Sealed Bag Deposit Process Video: https://learn.northwestern.edu/Saba/Web_spf/PRODTNT074/common/ledetail/cours000000000003323

This presentation covers the Sealed Bag Deposit Process for users of the Cash Receipt Ticket (CRT) in NUFinancials.

Objectives of the presentation are to name and describe:

• The materials and equipment you need
• How to prepare cash, coins, and checks
• How to initiate a sealed bag bank deposit
• How revenue is credited to your chart

Gather materials and equipment

Deposits to Chase Bank from University departments consist of cash and checks only, because credit/debit card sales are handled via Automated Clearing House (ACH).

For checks and cash (bills and coins), you must have:

• Deposit bag
• Deposit ticket
• Calculator with tape (or Excel as a work around)
• Paper clips or rubber bands for bills and checks
• Envelopes or coin rolls for change
• Endorsement stamp

Contact Depository Services for initial supplies and replacements of deposit bags, tickets, and stamps.

Prepare checks, cash, and coins

Before you initiate a deposit, there are tasks that follow a sales event for preparing checks, cash, and coins.

Start with a printing calculator – or Excel – because you need to produce a paper record (calculator tape) with subtotals and detail for coins, checks, and paper currency.

1. Separate the payment media (coins, cash, and checks).
2. Count and subtotal coins and print the calculator Put coins into rolls or a small envelope.
3. Separate bills by denomination. Create two calculator tapes. One detailed tape has all bills. The other tape should have subtotals by denomination and a total for all paper currency.
4. Count checks and create a calculator tape of all checks and a subtotal.
5. Secure the tapes to the media.
   • Checks: Attach tape to checks by clip or rubber band.
   • Cash: Attach tape to bills by clip or rubber band.
   • Coins: Place tape inside envelope with coins.
6. Create a calculator tape totaling the three subtotals above.
7. Compare your counts, subtotals, and total to sales receipts.
8. Have a colleague check your work.
9. Make a note of overages or shortages, if any.

Sealed Bag Bank Deposit Process

Shown on slide is a picture of the process to follow when using a sealed bag to initiate a deposit of cash, coins, and checks. The blue objects are steps you take, and the yellow object is error checking that you should do every time you initiate a deposit. I’ll summarize briefly, then I’ll step into more detail on subsequent slides.

1. Start with preparing a deposit ticket and tamper-proof deposit bag for bank processing.
2. Next, create and save a Cash Receipt Ticket (CRT) in NUFinancials. There you input the same figures you recorded on the deposit ticket.
3. Check both the deposit ticket and CRT for errors, and if possible, engage the help of a colleague for accuracy and for financial control. If you do find errors, you can edit and resave the CRT. Error checking at this point is important because committing is final. Do not commit until all errors are resolved.
4. If there are no errors, you or your colleague may commit the CRT. There is no one in the University who can uncommit a CRT. So if you discover an error afterward, you have about 1 day maximum to contact Depository Services to request a Void. They are the only office in the University who can void. Strive for accuracy and avoid asking for voids.
5. Load the deposit bag, seal it, and deliver it to Depository Services, or arrange for pickup by an armored car carrier. Bags are tamper proof and are not resealable, so at this point, your last chance to catch an error is before the bag leaves your hands. If you discover an error, you would destroy the bag and start over with new set of materials. Again, do the error checking in yellow, and avoid asking for voids.

Prepare the deposit ticket

With your tapes and totals ready, you can complete the deposit slip.

1. Enter date on bank deposit slip.
2. Enter the paper bills subtotal next to the word Currency.
3. Enter the coins subtotal next to the word Coins.
4. Enter the Check subtotal.
5. Enter the total number of checks in the Total Items In the example, you see four checks.
6. Enter the deposit total on bottom line and again where it indicates “Please Enter Total”. The crucial thing to remember about the deposit total is that the bank considers this amount official.

Retain a copy of the completed deposit ticket for your records.

The bank deposit slip is a two part form. The original will go in the bank deposit bag with the currency, coin, and checks. The duplicate is retained in your department.

Accuracy and Legibility

Finally, little things make a big difference. Accuracy and handwriting are very important. You can create a perfect deposit, but if the bank can’t read your handwriting, they’ll enter the wrong number, and we will not match. You can also write the deposit perfectly, but forget to include a check or bill, and we will match, but a debit or credit adjustment will follow.

Deposit Ticket Numbers

Let’s look at the numbers at the bottom of the deposit ticket.

• On the left you see the deposit ticket number. The first five digits on the deposit ticket are a Location ID that identifies your department or The last five numbers are sequential.
• In the middle, you see the bank routing number.
• The bank account number is on the right. This account number goes on the deposit bag, which we’ll see next.

Prepare the deposit bag

Shown here is a tamper-proof sealable deposit bag. The look of the bag may change but the idea is the same. You fill in the blanks with the following:

1. TO: Chase Bank, 30 Clark, Chicago, IL 60603
2. FROM: Northwestern University / Department Name and Address
3. PREPARED BY: Your name
4. Date
5. ACCOUNT #: XXXXX7808 (from deposit ticket)
6. Declared Amount (from deposit ticket)

NOTE: If you arranged for armored car pickup, Depository Services will provide you with another line for the address.

Create and save the CRT

Here is a snapshot of the Cash Receipt Ticket. The purpose is to credit your chart string with the earnings that you are simultaneously depositing in the bank. It’s important to pause after saving the CRT and check your data entries against the totals you recorded on the deposit ticket. After saving, a colleague should count and compare your totals to the deposit ticket and bag. If they match, commit the CRT.

Commit the CRT

After error checking and editing the CRT, when you are sure the CRT is correct, you or a colleague can commit the CRT. Many departments divide the duties of creating and committing CRTs for the purpose of financial control. It’s important to understand that committing is final and that no one in the University can uncommit a CRT.

Load the deposit bag

Deposit bags may contain (as applicable):

• Cash in U.S. currency
• Checks drawn from U.S. banks
• Calculator tapes for bills, coins, and checks.

If the bag contains checks only, write “CHECKS ONLY” on bag.

All counted items must be inside the bag. Depository Services cannot help you after you seal the bag. The bag goes to the bank as is, so accuracy is essential. If errors are found, DS will not return your deposit. DS will make adjustments using a journal.

Seal and deliver the deposit bag

Seal the bag.

• Keep the seal tab for your records.
• Deliver the deposit.
• Take the bag to Depository Services (DS) and bring your Wildcard, or arrange for an armored car pickup.
• Retain the delivery receipt from DS or the armored car for your records.

If you carry your bank deposit to Depository Services, the cashier accepts the sealed bag and provides a receipt. You should keep the receipt for your records. Deposits are picked up from DS daily by an armored car and transported to the bank. If you elect to schedule armored car service, your deposit is transported directly to the bank.

Bank Deposit Process

After you handoff a deposit bag, the next steps are accomplished by the bank and Depository Services.

It takes about 1 business day for the bank to count your deposit and send a Confirmation File.

DS matches and compares the bank confirmation file with committed CRTs. During this comparison, DS checks for missing CRTs and CRT errors.

If there are no errors, the CRT posts to the General Ledger and your revenue appears the next business day on Cognos reports and NUFinancials budget searches.

If CRTs are missing or discrepancies found, you are notified. During this communication, you receive any necessary documentation for your files and you may be asked to take steps to remedy the situation. DS makes an adjustment to your deposit for the amount of the difference. Those adjustments are also posted to the GL and appear on your budget reports and searches.

Summary

Finally, here are the steps in checklist form for initiating a sealed bag bank deposit.

• Gather materials and equipment
• Prepare checks, cash, and coins
  • Count and wrap checks, bills, and coins
  • Compare count to sales receipts
  • Note the overages and shortages, if any
  • Have a colleague check your work
• Prepare deposit ticket and bag
  • Fill out the deposit ticket
  • Fill out the deposit bag
• Create and save CRT
  • Have a colleague check your work
  • Edit CRT as needed
• Commit the CRT
• Load the deposit bag
• Seal the deposit bag
• Deliver the deposit bag

Creating a Cash Receipt Ticket (CRT) Video: https://learn.northwestern.edu/Saba/Web_spf/PRODTNT074/common/ledetail/cours000000000003324

Recording deposits with the Cash Receipt Ticket (CRT) is part of external revenue processes. This demonstration shows how to:

• Create a CRT.
• Save a CRT as a template.
• Create a new CRT from a template.

It starts with two Cash Receipt Ticket (CRT) concepts.

Media Types and Deposit References

Two concepts are essential for completing a CRT.

The first is media type. It identifies the payment medium.

• Commonly used media types are Cash, Check, Wildcard, and credit cards
  • One thing about checks that may not be evident is that it includes traveler’s checks and money orders.
  • Cash includes only bills and coins.
• The other media types exist for Financial Operations to record revenue from wire transfers and endowment payouts and to conduct other transactions.

The second concept is Deposit Reference. This exists to tie your CRT to its corresponding bank deposit.

• In the case of sealed bag bank deposits, the Deposit Reference comes from the Deposit Ticket. It’s the ten-digit ticket number on the left bottom corner of the ticket.
• NUFinancials cannot validate this number. It’s up to you and your colleagues to enter this number correctly.

Deposit Reference from Terminal

In the case of credit, debit, or Wildcard revenue, the deposit reference comes to you differently.

The deposit reference is a combination of two numbers called a Location ID and Batch ID.

• The Location ID is 3 digits. It refers to the terminal (or ecommerce website) and usually corresponds 1:1 with a merchant account.
• The Batch ID is 4 digits. It refers to a number assigned by the terminal to a the Batch Report that prints when you close and commit a set of transactions.

Demonstration

Scenario

Norris Center departments 2126800 and 2125400 are depositing $16.00.

Data

There were two sources of revenue (late fees from rented camping gear and cash collected from the game room).

— 160 2126800 40031          $5, late fees

— 110 2125400 41140          $11, game room

Revenue was collected in two media.

—  Deposit Ticket: 1003000242 $11, Cash

—  Card Terminal: 9830407         $5, Visa/MC/Disc

Steps

To create a new CRT, you have two options: create a blank receipt or create one from template. Blank is the default. In this scenario, we will create one using the blank CRT Type.

Select Blank CRT. Click Add. The NU CRT Entry page appears. (Overview the page.)

The NetID of the creator appears in the Entered By field. NEXT appears in the Cash Receipt Ticket Number field because it has not yet been saved. NUFinancials will assign a CRT number when you click Save. Notice that Save and Commit functions are separate. This is useful for implementing internal controls in your department, where one person can enter and save the CRT and another can review and Commit.

The date appears in the Date Entered field. The Date Committed will appear later. The Posting Status is Not Posted, which means it was not submitted for processing and was not processed.

In the Distribution Total area, you will enter the chart strings. In this scenario, Music Theatre sold tickets and course materials.

• Line 1 - Type Fund 160, Department 2126800, No Project, Activity, Type Account 40031,

                        $5.00. Type Description “late fees.” Description is limited to 30 characters and will appear on your budget reports.

• Line 2 – Type 110 2126400 $11.00. “game room.”

CRT Media Type asks you about the form of the money, whether cash, credit card, WildCard, wire transfer, check, drafts, or so on.

• In Line 1, the Deposit/Ref ID field, enter a value appropriate for the media type. For example, in our scenario the $11 was in Cash. The Deposit/Ref ID comes from the back deposit receipt [Show and explain the Deposit Reference job aid.]
• In Line 2, record $5 in Visa/MC/Disc with the refID 1231234.

Click Save. If the two Media and Distribute totals match, the CRT saves successfully. The CRT number is assigned, and the View Receipt is available. All fields are still available for editing.

Click Commit. Notice that all fields inactivate (they turn gray). At this point, you cannot edit. If you recognize an error, you must call the Depository Services Office and request a Void.

Click View Receipt to see a more printer-friendly version of the CRT. Use your browser’s print function to print a copy for your records.

Click Save as Template if you foresee doing similar deposits in the future. A template saves your chart string and media types, all you do is enter amounts and references.

The name field allows 14 characters. Description allows 30 characters.

Create a CRT from Template

Let’s see what it looks like to create a new CRT from a template.

• Click Add a New Value.
• In the CRT TYPE field, select Create from Template.
• Click Add. The Lookup Existing CRT Template dialog appears. All templates created by anyone Narrow the search if necessary by User ID.
• Select the template by name.
• Click OK. The new blank CRT appears. On the job, complete the CRT as usual.
  • Fields that are auto-populated on template: Chart string, Description, Media Types.
  • Fields that you complete: Amounts, Deposit References.
• To exit, click Update/Display, or use the breadcrumbs at top.

Summary

Take the following steps to complete each CRT:

• Add chart strings, accounts, amounts, descriptions in the Distribution section of the CRT.
  • Ensure you entered the base chart string
  • Ensure you entered a revenue account starting with
• Enter media types, deposit references, and amounts in the Media section of the CRT.
  • Ensure you entered the deposit references
  • Ensure that media and distribution amounts
• Click Save then check your work before you click Commit!

Search for Cash Receipt Tickets (CRT) Video: https://learn.northwestern.edu/Saba/Web_spf/PRODTNT074/common/ledetail/cours000000000003327

Committed Cash Receipt Tickets (CRT) are journalized and posted to the General Ledger. Amounts appear on Cognos reports the next business day.

This demonstration shows you how to:

• Verify the posting status of CRTs.
• Verify the match status of cash and check deposits.
• View revenue on the GL008 Revenue and Expense Activity Report.
• Search for CRTs in NUFinancials.

Scenario

Norris Center departments 2126800 and 2125400 are depositing $16.00.

Data

There were two sources of revenue: late fees from rented camping gear and cash collected from the game room.

— 160 2126800 40031                $5, late fees

— 110 2125400 41140                $11, game room

Revenue was collected in two media.

— Deposit Ticket: 1003000242 $11, Cash

— Card Terminal: 9830407 $5, Visa/MC/Disc

Posting Status and Match Status

After you commit a CRT, wait a business day or two for the bank to count your deposit and send the Confirmation File. After it arrives, you will see the Posting Status and the Match Status of your CRT on the CRT itself. You can search for the CRT using your NetID.

• Posting Status is Posted if the CRT was journalized and posted to the General Ledger.
• Match Status is Y if the bank recorded the same amount as your CRT. Match status is N if there was a difference, in which case, you can expect to see an adjustment for the difference also appearing as a journal on your Cognos reports. Match status only applies to cash or check, as credit and debit card transactions are handled via Automated Clearing House (ACH). The status of ACH transactions always N but is not applicable.

Notice the CRT above records revenue from two sources for two chart strings. Both are in the Norris Center, but one is a recharge operation 160-2126800 and the other is departmental operations 110- 2125400. Remember these different chart strings, because you may need to run two different reports in Cognos. Let’s see the reports next.

Confirm Posting with the GL008

Shown here is the Cognos report GL008 Revenue and Expense Activity report.

One line from the CRT ($5) appears on this report for the recharge center.

Notice these things about this revenue amount.

• The Transaction Type is Journal.
• The Journal ID starts with CRT.
• The CRT number appears in the Description column.
• The Transaction column shows the amount in parentheses. In accounting, credits carry a negative sign to increase revenue, so our reports conform with that convention. Again, this is an increase in revenue resulting from the bank deposit.

On the next slide is a different Cognos GL008. The second line from the CRT ($11) appears on this report for the game room.

In summary, you can put as many chart strings as you need on a CRT, but you may need to run multiple Cognos reports to see the distribution of the bank deposit credited to chart strings.

Demonstration

We start the demonstration on the NUPortal, where the CRT is available for convenience. Find it in the Financial category, on the Financial tab, below the heading Financial Related Links.

The link is Dept Deposits/CRT. The key icon lets you know that the feature is security access controlled, so if you click but don’t see the CRT screens, update your security access profile.

The page NU_CREATE_CRT page opens in a new window, with the Add a New Value tab in the foreground.

Click Find an Existing Value for the search page. Find CRTs using the any combination of four criteria:

• The CRT number that you saw on the GL008 in the Description field.
• The creator’s NetID – your own or someone else’s.
• Date entered can be used with an operator to target dates or date ranges. For example, use greater than with the beginning of the year to see only CRTs that you did this year.
• CRT Status is either Saved, Committed, or Void. There are only three. First you saved, then you committed, and if necessary you asked for a Void.

Save Searches

You can save search criteria that you use on a regular basis. You can see saved searches in the Use Saved Search drop-down field.

I created one for MY CRTS and some for those of a colleague.

When you choose one, the search executes right away. I asked for a greater than date, and I input my NetID. A list appears in Search Results, sorted by ascending order by Cash Receipt Ticket Number, which is roughly aligned with Date Entered. Click Date Entered to sort in ascending order by that column, then click again for descending order, which puts the most recent on top, which is probably more useful.

Sort by CRT Status to see CRTs in need of your attention. CRTs that you saved have not yet been committed.

To at any one of these CRTs, click the CRT number or any hyperlinked value. It appears in a new window. You can continue working on this, editing, saving, and then finally committing when you are ready.

Create a List with Find an Existing Value

Let’s create a list of Saved CRTs again. Suppose you need to find CRTs that a colleague created in order to verify totals and Commit. I’ll look for Saved CRTs by a colleague LMR152 in May. So date is greater than 5/1/15.

When you create a list, you get the advantage of list functionality on the CRT itself. Buttons at the bottom of the page, Return to Search, Previous in List, Next in List, let you navigate through the list and avoid clicking back and forth from one page to another.

Click Next in List to see the next Saved CRT. Lists can be really useful, and you’ll see this functionality in inquiries throughout NUFinancials.

Click Return to Search.

Notice that after you’ve seen a CRT, the criteria matching that CRT are populated in the field. Click Clear to erase those fields and start a new search.

View a Complex CRT

Finally, let’s look at a CRT that is a complex CRT. I’ll enter 00013660 and click Search.

When you specify a number, you don’t create a list, you go directly to the CRT.

A CRT can be as long as you need it to be. As we discussed earlier, there may be multiple chart strings. And notice at top, a line with account 40702 for overages or shortages. On this day, one of the cash registers had a shortage of $23 with the description Beach O/S.

Scrolling down, in Media Total, notice that Cash in the amount of 287.98 was counted by the bank and there was a match.

Click Return to Search.

That brings us to the end of the demonstration.

Summary

For each CRT, take the following steps after you commit the CRT:

• Lookup the CRT by NetID or CRT number.
• Verify the Posting Status and Match Status of checks and cash.
• Confirm posting to correct chart string and account.
  • Cognos budget statements GL008
  • Find the CRT number in the Description column of the GL008.