How to use RealSource
For VCU Staff
RealSource is VCU’s vendor, procurement, invoice and contracts portal. Under the management of VCU’s Procurement Services Department, the portal supports
- Supplier Management
- Purchasing
- Accounts Payable
- Contract Management
Notice: Scams / Fraudulent Purchase Orders
Scammers are targeting businesses by placing forged purchase orders. These scams involve fraudulent or fake purchase orders, or fake requests for quotations, that appear to come from the University. The fraudulent orders often use legitimate University addresses when placed, and the scammers later change the ship‑to address. We encourage all suppliers to take precautions to avoid becoming victims of these scams.
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Scammers often use email addresses that closely resemble a University email address. VCU recommends checking the email header to confirm whether the message actually came from the University. Even if the order appears to come from a University email, please remain vigilant.
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If an order is unusually large or comes from a new VCU contact, you may email VCU Procurement Services at Procurement_Services@vcu.edu or call (804) 828‑1077, Option 6. We can help verify whether the purchase is legitimate.
While this particular fraud is being directed at suppliers, VCU employees who make purchases or approve invoices should also remain alert to potential purchasing and payment scams. Avoid any activity that feels suspicious and report concerns immediately to Procurement Services.
Registered Vendors Only
A vendor portal exclusively for VCU's current vendors — promoting paperless, efficient processing of purchase orders, contracts, and invoices.
Login requirements
Use the vendor login only if you meet all three conditions:
See the Registered Vendors Only Help-Guide for instructions on registering, invoicing, and more.
New to VCU?
If you are not a current VCU vendor and wish to do future business with VCU, register in the Commonwealth of Virginia's eVA vendor system — VCU uses eVA to identify new prospective vendors. Visit Procurement's Register with eVA section.
The Insurance Matrix link directs you to the general insurance requirements for VCU contracts. For construction contracts, any subcontractors must also demonstrate that they have workers’ compensation insurance in accordance § 25 of the Rules Governing Procurement of Goods, Services, Insurance and Construction by a Public Institution of Higher Education of the Commonwealth and § 65.2-800 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. Insurance coverage must be (a) in place for the duration of the purchase agreement and (b) provided by insurance companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. For questions about insurance, please contact VCU Safety & Risk Management at (804) 828-4989.
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V12 (Effective July 2026)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V11 (Effective November 2025)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V10 (Effective September 2025)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V9 (Effective August 2025)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V8 (Effective April 2025)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V7 (Effective January 2025)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V6 (Effective July 2024)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V5 (Effective March 2024)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V4 (Effective March 25, 2022)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V3 (Effective February 16, 2022)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V2 (Effective June 8, 2020)
VCU PO Terms and Conditions V1 (Prior to June 8, 2020)
To view a comprehensive vendor registration guide, select the link below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of RealSource frequently asked questions (FAQs). The list will be expanded to include other topical areas of interest based on your input and feedback. To submit questions, comments or suggestions please email us at RealSource@vcu.edu.
General
From MyVCU or from the RealSource homepage. Central Authentication Service is required to access the system.
All VCU employees with an “eID” should be able to login to RealSource page. If you’re experiencing login problems, close all other applications, clear your browsing history and restart your computer. RealSource should work on any browser, however, trying another browser may also help. If you have not logged into your account in the past 6 months your access will be deactivated. To have access restored your department Approver will need to submit a RealSource user request form found on the Shopping Dashboard.
Exit the application as you would any other VCU app.
Review the Help Guide available from the Quick Links on the RealSource website. Or the RealSource training videos located on the Procurement Services website.
A person with RealSource approval authority, which is usually a fiscal manager, can send a “RealSource User Request Form” from the RealSource homepage to correct this.
Contact your fiscal manager/approver and ask them to submit a “RealSource User Request” form from the System Related Showcase on the RealSource homepage.
See the Help Guide for a more comprehensive explanation. The Help Guide is available in the Quick Links section of the RealSource website.
- All VCU employees and student workers with a VCU assigned eID are shoppers. A shopper is someone who can start a requisition (only). Shoppers must assign their shopping carts to a requester for review. Shoppers can also process a receiver in RealSource once their goods/services are received.
- Certain VCU employees approved by Fiscal Managers can serve as requesters. Requesters review shopping carts prior to advancing them to approvers for approval.
- An approver is a person who approves requisitions sent to them by requesters, and approve (or reject them). These approvals trigger the purchase order. Approvers also approve requests for one-time payments.
RealSource is real-time. Transactions will process in a split or within a few seconds.
Emburse
Utilize the Student Request form found under the Vendor Showcase in Showcases on the Shopping homepage. Answer "Yes" to the Emburse activation question in the form. Once the submitted request is approved, the student should appear in Emburse the next business day.
No, these can only be viewed in Emburse.
No, these continue to be processed in Emburse.
Vendors
Utilize the Existing Vendor Request form found in the System Request showcase on Shopping homepage. You must provide the Vendor Name, Vendor Number, Vender email address and indicate if this is a Chrome River reimbursement request.
Select the Vendors icon to the left of the homepage, then “Search for a Vendor.”
The vendor was not migrated from Banner, has not registered in RealSource or has never done business with VCU.
See the Help Guide. Select the Vendors icon to the left of the homepage, then “Add Vendors.” There are 2 types of registration, one for individuals and one for all other vendors (full registration).
This depends on the quality of information provided in your request and the responsiveness of your vendor. Vendor registration invitations will be processed within 3 business days. Departments should alert vendors to register ASAP, otherwise purchases/payments will be needlessly delayed. The registration process is simple and takes only 10 minutes to complete.
Vendor Support can add vendors to RealSource by proxy, however, similar to the past, this will occur very sparingly. Registration is important to ensuring VCU has accurate vendor information and assists in precluding fraud.
They can access the Vendors Only tab on the RealSource website or call Procurement Services at (804) 828-1077.
Vendors can only register by invitation. For a vendor to “receive” an invitation, a VCU department must submit a Request New Vendor form, whether the vendor is a new or existing vendor.
No. However, RealSource vendors must also register in eVA and the state will continue to assess eVA fees. eVA registration is statutorily required of all state vendors, including those who do business with VCU.
The TIN is keyed with all 9s (hover over the field to display the correct number of 9s).
No, when a vendor is invited to register, they are required to attach their tax form. If the vendor happens to provide it, you can attach it to the Add Vendors request form if you choose, but it is not required.
Purchasing
Utilize the Cancel PO Request form towards the bottom of the RealSource home page. Note, if a PO has been partially received, it cannot be canceled. Instead a Change Order must be processed to adjust the remaining lines of the PO to zero. See the Help Guide.
See the Help Guide.
Yes, however, the declining balance PO is much easier to manage and includes 3 important distinctions.
First, under the old blanket PO, users placed the total dollars in the quantity line with a price of $1 (flipper). Under the declining balance PO, the dollars appear in the “dollars” field and the actual quantity in the “quantity” field (as they should).
Second, the limit of 999,999 simply no longer applies.
Third, under a declining balance PO you will now “receive” by dollars. This is called “cost” vs. quantity receiving. See the Help Guide for more information about declining balance purchase orders and cost (vs. quantity) receiving.
It will remain in the shopper’s queue until the shopper advances it to a requester and has no impact on Banner Finance.
Yes, both at the header and detail levels.
Yes, but not PO attachments. See the Departments Only tab of the RealSource website for information about finding/viewing eVA POs.
PCards
- Pcard users are no longer required to key Pcard transactions into the purchasing system (RealSource).
- There is “no place” in RealSource to place your Pcard information for eCatalog purchases or otherwise. Anything “Pcard” related must be managed in Bank of America’s “Works” system (not RealSource).
- If you put a Pcard order into RealSource, it will pass to Banner and your department will be required to liquidate it.
- “None” of the eCatalog vendors in RealSource, including The Supply Room Company, will accept Pcard orders for eCatalog purchases. Rather, these vendors will electronically bill VCU after (paperless invoicing). Upon your “receipt” of the goods in RealSource, these electronic invoices will be matched against your eCatalog order (and receiver) and paid. If they do not match, they will require reconciliation prior to payment.
Invoices / Payments
Certain services no longer require a purchase order. These can be conveniently paid instead using the One Time Payment form. The types of services include:
(a) awards and prizes,
(b) honoraria,
(c) immigration payments,
(d) postate,
(e) preceptors,
(f) research participants, and
(g) revenue refunds.
Note, if you process these as a purchase order, the recipient “will” be assessed eVA fees. So, it is important to pay these using the One Time Payment form instead.
The same way you do today to deptinvoices@vcu.edu. This will change to some degree, however, in the August 2019 timeframe – more to come.
VCU’s invoice (or Bill to) address has changed from the PO Box in Richmond to an address in Pennsylvania. This address belongs to a 3rd party contractor who has been hired to receive, scan, conduct a preliminary review of and upload the invoices (data and image) into RealSource. This firm has nothing to do with approving invoices, but merely provides administrative support. You are not required to “notify” your suppliers of this change, this will be generally communicated to vendors in a special campaign after the new fiscal year start.
Yes, however, VCU offers convenient ways for vendors to be paid faster via ACH and virtual card payments.
These are still processed as a PO.
RealSource does not impact wire transfers, the process remains the same.
No, they are still Net 30.
Not quite. Departments can still view historical invoices in ImageNow. Any new invoices will be processed and viewable in RealSource.
This process does not change with RealSource.
The requester will receive an alert.
No, a purchase order is required instead.
The process for matching invoices is unchanged. If the invoice doesn’t match within established university tolerances, it will be withheld from payment pending department review.
Yes.
Receiving
Receiving now occurs in RealSource. See the Help Guide. The same persons who receive today can receive in RealSource.
Yes
Other
Yes, using the search feature or reporting.