NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 9631.1 Effective Date: September 30, 2008 Expiration Date: March 30, 2015

Subject: Disbursements

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Appendix C. Accelerated Payments and Fast Pay

C.1 Accelerated Payments

C.1.1 The use of accelerated payment has no bearing on the determination of the payment due date. Vendors shall be entitled to interest penalties if invoice payments are made after the payment due date.

C.1.2 Below are situations in which accelerated payments can be made.

a. A single invoice under $2,500. Payments may be made as soon as the contract, proper invoice, and receipt and acceptance documents are matched except where statutory authority prescribes otherwise and except where otherwise contractually stipulated (e.g. governmentwide commercial purchase card).

b. Small Business (as defined in FAR Part 19.001 (48 CFR 19.001)). NASA may pay a small business as quickly as possible, when all proper documentation, including acceptance, is received in the payment office and before the payment due date.

c. Emergency Payments. Payments related to emergencies and disasters (as defined in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act and Emergency Assistance, Public Law 93-288, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); payments related to the release or threatened release of hazardous substances (as defined in the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, Public Law 96-510, 42 U.S.C. 9606); and payments made under a military contingency (as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(13)) may be made as soon as the contract, proper invoice, receipt and acceptance documents or any other agreement are matched.

C.2 Fast Payments

C.2.1 In limited situations, payment may be made without evidence that supplies have been received. Instead, a contractor certification that supplies have been shipped may be used as the basis for authorizing payment. Payment may be made within 15 days after the date of receipt of the invoice.

C.2.2 Fast payment procedures may be employed only when all of the following conditions are present:

a. Individual orders do not exceed $25,000 (except where agency heads permits a higher amount on a case-by-case basis).

b. Deliveries of supplies are to occur where there is both a geographical separation and a lack of adequate communications facilities between Government receiving and disbursing activities making it impracticable to make timely payments based on evidence of Federal acceptance.

c. Title to supplies will vest in the Government upon delivery to a post office or common carrier for mailing or shipment to destination or upon receipt by the Government if the shipment is by means other than the Postal Service or a common carrier.

d. The contractor agrees to replace, repair, or correct supplies not received at destination, damaged in transit, or not conforming to purchase requirements.

e. The purchasing instrument is a firm-fixed-price contract, a purchase order, or a delivery order for supplies.

f. A system is in place to ensure:

(1) Documentation of evidence of contractor performance under fast payment purchases.

(2) Timely feedback to the contracting officer in case of contractor deficiencies.

(3) Identification of suppliers that have a current history of abusing the fast payment procedure.

DISTRIBUTION:
NODIS