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  • New finance processing system 

    On Wednesday 1 May 2024, we will start using a finance system called E5 (OneAdvanced). This new system will change our payments administration process.

    Purchase order numbers beginning PO36

    When we order goods or services from you, we'll issue you with a unique 10-digit purchase order number with the prefix PO36. You must quote this number on your invoice to us.

    Contact reference numbers beginning CON

    If we have already given you a contract reference that begins CON, you must quote this reference on all your invoices for that contract period.

    Purchase order numbers beginning 3500

    If we've already given you a purchase order starting 3500, this is a valid order reference. You should quote this on your invoices until we give you a unique PO36 reference.

    Sending invoices and credits by email

    You can send invoices and credits as PDFs to our email APinvoiceCTU@belfastcity.gov.uk. Each document must be a separate PDF. You can attach multiple documents in one email.

    Suppliers can continue to use centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk for accounts payable queries and submission of statements.

  • How to become a Belfast City Council supplier

    For information on how to become one of our suppliers, go to our Tenders page.

  • Information to include on invoices

    An invoice must contain this information:

    • if supplying goods or services, a unique 10-digit purchase order number (starting with 3500 or the new PO36 issued from 1 May 2024). We will give you the number when ordering goods or services from you.
    • if supplying a service relating to council employee business travel, a unique T1 reference number (starting with T1 followed by five digits). We will give you the number when ordering the service from you.

    You must provide:

    Business and trading information to include on an invoice
    Your name, trading name and full address Our billing address
    Your VAT registration number (if applicable) Time of supply (referred to as Tax point) if this is different from the invoice date
    Unique invoice number Detailed description of the goods or services you are supplying
    Invoice date
    Unit price, discount and VAT information on an invoice
    Unit price or rate (excluding VAT) Discount applied to the account
    Total quantity of goods Freight charges
    Rate of VAT being applied Total amount of VAT charged
    Total amount payable (excluding VAT) Payment terms
  • Invoice queries

    If you need to contact us about an invoice query, you can call us or email us.

    Call 028 9027 0319 and select option one. If your call is not answered, leave a voicemail stating your company name, contact name and phone number. We will call you back.

    Email centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk. In your email, you must include:

    • your unique purchase order number (10-digit number starting with 35) or your new number beginning E5 PO36 
    • your unique T1 number (starting T1 followed by five digits)
    • the net, VAT and gross breakdown

    If you don't have a purchase order number, you should ask the person who placed the order with you before you send us your invoice. 

    From 1 May 2024, our new system will only accept invoices that quote a PO, T1 or contract reference number, unless the invoices are utility costs.

  • Invoices that cannot be processed

    If we receive an invoice with incomplete information, we will return the invoice.  We will contact you to explain the reason for returning an invoice and advise you what to do next.

    If you need to contact us about an invoice, you should email centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk and include:

    • your unique purchase order number (10-digit number starting with 35 or 36) or
    • your unique T1 number (starting T1 and followed by three to five digits)

    As well as:

    • date your invoice was sent 
    • unique invoice reference number
  • Receiving payment

    We aim to pay all invoices within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.

    Payments can be made by BACS or cheque. BACS payments are made daily and cheques are issued every Wednesday.

    If you are usually paid by cheque and would like to receive payment by BACS, you can email your request to centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk. A member of staff will contact you to validate your information.

    We will send payment confirmation, quoting the invoice number, the amount paid and the date you will receive payment by email or post.

  • Contact and billing details

    Central Transactions Unit

    Email centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk, call 028 9027 0319 or visit: 

    6th floor, 9 Adelaide
    C/O Cecil Ward Building
    4-10 Linenhall Street
    Belfast BT2 8BP

  • Changes to your company or personal details

    If you need to update or amend your registered details, call us and speak to our CTU Data Officer or email datarecords@belfastcity.gov.uk. You can also tell us about changes when we order goods or a service from you.

    All changes to your data must be independently validated by our CTU team and completed in line with our internal guidelines.

  • Fair processing notification

    National Fraud Initiative 

    Level 2 Fair Processing Notice

    Belfast City Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud. The Local Government Auditor audits the accounts of the council. 

    The Comptroller and Auditor General is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises under his powers in Articles 4A to 4G of the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found, it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made about whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out. 

    The Comptroller and Auditor General currently requires us to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Comptroller and Auditor General for matching. Details are set out by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (link opens in new window).

    The use of data by the Comptroller and Auditor General in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998. 

    Data matching by the Comptroller and Auditor General is subject to a Code of Practice. For information on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s legal powers, see the Level 3 notice on the NIAO (link opens in new window) website.

    For information on data matching at Belfast City Council, contact Claire O'Prey, Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services on 028 9032 0202 extension 4643.

Contact us

centraltransactions@belfastcity.gov.uk

028 9027 0319

6th floor, 9 Adelaide C/O Cecil Ward Building 4-10 Linenhall Street Belfast BT2 8BP

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