Participant Incentives
HDFS Guidance for Participant Incentive Payments
The information provided here is not comprehensive. It is intended to guide PIs and research staff and augment the existing policy information found in the Handbook of Business Procedures detailed under HBP 9.1.7 Advances for Research Subjects and Survey Participants.
There are two options to pay participant incentives to research participants:
· Gift cards
· Cash
UT’s preferred methods for purchasing and distributing participant incentives is via Tango Card (for gift cards) or Cash Advance (for cash payments).
If using CNS funds or endowments, PIs should work with their project manager and/or Mayra Smith on submitting purchase requests to for participant incentives. If using grant accounts, PIs and/or project managers should work with PRC to submit purchase requests.
Tango and cash advance funding period is for 6 months and accounts must be reconciled at the end of the funding period. It is the lab’s responsibility to collect and submit all required reconciliation documentation to the admin staff: a) Summary reconciliation sheet and b) Receipts for all cash/cards distributed (use Multiple Participant Receipt Form or Individual Receipt Form depending on total paid to participant); refer to HBP 9.1.7 (C) for complete information on reconciliation requirements.
Reconciliations and return of any unused funds must be completed and turned into Payment Services 30 days after the end of the cash advance date. Research staff should deliver a check or money order to the accounting office. Refer to HBP 9.1.7 (I) for detailed instructions.
If the study is planned to last longer than six months, multiple cash advances for different time periods may be issued accordingly so that researchers will not experience a lapse in coverage. We recommend beginning the process to request a second purchase order once the first order has been active for 5 months. Once the funding period begins for the second order, reconcile, and close the first order. If there are delays in receiving funds, alternative options for paying participant incentives are available in the interim (see “alternative options for paying participant incentives” below).
Example timeline:
Initiate request 10 business days prior (for cash) or 30 days prior (for Tango) for a six-month funding period: June 1st – December 1st.
On November 1st, begin the process to request the second cash advance with the funding start date of December 2nd.
Reconcile and close/return funds for first cash advance once you receive second cash advance (after December 2nd).
Tips for purchasing and reconciling:
Tango Cards
Familiarize yourself with the official UT Tango purchasing and reconciliation guidance here.
Initiate request 30 days in advance, as this goes through multiple offices to reach final approval.
PIs are responsible for managing Tango account (aka Rewards Genius) – tip: provide lab personnel access by sharing username/password in Stache.
If your grant is expired but your project is continuing, reconcile the Tango account. The funds return as a check to the PI. Depending on the grant/funding source the department may be able to deposit the returned funds into a 14/19 account that the PI may use toward the project. Reach out to Jolie Flink if this applies to you.
If the grant is expiring soon and has already been extended, we recommend using other account (start-up, other CNS account), if available, as funds cannot be returned to expired budget lines upon reconciliation.
If Tango funds are pending, and/or if cards can be distributed within 30 days, PIs can use the PRC procard to purchase gift cards (see “alternative options” below).
Cash Advance (CNS)Initiate request 10 business days in advance, as this goes through multiple offices to reach final approval.
If using CNS/start-up funds, do not use the request form linked in the handbook; instead, CNS asks that requests are made through this DocuSign powerform which requires the use of EID email addresses for all signers: Mayra Smith (mb6754@eid.utexas.edu) is the Departmental Contact and Jolie Flink (jcf2586@eid.utexas.edu) is the Authorized Signer. Failure to use EID email addresses will result in the form being declined by accounting and a new form will need to be generated.
Cash advance funds are issued to requestor as a direct deposit or a check; PIs might find it helpful to create a separate checking account for cash advance funds for easier accounting.
If funds are pending and a participant is scheduled, it is possible for PIs to pay the participant directly and be reimbursed (see “alternative options” below).
Alternative options for paying participant incentives:
Procard – through PRC
Digital or physical gift cards must be distributed within 30 days.
PIs are responsible for reconciliation documentation (summary reconciliation sheet and receipt form(s); refer to HBP 9.1.7 (C))
PIs can use non-grant accounts for procard (start-up, other CNS account) if they first transfer funds to PRC.
Alternatively, PIs can apply for a procard that the lab can manage; All the same policies/procedures apply – lab distributes gift cards within 30 days and is responsible for all reconciliation documentation.
Please note this is not intended to be the default or a long-term approach to purchasing and distributing participant incentives. This could be a temporary solution if you are awaiting tango funds or in-between purchase orders and have a participant scheduled. HDFS’s procard is intended for department operational use only, and there is no department or school procard dedicated to this purpose.
Payment Reimbursement
If cash advance hasn’t been final approved yet or funds haven’t been received yet, PIs may pay participants and submit the paperwork required for reimbursement.
Any funds distributed outside of the cash advance period will be reimbursed to PI separately and will not be counted towards reconciliation.
Reimbursement goes through multiple offices and can take between 4-6 weeks.
Support and contacts:
General rule of thumb – if using grant funds, work with PRC; if using CNS funds or endowments, work with department senior admin, Mayra Smith. Sometimes there are special cases, such as when purchasing specialized research equipment and using procard for participant incentives, where lab should work with PRC regardless of account. This may require a funds transfer from start-up/CNS account to the PRC.