Payments FAQs
All research involving human subjects who pay their participants in Health Sciences will be required to use the Participant Payments System by 07/01/2023.
How are lost cards managed?
Lost cards can be replaced through a request to the CRSO team who can cancel the lost card. A new card number (from the requesting department’s inventory) will be assigned to the participant. Any balances from the lost card will be transferred to the new card and available immediately.
Participants are encouraged to contact the card support service directly should the card be lost after hours, weekends, holidays, etc.
Do debit cards expire?
Yes. Debit cards expire after three years after they have been purchased by CRSO for participant payments. Study teams will need to request a new card and assign it to the participant if a card expires. These cards will be subject to the current contracted rate we pay to Advarra. See Participant Payment Fees for current rates. Any current balance on the participant’s card can be transferred and available on the new card.
Can unused debit cards be returned?
No, debit cards cannot be returned to CRSO.
Can the debit card be used outside of the US?
Yes, the cards themselves can be used outside the US, and are subject to normal foreign transaction fees. It’s important to note that if a card is used outside of the US, it is more likely to be flagged as potential fraud.
As the system will be used by all departments, will each department/study have to issue a new card by study?
No. The participant will use one card for all studies at the University of Utah.
Are the funds available on the card immediately? If there is a delay, how long?
No, the funds are not available immediately. The delay depends on the department approval process. Once the study team member submits it for payment, someone with the signature authority must review and approve it. Funds are available upon that second review. That second sign-off cannot be the same individual who submitted the request for stipend or reimbursement. This is in line with University policy and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and has been reviewed with the University Internal Audit team.
Is there a cost for debit cards?
Yes. The CRSO team will invoice the department with the chartfield provided by the study team at the time debit cards are distributed and received by the study team. These costs are outlined below and are consistent with the contracted pricing from Advarra.
- Debit Cards: $1.50/per card distributed to the department
- Load Fees: Are charged when a stipend and/or reimbursement is distributed to a participant through the debit or direct deposit.
- Debit Card Fee: $0.80/per transaction
- Direct Deposit Fee: $2.00/per transaction
Please note that debit cards expire three years after activated for the participant. For more information, please see the Clinical Research Fee Schedule-(SOP 13).
Is the Participant Payments system HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Advarra has provided a HIPAA Compliance Statement. It is available at HIPAA Compliance Statement - Advarra.
Does the participant need access to a phone to set up their card?
No. The participant can start using the card right away as a credit card. The only time a set-up is required is if they would like to use the card as a debit card. They will need to set up a PIN. There are additional features that are made available if the participant wants to register their card. These are outlined in the Participant Payments information that has been posted to the CRSO Payments website.
Can we pay participants that live outside of the US?
Per Advarra, we do not currently support payments to participants outside the mainland US. Our banking partner requires that all payees are residing in the US, which they verify based on the address entered into the participant profile within Payments (no option for a non-US address). If you mark “No Address” on the participant page, the CRSO address will be set as the participant’s address by default. Please make sure a valid address is used under the participant profile.
Per A/P Office, please submit payments through the ePR system as it will be reviewed by Tax Services to evaluate the reporting criteria.
Can we pay Non-US Citizens without a SSN/ITIN?
Participant can be paid If the single payment is less than $100 and total less than $600 in a calendar year without an SSN or ITIN.
Payments over $600 would require subjects without an SSN, to have an ITIN and to complete the online Glacier process.
This is all outlined in the Payments to Human Research Participants document.
What happens to participants under 18 years of age as of 08/24/23 when the system requirements were changed?
Overall, cards/direct deposit accounts already created for participants under the age of 18. Study teams will be able to continue transferring funds to these accounts unless the following conditions apply:
- Demographics (DOB, email address, etc.) need to be changed in Participant Payments.
- Hyperwallet (debit card vendor) may flag an individual after manual review and suspend payments. This is not expected to be a common occurrence.
Study teams will need to reissue a card to any participants who have had their accounts suspended or when changing demographics. This change does not impact the workflow for existing minors in the Participant Payments system.
Can we use Participant Payments to pay stipends and/or reimbursements directly to a participant under 18 years of age?
No. As of 08/24/23, our partners that are managing the system have determined they cannot support payments/reimbursements directly to minors. These payments must be issued by linking the participant to a guardian. See the Linking a Participant to a Guardian tip sheet to answer any questions about that process.
How do we meet institutional requirements if our study includes sensitive information where a guardian is not appropriate?
Waiver requests can be submitted through a Service Now ticket to waive the requirement for individual studies where linking a participant to a guardian is not feasible. This could be studies that involve abuse, substance use, etc. where a guardian’s involvement could jeopardize the minor and/or the study. The IRB must waive parental permission in these circumstances.
- Apply for a Payment Process Exception from the IRB. This can be done at the beginning of a study or through an amendment
submitted once a study is approved. The Payment Process Exception form needs to be completed and attached
to the amendment. - The participant can enroll in a study, but must agree to waive payments for
their participation.
This is all outlined in the Payments to Human Research Participants document.