Recurring Transactions​

Recurring transactions are any transactions that occur on a regular basis to the same vendor for the same or differing amounts, such as rent payments, utility payments, etc. You can even use them for monthly interagency billings where you just change the amount per agency.

  • Transactions are scheduled on the Recurring Transaction Table S550.
  • Transactions are generated using the Recurring Transaction Request Table S093.

Your agency maintains these two tables:

  • RECURRING TRANSACTION TABLE S550 – Enter the transactions in the Recurring Transaction Table. Enter a date/number in the TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) sections to specify when the transactions should process.
  • Recurring Transaction Request Table S093 – use the Recurring Transaction Request Table S093 to specify a specific transaction or group of transactions to process from Table S550. You can get a preliminary report to verify the transactions before releasing them to STARS, or to do a final generation (release) that sends these transactions to STARS.

    For good internal controls, two individuals should be assigned separate responsibility for Recurring Transaction Tables S550 and S093, respectively. Security controls should allow a user to update only one of the tables, but not limit their ability to view both tables.

Recurring Transaction Table S550

The Recurring Transaction Table S550 is in the Data Entry section on the STARS main menu.

1. From the STARS Main Menu, enter 'D' in the FUNCTION field and then press ENTER.

2. Enter '55' in the FUNCTION field and then press ENTER.

3. Enter A in the FUNCTION field and press ENTER.

4. Enter the fiscal coding needed, depending on the transaction code used.

5. Press F1 to save.
 

VERSION 3.1                   STARS--RECURRING TRANSACTION TABLE                         S550 

FUNCTION:            (A=ADD, C=CHANGE, D=DELETE, N=NEXT, R=RECALL)                     

AGCY: 230         TRANS-NO/SFX:               EF-START-DATE:                 EF-END-DATE:          

TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD): 1)          2)          3)          4)                         

CUR-DOC/SFX:                     TRANS-CODE:              RVS:              DISB-METH:        

REF-DOC/SFX:                                     MOD:              BFY:                GAAP IND:        

INDEX      :                                                    SEC AGENCY:                       

PCA        :                                                              SUBSID:         PCN:          

EXP-SUB-OBJ/DET:                                                              

REV-SUBOBJ/DET:                                                               

AMOUNT   :                                                                       BU:         GLA:      

                                        PROP#:                                 CMP#:            CI:      

INV-NO :                              INV-DESC :                                            

VEND-NO:                                NAME  :                                            

                                               NAME 2:                                            

                                                ADDR  :                                            

                                                  CITY  :                 STATE:            ZIP:             

GRANT/PH:                       PROJ/PH:              FUND/DET:            F/O:        

          MPC:                                 LOC:                        FAC:            TSK:        

DOC-DATE:                                        DUE-DATE:                                   

  • You can use any STARS transaction code to create a recurring transaction. This table is capable of scheduling expenditure transactions that have the same due date, or receivable transactions billed on a regular basis.
  • The EF-START-DATE (effective start date) and EF-END-DATE (effective end date) will cause the transaction to process before or after the dates entered.  The effective date on the generated transactions will be the night of the date that you request the transactions to generate.
  • Use up to four of the TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) fields to schedule transaction(s).
  • INDEX, PCA and subobjects are looked up, however this table does not have the ability to lookup or verify vendor names. An invalid vendor number will cause the released batch to error, and you will need to correct it in the STARS screen S054.

Set a Transaction Generate Schedule

You can use up to four of the TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) fields, and there are two options when entering numbers in those fields. Whichever you choose, the same format must be entered:

  • Enter two spaces for the month (MM) and then a two-digit day (DD).  For example, 07 14 21 28 entered in each of the four fields could indicate a request to be scheduled once a week.
  • Enter both a two-digit month (MM) and two-digit day (DD). This may be used to schedule a payment at a specific date, e.g., the end of the calendar year or quarter.
    The TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) fields are simply numbers that you could use to denote anything. For example, 01 in the MM portion of the field could mean payments to a specific group or vendor, and 28 would mean that you request these to be processed on the 28th day of the month. Of course, you would have to keep track of what you use these numbers for. They are not defined in STARS.

        The following are examples:

TYPE1)  MMDD2)  MMDD3)  MMDD4)  MMDD
Weekly

  07

to process on the 7th (week 1)

  14

to process on the 14th (week 2)

  21

to process on the 21st  (week 3)

  28

to process on the 28th (week 4)

Monthly

  15

to process on the 15th

   
Quarterly

0701

to process for the first quarter (FY)

1001

to process for the second quarter (FY)

0101

to process for the third quarter (FY)

0401

to process for the fourth quarter (FY)

Calendar Year End

1231

to process on December 31st

   
Specific Dates

0810

to process on August 10th

0415

to process on April 15th

  


 

Recurring Transaction Request Data Fields

Not all of the fields described below are required - the transaction code (TC) you use will determine which are. If your agency has set up a PCA to look up the Index, Fund, Budget Unit, and Project, you do not want to enter any of those fields.

DATA-ELEMENTDESCRIPTION
FUNCTION

Enter a one-character FUNCTION code:

A – ADD a new record

C – CHANGE an existing record

D – DELETE an existing record

AGCYEnter your three-digit AGENCY code. Once added this cannot be changed.
TRANS-NO/SFXEnter a six-character recurring transaction number and a two-digit suffix.  This number uniquely identifies the recurring transaction.  This is not the same as Current Document Number/Suffix (see below). Once added this cannot be changed.
EF-START-DATEEnter a six-digit (MMDDYY) effective start date, which identifies when the recurring transaction becomes effective. The transaction will not generate before this date. You can leave this field blank if the transaction is not for a set period.
EF-END-DATEEnter a six-digit (MMDDYY) effective end date, which identifies when the recurring transaction is no longer effective. The transaction will not generate after this date. You can leave this field blank if the transaction is not for a set period.

TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD)

fields 1-4

Enter up to four dates to identify the recurring transaction generate schedule. All four fields must have the same format:

Enter two spaces for the Month (MM) and a two-digit Day (DD)

OR

Enter a two-digit MONTH and two-digit DAY (MMDD)

CUR DOC/SFX

Enter an eight-character current document number and a two-digit suffix.  Use any document number you wish.

STARS uses this number on the Vendor Payment File to list payments to a vendor in order. We recommend you use all eight characters.

TCEnter a three-character transaction code.  This determines to what General Ledger accounts and STARS files the transaction will post.  It also governs what data entry fields you need or are allowed to enter.
RVSIf the transaction code should be a reversal, enter “R" in the RVS field.  Otherwise leave this field blank. Use the space bar to clear this field.
DISB-METHEnter the one-character disbursement method indicator (DMI) to sort your warrants that are processed daily that have the same DISB-METH indicator.  Disbursement Method “L" sorts warrants to be returned to an agency so the agency can distribute them as needed. Use the space bar to clear this field.
REF-DOC/SFXEnter the eight-character reference document number and two-digit suffix of the pre-encumbrance or encumbrance.  This is the Current Document Number you used when you did the original TC 210, 215, or 218 to set up the document.  This tells STARS which existing document to post to or to cancel.
MOD

Enter the one-character Modifier to cancel an encumbrance document.

F or C – final/cancel (both work the same).  Put this on the last payment against the document.  If this is a prior year encumbrance, STARS will generate a transaction to liquidate the remaining balance, if any, of the corresponding appropriation.

Blank – not canceling a document.

A – If you finalized a current year document, you can re-open the document with this modifier.  This is not applicable to a prior year document.

BFY

Enter the two-digit Budget Fiscal Year of posting to a
pre-encumbrance or encumbrance.

Use a Current Fiscal Year when you are creating or posting to a
pre-encumbrance, or when you are creating an encumbrance.

Use a Current or Prior Fiscal Year when you are posting to an existing document. 

GAAP INDEnter the one-character gaap indicator to help your agency track transactions at the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. Normally leave this field blank unless you are close to the end/beginning of the fiscal year. Use the space bar to clear this field.
INDEXEnter a four-digit Index if you are Index-driven. Your Index usually looks up a PCA, Budget Unit, and Fund, when the transaction is processed in STARS.  Normally, you would not enter an Index if your agency is PCA-driven.
SEC AGYEnter the second agency number of the agency you are billing/paying. The second agency is usually only required for interagency billings/payments, or cash transfers.
PCAEnter a five-digit PCA if you are PCA-driven. Your PCA usually looks up an Index, Budget Unit, and Fund when the transaction is processed in STARS.  Normally, you would not enter a PCA if your agency is Index-driven.
SUBSIDEnter the seven-digit subsidiary number that identifies the subsidiary your agency uses for this specific payment.
PCNEnter the four-digit PCN, which identifies the payroll Position Control Number when doing transactions that post to payroll subobjects (4000 – 4999).  Only a small number of transactions allow a PCN number.
EXP-SUB-OBJ/DETEnter a four-digit expenditure Subobject (you can also use a two-digit Detail) to identify the payment category or leave the field blank.
REV-SUBOBJ/DETEnter a four-digit revenue subobject (you can also use a two-digit Detail) or leave blank.  The revenue subobject determines how you want the revenue classified.
AMOUNTEnter the amount of the transaction for this expenditure subobject or subsidiary. Do not use commas, dollar signs, or negatives.  An amount can be broken down into several individual transactions to be able to post to different programs or organizations depending on the Index, PCA, Grant, or Project identified.
BUEnter the four-character Budget Unit unless the Index or PCA looks up the Budget Unit.
GLAAgencies will not normally enter the four-digit General Ledger Account.  The State Controller's Office will enter this field on those transactions that only SCO can enter.
PROP#Enter the ten-character property number if your subobject requires posting to the Fixed Asset System (FAS). STARS requires this number on some of the Capital Outlay subobjects and transfers this transaction information to the Fixed Asset System.
CMP#Enter the two-digit component number if the subobject requires a property number. This will post to the Fixed Asset System.
CI

Enter the one-character capitalization indicator if the transaction you are entering will not normally go to the Fixed Asset system but you wish it to.  You would normally use this field if you had Operating Expenditures (5000 – 5999) that you want to post to the Fixed Asset System.  If you enter a CI, you must also enter the Property and Component Number.

W – Asset in Progress

F – Create a record in the FAS hold file

INV-NO

Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub. STARS posts this information to the Vendor Payment File. This invoice number appears on daily and expenditure reports.

FOR INTERAGENCY BILLING PAYMENTS:  Enter the billing agency's ten-character current document and document suffix, with no spaces between the numbers, from Section A of the interagency bill. This allows STARS to complete the liquidation of the Due From for the billing agency. The invoice number field is required once you have entered the second agency field. The system checks this combination for a match on the Document File before it will allow the TC 240 or TC 241 to process. If you are paying two interagency billings, you should do them on separate transactions since the Invoice Number will be different.

INV-DESC

Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub.  Be sure to include enough information to accurately identify the payment. STARS also posts this information to the Vendor Payment File. The invoice description shows on daily and expenditure reports.

OR

Enter the three-digit remittance advice code as defined on the D49. Remittance advice messages may be entered in STARS and retrieved by a three-digit code when it is entered in the invoice description space.

OR

Leave blank.

VEND-NO/SFXEnter the nine-character vendor number and two-character suffix of the vendor being paid.  STARS will post the payment to this vendor number on the Vendor Payment File. If the transaction code does not require a vendor number, you can leave this blank and enter the vendor NAME and Address fields.

NAME

NAME 2

ADDR

CITY, STAE, ZIP

You cannot enter a vendor NAME if you entered a VEND-NO. If you do you will get an EV5 – Ven Name Not Blank error when you save the recurring transaction.

When the transaction is generated (released) and the batch processes in STARS, the vendor number normally looks up the forty-character vendor name from the Vendor Edit Table (table 21).

If you use a transaction code that does not allow the vendor number for a payment to a vendor, manually enter the vendor Name 2, if there is one. The vendor Name 2 is usually the business name for the sole-proprietor or partnership, or the affiliated business name of a large corporation.

GRANT/PHIf you want to post to a Grant, enter the six-character Grant and two-digit Phase unless your Index or PCA looks them up. You can type over a Grant and Phase that is looked up.
PROJ/PHIf you want to post to a Project, enter the six-character Project and two-digit Phase if the Index or PCA does not look up the information.  You can also enter it directly or override the current Project and Phase.
FUND/DETEnter the four-digit Fund (you can also use a two-digit Detail).  If you enter an Index or PCA, STARS usually looks up the Fund and/or Detail.  If not, enter the Fund and/or Detail.
F/OThe one-character FUND OVERRIDE allows the transaction to process although there is not enough cash or appropriation available.  The State Controller's Office will enter this field on unusual transactions that only SCO can enter.
MPC

Enter the ten-character Multi-Purpose Code. Enter the MER number in this field if you are planning to enter an encumbrance that you intend to carry into the next fiscal year.

If your agency does not need purchasing information in this field for internal controls, you can use this field however you wish.  Leave blank when paying for state contract purchases.

LOC / FAC / TASKEnter the six-character Location unless the Index and PCA can look up it up.  Each agency defines these fields as they need them to identify certain transactions for grouping.  There are no reports by these fields.  You will have to use an alternative reporting program to accumulate the information.  They are for agency reference only.
DOC-DATEEnter the six-digit document date in MMDDYY format.  This is often optional, but is required for certain types of receivable transactions.  STARS uses the document date to age the accounts receivable from documents on the Document File.  You should enter the date the receivable began, not the date you enter it into the system.
DUE-DATEEnter the six digit due date in MMDDYY format.  This is often optional, but is required for certain types of receivable transactions.  This identifies the date a warrant will be created if you do not want the warrant issued on the same night the transaction processes.  This field is usually left blank.

 


 

Recurring Transaction Request Table S093

The Recurring Transaction Request Table (Table S093) is in the Table Maintenance section on the STARS main menu.

1. From the STARS Main Menu, enter 'T' in the FUNCTION field and then press ENTER.

2. Enter '93' in the FUNCTION field for Recurring Transaction Request and then press ENTER.

3. Enter an R in the FUNCTION field and the agency number in the AGCY field, and then press ENTER. Each agency has one request table for processing up to six cycle selections, and the capability of excluding or including ten individual transaction numbers.

4. Enter dates\numbers in the FROM DATE MMDD and TO DATE MMDD fields in the CYCLE SELECTION section that correspond with the TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) field of the transactions entered on Table S550.

 Recurring Transaction Request example

VERSION 3.1          STARS--RECURRING TRANSACTION REQUEST                S093 

                                                                            

FUNCTION:    (A=ADD, C=CHANGE, D=DELETE, R=RECALL)                             

AGCY:                                                                         

                                                                             

CYCLE              FROM DATE        TO DATE          TRANS         FROM DATE        TO DATE      TRANS  

SELECTION:         MMDD                MMDD              IND                MMDD               MMDD          IND   

              1              0715                   0719                 G                     4                              

              2             0725                  0725                 P                     5                              

              3                                                                                        6                              

                                                                         

TRANSACTIONS TO EXCLUDE:                                                       

   1                           2                     3                      4                       5                  

   6                         7                       8                      9                      10                  

                                                                          

TRANSACTIONS TO INCLUDE:                                                      

   1                         2                        3                      4                       5                  

   6                        7                        8                       9                      10                   

                                                                                 INTERRUPT:              

 

For example, enter 0715 in the FROM DATE MMD and 0719 in the TO DATE MMDD to process all transaction on the S550 that fall within this range of dates\numbers in their TRANS-GENERATE-SCHEDULE (MMDD) field.

If you only have one date to schedule, it must be in both the FROM DATE and TO DATE fields.

5. Enter a Transaction Indicator (TRANS IND). This determines how to process the transactions:

  • Blank - No system action
  • P - Creates and prints a proof list of the selected transactions without creating transactions. The proof list report is a DAFR 4201 – Recurring Transaction Detail Report. After the overnight process has run, the transaction indicator remains as a 'P'. You will keep receiving proof lists until you change this transaction indicator to 'G' to generate the transactions.
  • G - Generates transactions and processes the selected transactions in STARS. These generated transactions will appear on your daily report DAFR 7101 – STARS Daily Transaction, as well as, the DAFR 4201 – Recurring Transaction Detail Report. STARS issues warrants depending on the transaction code on the recurring transaction. After the overnight process has run, the 'G' is removed so no more transactions are created. Proof your transactions before you generate them.

6. Press F1 to save.

Once the indicator to 'G' is set, the system will create interface transactions to process in STARS. Transactions created from this process will always use a batch type of 'R' for recurring.  The operator ID on the transactions will be 'RRR'.  This operator ID has an approval level of

Unless you use a transaction code that requires a higher approval level than 4, or if you excluded them in the TRANSACTIONS TO EXCLUDE (see below), the transactions will automatically process without any further approvals.  The effective date on the transactions will be the date of the night you request the transactions to generate.

TRANSACTIONS TO EXCLUDE

This table allows you to exclude up to ten transaction numbers / suffixes from the TRANS-NO/SFX field of the RECURRING TRANSACTION screen S550, regardless of the TRANS IND values in the CYCLE SELECTION section.

TRANSACTIONS TO INCLUDE

This table allows you to include up to ten additional to ten transaction numbers / suffixes from the TRANS-NO/SFX field of the RECURRING TRANSACTION screen S550.  The TRANS ID set in the CYCLE SELECTION applies to these included transaction numbers.

Solving Common Problems

  1. How do you use effective start and end dates?
    • The system will check the dates against the current system date.  It will prevent your agency from generating warrants if the date has passed.
  2. Will the recurring input table do the same edits as athe regular data entry screen?
    • STARS looks at the Transaction Code Decision table for required fields just like the regular data entry screen. The Recurring TransactionTables do not look up vendor names from the vendor number.  However, when the trasation processes in STARS, STARS will automatically look up the vendor name and number. An invaild vendor number will error and the transction will need to be corrected in STARS. 
  3. Can I use any type of transaction code on the recurring table or only ones that create warrants?
    • You can use any type of transaction code, including those for expenditures, receipts, interagency billing (both the billing agency and the paying agency).
  4. What batch type and operator ID will I see on my daily reports when the transactions generate and process in STARS?
    • The recurring transactions process on an "R" batch type.  The operator ID is RRR
  5. What report is generated when you do a proof list?  Is the same report generated when you do a generate?  Do the reports need to be on the report request table?
    • The DAFR4201 is gneerated during the proof and the generate stages of the recurring transactions.  Since these are "system generated" reports, you do not have to set them up on the report request tables.
  6. What happens to the documents when you cross fiscal years?  Do you have to change the BFY on each document or does the system do it?
    • The recurring transaction screen will automatically default to the current BFY.  However, you can manually change the BFY or put a space in the field to go back to the current year default.
  7. Should an agency that does not have release authority be able to set the S093 table?  Can the same person who updates the S550 screen be able to set the S093 table?
    • If the person doing the data entry does not have the security to enter a specific transaction on the regular STARS Data Entry screen, they will not be able to enter it on the S550 screen.  The only people who can set the S093 table are those that have the appropriate release authority.

Reports

DAFR4201 Recurring Transactions Detail Report  lists the transaction number/suffix, transaction code, Index, Fund/dt, reverse indicator, PCA, expenditure subobject, revenue subobject, GI, vendor number/suffix, vendor name, invoice description, amount, type of report (PRO=proof or GEN=generated).  This report breaks and totals by Transaction Number, then an agency total.

The DAFR4201 Report is a “system generated" report which will be created anytime the Recurring Transaction process is run and there is data to report. It is not necessary to have a report request or a report distribution setup.

DAFR7101 STARS Daily Transaction will report your generated transactions.

DAFR8820 Recurring Payment Table Listing.

DAFR8830 Recurring Transaction Request.

Recurring transactions will also show on all daily and monthly STARS reports just as if they had been entered directly into the system.