Global Disbursement Service

The Global Disbursement Service (GDS) is UBC’s method for making international payments (outside of Canada and the US).

GDS is an electronic form of payment similar to bank wire transfers used in paying invoices within Workday. Since international payments utilize foreign banking systems, different requirements exist for each currency and country.

Please note that the GDS service cannot be used for payees and suppliers within Canada or the US.

Completing the GDS Form

The ‘Global Disbursement Form’ must be completed and attached to a Workday request for both new suppliers and suppliers who need to update their banking information.

Important Notes:

  • The Supplier Name must match the beneficiary's Bank Account Name.
  • The supplier's bank account must be able to accept the currency reflected on the invoice, GDS form and Purchase Order (if any).
  • Treasury Cash must be contacted if the currency of the payment is not on this Immediately Available GDS Currencies list. When contacting Treasury Cash, please provide the following information:
    • Currency to be used
    • Number and frequency of expected payments
    • Value or amount of the expected payment/s
    • Purpose of Payment

Complete the Global Disbursement Form

A guide on account numbers and required bank information is available.

  • For questions about the guide, please reach out to Treasury Cash.
  • Local regulations may require completion of additional documentation and not all payment types can necessarily be supported. Suppliers should always check with their bank to validate the requirements.

Additional Invoice Requirements for International Payments

Before payment can be processed, suppliers and payees must be set up with a supplier record in Workday. For more information and step-by-step instructions, visit the Supplier set-up in Workday page.

Since international payments utilize foreign banking systems, each country and currency have varying requirements. The required information is available on the IFL Currency Guide.

  • For questions about the guide, please contact Treasury Cash.
  • Treasury Cash must be contacted if the currency of the payment is not on this Immediately Available GDS Currencies list. When contacting Treasury Cash, please provide the following information:
    • Currency to be used
    • Number and frequency of expected payments
    • Value or amount of the expected payment/s
    • Purpose of Payment
  • Local regulations may require completion of additional documentation and not all payment types can necessarily be supported. Suppliers should always check with their bank to validate the requirements. Though some of the required information does not change (such as bank account and beneficiary name) and are stored when the supplier is set up, other requirements vary on each payment instance (purpose of payment).

Please note that payment delays may occur if the information required has not been provided. For information on submitting invoice submissions and standards, visit the Invoicing Standards page on the UBC Finance website. 

Payment Not Received

Payments should be received within 7-10 business days upon receipt of the remittance notice email from Workday.

If payment has not been received and a representative from Finance has not reached out to the supplier or the supplier's UBC contact, please submit a Workday support request through the UBC Self Service Portal.

Suppliers are also provided instructions on the remittance email sent from Workday.

Know your Supplier

Business units are responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure the provided banking information is correct and is coming from a reliable source.

  • Know your customer. Be sure that you are receiving the GDS form from an email address that you recognize and cross check to the email address that UBC has on file
  • If you have an IBAN #, check that it is reasonable: Check IBAN's website if the bank identified makes sense for your supplier.
  • Double check with your known contact. If in any doubt, double check the reason. For example if a change request does not make sense, check with your known contact.

Please review the UBC Privacy Matters site if you need more information.