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HANDBOOK F-1 REVISION
Check Acceptance Policy
Effective June 9, 2005, Handbook F-1, Post Office
Accounting Procedures, is revised to eliminate the requirement that Post OfficesTM must contact issuing banks when
checks in the amount of $1,000 or more are presented. In
addition, the requirement that checks accepted from government agencies must contain the imprinted address of
the agency has been eliminated.
We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed
edition of Handbook F-1 and into the next online update
available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site:
• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click
on References.
• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under
"Policies," click on PolicyNet.
• Then click on HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet Web
site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting
Procedures
* * * * *
3 Managing Postal Funds
* * * * *
31 Acceptable Payment for Postal Goods and
Services
* * * * *
312 Bank Checks
* * * * *
312.1 Accepting a Personal Check at Post Offices
[Delete step 10 and the note from 312.1.]
312.2 Checks Mailed in for Payments
[Delete step 5 and the note from 312.2.]
* * * * *
313 Accepting Other Types of Checks
313.1 Accepting Guarantee Payment Checks
[Delete step 5 and the note from 313.1.]
* * * * *
313.2 Accepting Checks from Government
Agencies
[Revise step 2 in 313.2 to read as follows:]
2> Verify that the check contains the agency's name; do
not accept checks without this information imprinted
on them.
* * * * *
- Revenue and Field Accounting,
Finance, 6-9-05
HANDBOOK F-1 REVISION
PS Form 1096, Receipt
Effective June 9, 2005, Handbook F-1, Post Office
Accounting Procedures, is revised with new procedures for
making temporary cash payments. Manual Post OfficesTM
and retail postal units [i.e., offices that do not have POS
ONE systems or integrated retail terminals (IRTs)] must use
PS Form 1096, Receipt, for customers who require receipts
for purchases.
Post Offices and retail postal units with POS ONE or IRT
equipment must not keep copies of PS Form 1096 at the
window nor use them as a customer receipt for purchases.
The retail associate must provide each customer with a
system-generated receipt for all purchases (see Handbook
F-1, section 482.2). In the event of power outages or POS
ONE or IRT system failures, the office may use PS Form
1096 as part of its contingency plan for manual operations.
We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed
edition of Handbook F-1 and into the next online update
available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site.
• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click
on References.
• Under "References" in the right-hand column, under
"Policies," click on PolicyNet.
• Then click on HBKs.
(The direct URL for the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web
site is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting
Procedures
* * * * *
6 Disbursing Postal Funds
* * * * *
62 Methods of Disbursement
621 Handling Cash Payments
* * * * *
621.1 Making Temporary Cash Payments
[Revise text of 621.1 to read as follows:]
When it is determined that a local cash purchase is required, the following procedures apply:
1> The postmaster, manager, supervisor, or designated
employee must complete and issue PS Form 1096,
Receipt, for temporary cash advances to the requesting party. The requesting party then presents the PS
Form 1096 to a retail associate to issue the cash
advance.
2> Upon issuance of the cash advance, the retail associate must maintain the original PS Form 1096 with
his or her credit.
3> When the original sales receipt for items purchased
is presented to the retail associate, the original PS
Form 1096 must be returned to the requesting party.
The office must maintain the original sales receipt,
with the approved eBuy requisition, as supporting
documentation.
4> This temporary cash advance transaction for cash
purchases must be completed and settled by close of
business the same day.
* * * * *
- Revenue and Field Accounting,
Finance, 6-9-05
NOTICE
Ordering Field Banking Supplies
The Postal ServiceTM has entered into a national contract with Harland, Inc., for all bank deposit tickets, endorsement stamps, and bank address stamps. All offices
must order these supplies through the national contract.
The eBuy purchasing program is the preferred method for
placing orders through this contract, and all offices must
use eBuy if they have access to it. Offices that order these
supplies via Harland's toll-free number will be charged a
$2.50 surcharge per item ordered. The only offices authorized to order supplies through the toll-free number are
those without eBuy access.
Order Placement
Offices With eBuy Access
Before placing an order, an office must have a valid Federal Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedures
(FEDSTRIP) number and ensure that locally established
buying procedures have been followed including obtaining
prior funding approval for ALL ORDERS. If orders are
through eBuy, management and funding approvals are
automated. For questions regarding the use of the eBuy
system, contact the district Finance office.
The following steps outline how to order field depository
banking supplies through eBuy:
1. Type http://ebuy.usps.gov/ into the Web browser
address field. The eBuy logon page displays.
2. Type your eBuy logon identification and password,
then press Enter. The eBuy Web page displays.
3. Click on the Requisition tab, and create a new requisition. Select the Harland catalog to order field depository banking supplies.
4. Use the following required information to order deposit ticket and/or endorsement stamps:
• The FEDSTRIP number.
• The 10-digit unit ID number, which consists of the
office's 6-digit Finance number and the Standard
Field Accounting Procedure (SFAP) 4-digit
identification number. Note: The unit identification
number is not the office phone number.
• The Post OfficeTM name.
5. Use the following additional information to order a
bank address stamp:
• The bank name.
• The vault address, including the city, state, and
ZIP+4® code. This information may be obtained
from the district Finance office.
6. Most shipping information is pre-populated based on
the FEDSTRIP number; the ordering office, however,
must verify the information to ensure that the shipping address is accurate.
7. If the order is to be shipped to a different address,
change the shipping data by going to the default address option within eBuy. This will allow the shipping
address to be changed while retaining the original
FEDSTRIP number address for billing purposes.
8. After completing the required information, submit the
eBuy order.
All charges will be allocated to the FEDSTRIP number in
the order.
Offices Without eBuy Access
All bank deposit tickets and self-inking bank
endorsement/address stamps must be ordered through
eBuy. Postal Service facilities that do not have access to
eBuy may place orders by the following method:
1. Call the deposit ticket supplier, Harland, at
1-800-552-2902. All orders placed via the toll-free
number will be shipped to the address that corresponds to the FEDSTRIP number; alternate addresses are not allowed for these orders. If alternate
shipping is required, the district Finance office may
place the order via eBuy.
2. Use the following required information to order deposit ticket and/or endorsement stamps via the toll-
free number:
• The FEDSTRIP number.
• The 10-digit unit ID number, which consists of the
office Finance six-digit number and SFAP 4-digit
identification number. Note: The unit identification
number is not the office telephone number.
• Post OfficeTM name.
3. Use the following additional information to order a
bank address stamp:
• The bank name.
• The vault address, including the city, state, and
ZIP+4 code. This information is available from the
district Finance office.
A $2.50 offline processing fee will be charged for each
item that is ordered via the toll-free number. All charges will
be allocated to the FEDSTRIP number in the order.
Contract Postal Units
The host Post Office will order deposit slips for the contract postal unit (CPU) through one of the two methods described above based on the host Post Office's access to
the eBuy system. All orders will be mailed to the host Post
Office.
New Post Office or Contract Station
The district Finance office must place the initial deposit
service supply order for a newly opened Post Office or contract station. The following steps must be followed:
1. The district Finance office must call the deposit ticket
supplier, Harland, at 1-800-552-2902, to set up a new
location.
2. Use the following required information to order deposit ticket and/or endorsement stamps via the toll-
free number:
• The FEDSTRIP number.
• The 10-digit unit ID number, which consists of the
office's 6-digit Finance number and the SFAP
4-digit identification number. Note: The unit identification number is not the office phone number.
• The Post Office name.
3. Use the following additional information to order a
bank address stamp:
• The bank name.
• The vault address, including the city, state, and
ZIP+4 code. This information is available from the
district Finance office.
4. Provide the district contact name and phone number
to allow Harland to confirm the details of the order, if
necessary.
Order Rejection Notification Process
Harland will update the USPS Rejected Orders Report
daily. Offices may view the report on the Finance Web site
on the Postal Service Intranet:
• Go to http://blue.usps.gov/finance/.
• Under "Financial Reports & Presentations", click on
Harland / eBuy Deposit Ticket Rejection Report.
(The direct link is http://blue.usps.gov/finance/reports/
deprejorders/rejectrpt.xls.)
Each district's approving officer must review this report
and notify the ordering office of any rejected order. The ordering office must in turn resubmit the order to Harland with
the corrected information.
- Corporate Treasury,
Finance, 6-9-05
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