you have any queries about invoices, contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

Before we can pay your invoice, we’ll complete a 'goods receipt' or validate the invoice on our purchasing system to confirm we have received the goods, works, or services from you. 

If you submit your invoice and it does not include the minimum required information, including a valid PO number, we’ll have to return it to you before we can pay it.

You’ll receive an email advising you what you need to do next.

For example, you may need to amend your invoice to state a clear, visible and valid PO number and send it to us again. Or we may advise you to contact the relevant council officer to amend your invoice and resubmit it.

Payment terms and conditions

We’ll pay all valid invoices within 30 days after receipt in compliance with our No PO No Pay policy, unless we’ve contractually committed to other terms of payment. 

We reserve the right to withhold payment if goods, works, or services have not been provided in accordance with the contract.

We expect suppliers to pay any sub-contractors promptly, within 30 days of them providing the goods, works, or services.

If your details are not correct 

Contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you need to change your details including: 

• company name
• address
• contact details
• VAT registration number
• payment details.

Your account contact at the Council must formally authorise changes to your contact details before we can update your records. 

This in accordance with our:

• privacy policy
• counter fraud and corruption policy.

More information 

If you have any queries about invoices, contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk.