FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) For the USPS - Voyager Fleet Card Program

Transcription

1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) For the USPS - Voyager Fleet Card Program Organized alphabetically by related sections of Site Fleet Card Guide Last Updated March, 2005 SITE GUIDE PART 1 INTRODUCTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES FAQ Card Security How do Site Managers handle card security? What do I do if the card is stolen? Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Oversight Program Overview How does the program work? Site Manager Who is a Site Manager? Where are Site Manager instructions? Training What are Site training responsibilities? Voyager Fleet Card What is it? Why are we using it? VMF Responsibilities What are the VMF responsibilities for this program? FAQ PAGE SITE GUIDE PART 2 FLEET CARD USE, CONTROLS, AND MERCHANT ACCEPTANCE FAQ Card Use Can a Site Manager charge a repair without physically having a card? No Fee Money Orders When can you pay via no fee money orders? PIN How does the Personal Identification Number (PIN) system work? Service Contract Act (SCA)/Wage Determinations What are the general considerations when determining whether wage determinations apply to requirements for servicing, washing/polishing a Site s vehicles? Where labor for a vehicle repair is less than $2,500, but the total bill is over $2,500, are wage determinations needed? FAQ PAGE

2 (Site Guide Part 2 Continued) Supplier Acceptance What happens when the supplier cannot accept the Voyager card and no other supplier is available? The local service station has offered an additional discount for Postal vehicle fuel and repairs. Who do I contact for assistance in negotiating this discount, and what do I need to do to have this discount reflected in my Voyager invoice? VMA How will the card impact existing Vehicle Maintenance Agreements (VMA)? Does the VMF Manager need to do anything different with VMAs? If a VMA or washing and polishing agreement is modified to accept the Voyager Card, will this impact the ordering limits or the requirement to maintain a log? Vehicle Washing and Polishing Agreements How will the card impact existing agreements? Does the VMF Manager need to do anything different with these agreements? SITE GUIDE PART 3 ACCOUNT SET-UP AND MAINTENANCE FAQ Leased Vehicles If the USPS must pay for fuel/repairs to leased vehicles, how will we use these cards? Washing Numerous Vehicles at One Site Is there a more efficient way to process payment for washing numerous vehicles at one Site, rather than requiring a supplier to process individual vehicle cards? FAQ PAGE 9 9 SITE GUIDE PART 4 ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION FAQ AVUS and PS Form 4567 What happens to AVUS fuel data entry and A/P transmissions to the VMF? Are Form 4567s still needed? Reconciliation Process What are Site reconciliation responsibilities? Reports How can Sites get information and reports? Do I still need to do any manual reporting? FAQ PAGE SITE GUIDE PART 5 VOYAGER CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ Most often asked questions received by Voyager Customer Service Can I order, replace, or transfer cards over the phone? Can Voyager charge the correct station and finance number for a misidentified transaction? FAQ PAGE

3 Are VMF Managers really the only ones able to request additional Z cards or can we sign the paperwork at the Site and fax it ourselves? Can PIN numbers be used anywhere in the area, or does another PIN need to be issued if we get a new employee who has moved to our site from another Site? What is the V card for? Who, or what organization, can raise the limits on Voyager cards? Can I delete a driver from a PIN and reuse that PIN? What should I do about report IDs or PINs on my reports that do not belong to my Site? Can I get more plastic key chain holders? What is the X card for? What if I need to authorize a service over the phone and do not have a card? I don t want to tell my PIN to a vendor over the phone. Can I assign vendors their own PINs? Sometimes it looks like Voyager can deduct the taxes from my fuel purchases and sometimes it looks like they can t. Why can t they always deduct these taxes? 3

4 Card Security. How do Site managers handle card security? The program was designed so that one card would be issued to each vehicle, and a plastic card holder and key ring was provided for each card. Each vehicle s card should be used to purchase all commercial fuel/oil, maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing required by that vehicle. Site Managers maintain master employee PIN listings and notify Voyager of new and other employee changes that would affect PIN or card security. Site managers are responsible for establishing appropriate card security procedures for their sites, as the managers know best what their local conditions/requirements are. For example, some sites maintain the cards and keys in secure locations, while others keep the cards in their respective vehicles, and have them checked at the beginning and ending of each workday. In any situation, Site Managers must identify, then implement appropriate security procedures for their sites. Card Security. What do I do if the card is stolen? Immediately contact Voyager Customer service at to report a stolen card and follow the procedures outlined in the Site Guide, Part 5. Voyager will then cancel the stolen card and reissue a replacement. After notification to Voyager, the USPS will not be liable for any charges resulting from an unauthorized use of a credit card. Additionally, site managers must also report the theft to the Credit Card Coordinator of their servicing Office of the Inspector General. Office of Inspector General (OIG) Oversight What types of oversight does the OIG perform and what concerns have been identified? The Postal Service s fleet card program is subject to continuous monitoring and oversight. Reviews may be performed by the OIG, Finance, Supply Management and other internal postal organizations. The OIG performs two types of reviews: audits and investigations. Individual fleet card transactions are also continuously monitored by OIG personnel. Three recent OIG audits (since 2002) have identified many of the same concerns that if properly addressed, will reduce or eliminate improper, questionable and fraudulent card use. These include: Site manager s maintaining accurate card and PIN logs. Properly safeguarding cards and PINs, canceling when appropriate. Timely reconciliation of accounts (at least once an accounting period), investigating questionable transactions, and disputing erroneous charges within 60-days. 4

5 Program Overview. How does the program work? One card is issued per vehicle and has the vehicle number listed on the lower left hand side of the card. Each card must only be used for the vehicle numbered embossed on the front of the card. Postal vehicle operators use the cards to purchase all commercial fuel/oil, maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing required by that vehicle. Most fuel transactions are made at the pump. Every Site with assigned vehicles received an Implementation Kit that contained Driver Guides which provides basic instructions on how to use the cards. Directions for using fuel pumps will vary because Sites may encounter different versions of the fuel pump software. In general, drivers insert and remove the card and enter their assigned Personal Identification Number (PIN), and odometer reading. Drivers must get a receipt for the transaction, usually from the pump s printer. If the pump does not print a receipt, drivers must obtain one from the service station attendant. If for any reason the Voyager system or electronic pump is down, drivers must request a manual ticket for the purchase. If this occurs, drivers must sign their name and the vehicle number on the ticket. PINS are never to be written on paper tickets. Drivers must record the vehicle number on each receipt. Drivers must turn in receipts to their supervisor upon returning to their Site. Receipts must be kept on Site and compared with the efleet Card System (efcs) reports. VMFs will inform Voyager when a vehicle is acquired, transferred to another location, cannibalized, or sold. Sites must immediately inform Voyager of any lost or stolen cards. The Voyager Site Fleet Card Guide, along with the Postal Service s internal Intranet site, provides guidance and necessary forms for managing this program. Site Manager. Who is a Site Manager? Where are the Site Manager instructions? A Site is defined as any operation to which vehicles are assigned. A finance number may have more than one Site assigned, e.g. the postmaster, station and branch managers, are all Site Managers. Functional units also have Site Managers, such as field maintenance, marketing, safety, VMFs, PVS, etc. Sites are identified by a station ID in the VMFs Vehicle Maintenance Accounting System (VMAS). (Refer to section 1.3 of Voyager's Site Fleet Card Guide.) Site manager instructions are in the Voyager Site Fleet Card Guide, located at the site described below. Training. What are Site training responsibilities? Each Site Manager is responsible for training applicable personnel using tools provided by Voyager (Implementation Kit, Video, web site, etc.). Information, including PowerPoint slides, is posted on the Supply Management web site Click on Fleet Credit Card Services. Voyager posts the latest version of the Site Fleet Card Guide here, as well as on their web page, which can be accessed via a hyperlink from the USPS intranet web page described above. 5

6 Voyager Fleet Card. What is it? Why are we using it? The Postal Service contracted with U.S. Bank Voyager Fleet Systems, Inc. under the General Services Administration (GSA) Smart Pay Program. (We also obtain purchase and travel card services under this GSA program.) The Voyager Fleet Card is used to pay for commercial fuel/oil, maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing and is accepted by most major oil companies. The Postal Service receives significant benefits by establishing this one service-wide card program. The benefits include, but are not limited to: 1. widespread card acceptance 2. single source for billing, payment, customer service and card issuance 3. no card fees 4. no prompt payment penalties 5. refunds based on card volume (posted and deposited as general postal revenue contribution) 6. discounts with select suppliers 7. state and local tax exemption processing 8. comprehensive driver and vehicle reporting 9. electronic billing/payment where we receive and pay via one consolidated invoice per billing cycle (versus 33 invoices from 33 different companies prior to this program). NOTE: it is the only credit card that can be used to purchase commercial fuel/oil, maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing. (Reference Postal Bulletin dated , page 42; and Postal Bulletin dated , page 19.) VMF Responsibilities. What are the VMF responsibilities for this program? VMF responsibilities are similar to those responsibilities in effect prior to this program: 1. VMF captures and transmits commercial fuel/oil/minor repairs costs from Sites via VMAS to San Mateo from Voyager supplied files, manual input and AVUS/VAPS for suppliers not accepting Voyager. 2. VMF captures and transmits Vehicle Maintenance Agreements (VMAs) and local repair history into VMAS. VMAS no longer is used to "pay" suppliers who accept the Voyager card. 3. VMF approves repairs over $ VMF controls card limits through Voyager via VMF maintains and updates vehicle finance number listing in VIC 6. VMF informs Voyager of new, transferred, and sold/disposed vehicles. Card Use. Can a Site Manager charge a repair without physically having a card? 6

7 Yes. Just like the IMPAC Vehicle Repair Parts or Expense purchase cards, a card number and Site Manager's PIN can be relayed to the supplier via phone, fax, or secure Internet site. Upon request, Voyager can provide VMFs with an EXCEL file listing all vehicle credit card numbers associated with vehicles assigned to the VMF s service areas. VMFs must keep this list secure. Site Manager s can keep a secured list of their vehicle card numbers in the event they need to authorize services telephonically. No Fee Money Orders. When can you pay via no fee money orders? If a Site does not use VMAs, or if its suppliers cannot accept the Voyager card, it may pay for services via a no fee money order issued through the window and charged to the correct account, or sent to their district finance office for processing. Non-Voyager fuel purchase data must be sent to the VMF for VMAS input. In addition, regardless of the payment method, all commercial maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing data must be sent to the VMF for input into VMAS. PIN. How do Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) work? Voyager sent a list of PINs to each Site Manager in the initial implementation package, along with a supply of extra PINs. PINs are created by a random number generator and contain 4-6 digits. Site Managers assign a PIN to each employee that drives a Postal vehicle. After assigning PINs to the drivers, the Site Manager must forward a copy of the PIN listing with the drivers' names to Voyager within 5 business days. PINs are confidential and managers must inform employees not to share their numbers with other postal employees. Managers must also inform employees that they must keep their PIN separate from the Voyager card. Site Managers must notify Voyager to cancel PINs when drivers leave the Postal Service or transfers to another Area. At the same time, the Driver ID associated with the PIN to be cancelled must be provided to Voyager. Site Managers must also notify Voyager when new employees are added to the list to activate new PINs. An employee s Pin is accepted nationally as long as the PIN is used to authorize a purchase for a vehicle assigned to the employee s Area. The only exceptions to this are that Postal Inspector s PINs can be used with any postal vehicle nationally, and Mid-Atlantic and Capital Metro personnel and vehicles are considered as one Area. Site Managers are responsible for maintaining the overall security and maintenance of their PIN list, as well as card security. Service Contract Act (SCA)/Wage Determinations. What are the general considerations when determining whether wage determinations apply to requirements for servicing or washing/polishing a Site's vehicles? Wage determinations must be incorporated in a written agreement when USPS requires performance from a supplier on an established schedule or automatically when an event happens and the annual spend exceeds $2,500. One of the key issues in making a determination on wage rate applicability is the intent of the 7

8 parties contracting for the services. The VMF's servicing PMSC will assist in making determinations of SCA applicability, and VMFs should contact their PMSC if specific questions concerning SCA application arise. Where labor for a vehicle repair is less than $2,500, but the total bill is over $2,500, are wage determinations needed? Contact the PMSC. SCA application depends on the requirements of the specific contract, i.e., is it a contract principally for service through the use of service employees? If the answer is yes, SCA and wage determinations apply (agreement or contract needed), if the answer is no, they do not apply. Answers will vary depending on what type of vehicle repair is being done. Supplier Acceptance. What happens when the supplier cannot accept the Voyager card? If a supplier does not accept the Voyager card, no other card may be used for purchasing vehicle services or fuel. However, if a Vehicle Maintenance Agreement exists with the particular supplier, payment can be made via the VMF s VMAS computer input. Non-VMA vehicle services and commercial fuel purchased from merchants that do not accept the Voyager card will be paid out of local funds. Do not send these invoices to the San Mateo Accounting Service Center for payment. In addition, fuel purchases not made with the Voyager card will not be included in Postal tax exemption/recoupment activities. Additionally, if fuel and/or oil is purchased from a supplier that does not accept the Voyager card, the purchase information must be sent to the VMF for VMAS input. Remember, regardless of card acceptance, all commercial maintenance, repair, towing, shuttling, servicing, washing and polishing information must be sent to the VMF for VMAS input. * Updated 3/23/2005 The local service station has offered an additional discount for Postal vehicle fuel and repairs. Who do I contact for assistance in negotiating this discount, and what do I need to do to have this discount reflected in my Voyager invoice? The responsibility for negotiating discounts remains with individual Site Managers. Voyager can accommodate the administration of discount programs, subject to certain system limitations. For example, if a local service station agrees to provide a one cent per gallon unleaded fuel discount to the Postal Service, Voyager can enter that discount into its billing system. Subsequent Voyager reports will reflect both the full retail price and the discounted amount with the Postal Service only paying the net amount (retail price less discount). NOTE: the receipt the driver obtains from the station will reflect the full retail price. Suppliers that wish to offer discounts must complete a Voyager authorization form (available through Voyager customer service). For further information about the discount program, contact Mike Oleniczak of Voyager at (832)

9 VMA. How will the card impact existing Vehicle Maintenance Agreements (VMAs)? Does the VMF Manager need to do anything different with VMAs? When it is jointly determined by the VMF and their PMSC that it is in the best interest of the USPS to keep an agreement, PMSCs must modify the agreement to require the acceptance of the Voyager Fleet Card for all payments. 90 days after the San Mateo Accounting Service Center (ASC) receives the modification from the PMSC to modify the agreement to allow payment via the Voyager card, San Mateo personnel will remove the agreement from the payables system. (This 90-day delay will ensure all outstanding services are paid via the VMF s VMAS.) The PMSC will still need to maintain VMA records. If a VMA or washing agreement is modified to accept the Voyager card, will this impact the ordering limits or the requirement to maintain a log? No, there is no impact. The Voyager card provides a means of payment under the agreement and can be used up to the individual per call limits established in the agreement (NTE $10,000). Unless otherwise directed by the contracting officer, the procedural requirement for an ordering log does not change. Vehicle Washing and Polishing Agreements. How will the card impact existing agreements? Does the VMF Manager need to do anything different with these agreements? Off-Site washing. When it is jointly determined to be in the best interest of the USPS to keep an agreement, PMSCs must modify the agreement to require the acceptance of the Voyager Fleet Card for all payments. While SMASC will no longer need to process payments against these agreements, the PMSC will still need to maintain washing and polishing agreement records. On-Site washing (USPS property): Due to potential liability (fines) when on-site washing is performed, offices may request that the PMSC issue or maintain an agreement even if annual costs are less than $2,500 per year. Leased Vehicles. If the USPS must pay for fuel/repairs to leased vehicles, how will we use these cards? Cards for non-postal owned vehicles may be issued to a Site if the Postal Service must pay for vehicle fuel/oil and/or repairs. The VMF will determine how many cards are to be ordered. In this case, VMFs will order cards with vehicle numbers beginning with an X (GSA) or V (Vehicle Hire). Questions on a X or V card can be addressed to the VMF. Purchases appearing in the efcs for vehicles beginning with an X or V should be scrutinized to ensure proper usage. 9

10 Washing Numerous Vehicles at One Site. Is there a more efficient way to process payment for washing numerous vehicles at one Site, rather than requiring a supplier to process individual vehicle cards? The VMF can add a Z vehicle number to their local VMAS inventory listing, associated with the correct finance number, and order a card for a Site if suppliers wash numerous postal owned vehicles at one time. The Site or VMF Manager will use their PIN to authorize these charges. Questions on a Z card can be addressed to the VMF. Purchases appearing in the efcs for vehicles beginning with an Z should be scrutinized to ensure proper usage. AVUS. What happens to AVUS fuel data entry and A/P transmissions to the VMF? Are Forms 4567 still needed? The efleet Card System (efcs) replaces the current manual Form 4567 and automated AVUS fuel/oil reporting once the merchant accepts the Voyager card. Only minor repairs, if applicable, are to be input into AVUS or on the VMF s A/P Vehicle Utilization Worksheet. Do not enter fuel/oil into AVUS or on the worksheet, as Voyager captures these transactions electronically, and provides them to the VMF for loading into VMAS. You must continue to report your vehicle mileage utilization information via AVUS, or on the VMF s A/P Vehicle Utilization Worksheet. Reconciliation Process. What are the Site reconciliation responsibilities and procedures with the Voyager Fleet Card? (Note: In accordance with the Voyager Fleet Guide, Section 4.1, Site managers are responsible for conducting account reviews at least monthly). Reconciliation is a straightforward and simple process. Remember, the intent of reconciliation is to ensure accurate reporting of purchases and detect fraud, not necessarily to ensure that each penny spent is matched to a receipt. Managers assign each driver a unique PIN and instruct all drivers to only use their unique PIN. Managers are solely responsible for maintaining and securing PIN lists. Drivers input their PIN, record vehicle numbers on receipts, and give receipts to their supervisor. Site Managers reconcile receipts with reports displayed in the efcs. Site Managers check reports for unauthorized use and unusual charges. (efcs also provides exception reporting). If fraud or misuse is suspected, follow the instructions in the pop up menu appearing in the exception report summary. Review the efcs reports for transaction only displaying a driver number in place of a driver name, this is an indication of possible fraud. The Site Manager must determine why a driver name has not been identified by Voyager. In most cases, this will occur because the Site Manager did not 10

11 provide Voyager with a driver s name when the PIN was assigned. Supply Voyager with the correct driver name for that PIN. While every attempt should be made to secure a receipt from each driver for each transaction, sometimes this may not be possible. However, this should be the exception, not the rule. In cases where a receipt is not received, the Site Manager must then: Contact the appropriate individual to determine why the receipt was not received, then stress the importance of receiving all receipts in the future. The Site Manager must take appropriate steps to ensure that the individual provides a receipt to substantiate future purchases. Investigate the particular transaction to determine if it is a legitimate purchase or one which indicates potential fraud. For example, if the transaction in question indicates an LLV refueled on a legitimate refueling day, and the purchases was for 11.2 gallons, then the manager could determine that this purchase was appropriate. If, however, that same transaction indicated that the volume of fuel purchased was 51.5 gallons, then the Site Manager should question and research that transaction. Another indication of potential fraud could be for a one time legitimate transaction reoccurring in consecutive months with no receipt. An example of this actually found during reconciliation was a single vehicle being billed for an engine change in three consecutive months. In each instance where a receipt is not available, the Site Manager must annotate the results of his determination in the hard copy documentation filed and retained for two years. Print the monthly efcs invoice report and retain for two years with receipts and notations attached. Although it is not required, some managers recommend that an efcs report be stamped "Reviewed", signed and dated. If a Site Manage encounters instances of suspected fraud or misuse, he must notify the appropriate Office of the Inspector General (OIG) servicing his particular location. Reports. How do Sites get information and reports? There are no paper statements or reports. Fuel and repair reports are available via the efcs on the postal intranet. Details are included in the Site guide. Access to efcs is obtained through eaccess. Site Managers must review their fuel/oil receipts and maintenance invoices against one of the reports contained in efcs, and keep that documentation for two years. The Invoice report, which is broken down by finance number level, may be the preferred report for that purpose. (Reference Voyager's Site Fleet Card Guide, Section 4.1.) Sites that share finance numbers will 11

12 not be able to isolate their own vehicles by reviewing the Invoice report and may choose to view another report. Do I still need to do any manual reporting? You must continue to report your vehicle mileage utilization information via AVUS, or on the VMF s A/P Vehicle Utilization Worksheet. Also any fuel that is not purchased using the Voyager Fleet card must either be entered into AVUS or on the VMF s A/P Vehicle Utilization Worksheet. If a commercial fuel station does not accept the Voyager Card, Form 4567 must continue to be maintained. MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS RECEIVED BY VOYAGER CUSTOMER SERVICE: Can I order, replace, or transfer cards over the phone? No, fax or your request to Voyager using the forms provided on the USPS intranet or the Voyager Internet. Can Voyager charge the correct station and finance number for a misidentified transaction? This vehicle no longer belongs to our site. Voyager is unable to change any of the postal unique data you see in efcs. First, contact the VMF and ask them what the Vehicle Identification Center (VIC) shows to insure proper accountability, for example, what finance number is associated to that particular vehicle. If a vehicle has been physically transferred from a finance number, but not transferred in the VIC, the VIC s finance number will be charged for all purchases. After the VIC has been corrected, managers can request their servicing finance office to journal voucher the costs to the correct finance number. If the Station ID is incorrect, contact the VMF to ensure that the correct Station ID is assigned in the Site s local VMAS. Station IDs are not listed in the VIC. Are VMF Managers really the only ones able to request additional Z cards or can we sign the paperwork at the Site and fax it ourselves? VMF Managers (or individuals designated by them) are the only ones authorized to order new/additional Z cards for any Site, and for raising the limit on any Z card. Z card information must agree with the VMF s local VMAS inventory listing. Can PIN numbers be used anywhere in the area or does another PIN need to be issued if we get a new employee who has moved to our Site from another Site? PIN numbers can be used with any vehicle in the Area, so there is no need to reissue PINs if drivers relocate to another Site within the same area. However, Voyager must be notified that this particular PIN is now identified with a new site by reporting the move via the form especially developed for this purpose (located on the USPS intranet site). 12

13 What is the V card for? V cards are issued to leased vehicles for which the Postal Service is responsible for providing fuel and/or maintenance. VMF Managers, or individuals designated by them, are the only ones authorized to order new or additional V cards for any Site. V card information must agree with the VMF s local VMAS inventory listing. The V cards are not spare cards and should only be used for purchases relating to leased or vehicle hire vehicles. Who, or what organization, can raise limits on Voyager cards? The VMF is the only organization that can raise card limits. Can I delete a driver from a PIN and reuse that PIN? Yes, but you must include the report ID from the original PIN list that was associated with the PIN you wish to use to replace the driver s name. What should I do about report IDs or PINs on my reports that do not belong to my Site? If possible, locate the driver who used that vehicle that day and time and verify their PIN. Most often, this situation results from a driver inadvertently transposing the numbers of their PIN, or forgetting their exact PIN and trying to hit on the correct numbers. If it is a one-time occurrence attributable to this situation, remind your drivers of correct procedures and annotate your report. If this is not the case, contact Voyager customer service so they may investigate the situation further. Can I get more plastic key chain holders? Yes, however there is a charge. The Voyager Implementation Team included the cost of the initial issue as a value-added option under the master task order, and provided the holders on a one-time basis. Additional or extra holders can be ordered from Voyager at the same cost as the initial issue, $1.06, and may be purchased with your US Bank IMPAC card. Contact Voyager Customer Service at to order these cardholders. What is the X card for? X cards are issued to GSA vehicles for which the Postal Service is responsible for providing fuel and/or maintenance. VMF Managers, or individuals designated by them, are the only ones authorized to order new or additional X cards for any Site. X card information must agree with the VMF s local VMAS inventory listing. The X cards are not spare cards and should only be used for purchases relating to GSA vehicles. 13

14 What if I need to authorize a service over the phone and do not have a card? Site Managers can provide card numbers and their PINs to authorize purchases. I don t want to tell my PIN to a vendor over the phone. Can I assign vendors their own PINs? No. PINs can only be assigned to postal employees. Since site Managers will be reviewing purchases via the efcs, they will discover if vendors are using PINs for unauthorized purchases. In addition, more than one PIN can be assigned to any employee, as long as Voyager is informed of all PIN assignments. If Site Managers are uncomfortable relaying their particular PIN to vendors, they can activate multiple PINs for themselves, and assign each PIN to pay for a particular vendor s services. Sometimes it looks like Voyager can deduct the taxes from my fuel purchases and sometimes it looks like they can t. Why can t they always deduct these taxes? The potential taxes to be deducted you are seeing in the efleet Card System are state excise taxes on fuel. Oil Companies, and each particular state's tax code, control which individual merchant locations will be allowed to exempt state excise taxes for the Postal Service. This is done on a state by state basis, and to do this, the Oil Company must establish and register a presence with the State taxing authority that allows them to exempt taxes. Voyager identifies which Oil Companies have established relationships with each State. When a Postal Service transaction reaches Voyager, it is filtered through a database of that particular state's status and when a match occurs, the transaction is billed to us NET of taxes and the details of the transaction are reported in a data flow to the USPS Fleet Card System. Voyager then settles back to the Oil Company net of taxes and provides the Oil Company with the information they need to offset their tax liability. This is the only way currently that the tax exemption process works. An Oil Company's presence is state specific; an Oil Company may not allow taxes in a certain state as a result of their corporate tax liability while allowing exemptions in other states. Further, just because one Oil Company exempts taxes in a state does not mean that another one will. Additionally, there are independent retail fueling locations that are not affiliated under any Oil Company's umbrella, and these stations have no system to allow tax exemptions. The kinds of excise taxes exempted vary by state; normally they encompass STATE excise taxes only, not county or local taxes. Voyager currently has an arrangement with specific Oil Companies to process exemptions for fuel in 22 states. For the other states, we must develop our own procedures to register and apply for recoupment from that state for relevant taxes. Additionally, these procedures must cover situations in states where some Oil Companies are able to exempt excise taxes at the pump while other Oil Companies are not able to process those exemptions. 14

15 The Voyager implementation team has been developing a database, state by state, of what each state's requirements are, the forms required, and the statute of limitations for each state s filing. This database is nearing completion, and requires multiple conversations with each state's taxing authority and an involved scrubbing of the forms they are willing to receive from us to support this manual filing. As an example, some states will accept electronic files while others will only accept the onion skin copies of individual card receipts. Right now, we estimate that we will be able to begin filing by the end of 2001 for the 1rst quarter of For information, through working with GSA, US Bank, and Voyager, we are now exempting nationwide at the pump slightly over 70% of all applicable state excise taxes (that 70% equals over $700,000 a month). If your site s efleet card system does not reflect taxes being exempted from your purchases and you have questions as to the reason, contact Don Perrin, Fleet Card Program Manager, at (202) He can tell you if your state does not allow Federal Agencies an exemption, whether a centralized filing for recoupment is already underway for your state, or whether any unusual circumstances exist which would impact excise tax exemption. If some of your refueling sites exempt taxes and some do not, you will have to decide if local circumstances are such that refueling activities should be directed to those stations which do exempt taxes. 15