Effective December 2, 2010, Handbook F-101, Field Accounting Procedures, is revised to update the sections dealing with the revised PS Form 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count and Summary, for Post Offices™ and field offices. The revised form (see pages 37–38) is to be utilized by non-POS units when performing a cash/stamp credit examination.
For more information about the changes and ordering instructions, see the following related article “Revised PS Form 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count and Summary” on page 16.
Handbook F-101, Field Accounting Procedures
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11 Accountable Paper — Postal Retail Units
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11-10 Accounting for Unit Reserve Stock
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11-10.2 Transferring Accountability
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11-10.2.2 How to Transfer Accountability
[Revise text to read as follows:]
An independent count of the unit reserve stock must be performed by the unit stock custodian and the replacement custodian when accountability is transferred to or from the unit reserve stock custodian. Use PS Form 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count and Summary, to record the following:
n The names of those involved.
n The date of the transfer.
n The accountability figures.
n Signatures.
After counting the stamp stock with a witness (recorded in detail on PS Form 3294), accept initial custody by signing the form. This indicates agreement with the witnessed stamp stock count.
The person to whom accountability is being transferred accepts responsibility for the stock by completing and signing PS Form 3369, Consigned Credit Receipt.
Complete PS Form 3958 by entering or verifying the following:
a. The opening balance (from the previous PS Form 3958 closing balance).
b. Any overage from the count.
c. Any shortage from the count.
d. Closing balance (should equal the results on PS Form 3294).
e. The date and signature.
Keep the original signed PS Form 3294 and PS Form 3958. Have the vault combination changed to restrict access to the former custodian.
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13 Stamp Stock and Cash Credits
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13-1 Overview
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13-1.3 Stamp and Cash Credit Files
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Stamp and cash credit files must contain the following (if applicable):
[Revise item a to read as follows:]
a. PS Forms 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count and Summary, or system-generated PS Form 3294 along with the system-generated counts sheets. (Retention period is 2 years.)
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13-3 Individual Stamp Credit Counts
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13-3.2 Scheduling Counts
When scheduling counts, supervisors must follow these requirements:
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[Revise item b to read as follows:]
b. Count stamp credits before the employee has made any transactions.
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13-3.4 Preparing the Count
[Revise text to read as follows:]
Before a count, the supervisor must prepare as follows:
a. Verify the total unit accountability (see subchapter 11-11).
b. Ensure that all pending stock transfers are complete.
c. For non-POS units, obtain the closing balance as reported in AIC 853 on the employee’s last PS Form 1412, and record the amount in the section Stamp Credit as reported in AIC 853, under Cash/Stamp Stock Credit Count Summary on PS Form 3294.
d. Ensure that there are no pending financial adjustments.
e. Verify that the closing balance, as reported in AIC 853 on the employee’s last PS Form 1412, matches the total of the stamp credit on the clerk balance list or manual accountability recap form.
f. From Item 0137A, green logbook [see section 13-2.4], determine the serial numbers of money orders issued to the employee and complete the Verification of Money Orders section of PS Form 3294.
13-3.5 Physical Count
[Revise text to read as follows:]
At non-POS units, the supervisor must enter the count to one PS Form 3294, and the employee must enter an independent count to a separate PS Form 3294.
At POS units, the supervisor must enter the count on one system-generated count sheet, and the employee must enter an independent count to a separate system-generated count sheet. Both must verify by item and resolve any discrepancies.
[Revise title to read as follows:]
13-3.6 Completing PS Form 3294
[Revise text to read as follows:]
At non-POS units, the supervisor and the employee must independently complete the following sections of their PS Forms 3294:
a. Worksheet for Unit Cash Reserve Count or Cash/Stamp Stock Credit Count on page 1.
n Count each denomination of cash and enter the number in the Quantity column.
n Multiply the quantities by the denominations and enter the result in the Amount column.
n Total the Amount column and enter the result to Total Cash.
n Transfer the Total Cash amount to the Total Cash as Counted line under Cash/Stamp Stock Credit Count Summary.
b. Saleable Stamp Stock
n Count each item of saleable stock and enter the item number, value, and quantities in the appropriate blocks on page 2 of PS Form 3294.
n Multiply the total number of each item by its value.
n Total all the blocks and enter the results to Sub-total Stamp Stock at bottom right corner of page 2 on PS Form 3294.
c. Redeemed Stamp Stock
n Count each item of redeemed stock and list by item description, item number, price, and quantity in the Redeemed Stock section on page 2 of PS Form 3294.
n Calculate dollar values by multiplying the quantity by price (redemption rate) for each item.
n Total all of the redeemed stamps and enter the result to Total Redeemed at bottom right corner of page 2 on PS Form 3294.
d. Add Sub-total Stamp Stock to Total Redeemed to obtain Total Stamp Stock. Transfer this figure to Total Stamp Stock as counted Line under Cash/Stamp Stock Credit Count Summary.
e. Add amounts reported for Total Cash as counted and Total Stamp Stock as counted to get Grand Total Cash and Stamp Stock as counted.
f. Calculate the Difference by subtracting the amount reported for Stamp Credit as reported in AIC 853 (from last PS Form 1412) from the amount reported for Grand Total Cash and Stamp Stock as Counted.
g. Check the appropriate Action Taken box on PS Form 3294. A negative amount is a shortage and a positive amount is an overage.
At POS ONE units, the supervisor must do the following:
a. Log on to POS as the back office supervisor.
b. Select <Count Inventory and Cash>, <Start New Count>, and follow the prompts.
c. Enter the results of all counts performed in the POS system.
After the supervisor has finished entering the count into the system, the system sends the count summary to the employee to whom the stamp credit is assigned. The employee must then review and acknowledge the count summary.
PS Form 3294 prints automatically after a cash and stamp credit count is entered into and accepted by the accountability owner in POS ONE. Retain the system-generated PS Form 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count Summary, along with system-generated count sheets.
13-3.7 Completing the Count
The supervisor and employee complete the stamp credit count as follows:
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[Revise item c to read as follows:]
c. The two employees that performed the count must sign and date both copies of PS Form 3294.
Note: PS Forms 3294 that are certified electronically do not require a signature.
(1) The supervisor files one copy of the form in the employee’s stamp credit file.
(2) The employee keeps a copy of the form.
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13-3.8 Count Tolerance
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[Revise the third paragraph to read as follows:]
All counts performed must be recorded on the appropriate PS Forms 3293, 3294, or system-generated PS Form 3294 and be documented using PS Form 3368-P, regardless of whether the result of the count is within the tolerance. The RA must not make any entries on PS Form 1412 when the count is within tolerance.
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13-4 Unit Reserve Stamp Stock Credit Count
The count of the unit reserve stamp stock credit is the same as a stamp credit count for an employee (see subchapter 13-3) with these exceptions:
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[Revise item e to read as follows:]
e. For non-POS units, obtain the closing balance from the last system-generated (IRT units) or manual (eMOVES units) PS Form 3958, and record to Stamp Stock per PS Form 3958 under Unit Reserve Stamp Stock Count Summary on PS Form 3294.
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13-6 Contract Postal Unit Stamp Credit Count
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13-6.2 Count Procedure
The person conducting the count of a CPU’s stamp accountability must do the following:
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[Revise items f, h, and i to read as follows:]
f. Use PS Form 3294 to document the stamp credit count. One PS Form 3294 must be completed by the supervisor and one by the contractor.
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h. On PS Form 3294, in Notes, etc., the Postal Service official performing the count must annotate the following: “Any financial discrepancy subsequently discovered, related to financial transactions performed for the period the CPU contract is in effect, will be the responsibility of the CPU contractor to resolve with the COR.”
i. The supervisor and contractor must sign and date both copies of PS Form 3294. The contractor keeps a copy of the signed PS Form 3294.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next updated version of Handbook F-101, available on the Postal Service™ PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column, under “Essential Links”, click PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Field and International Accounting,
Controller, 12-2-10
