| Bulletin Category: | Payment Processing | ||
| Bulletin Number: | G-209 | ||
| Date Issued: | 2/19/03 | Date Last Updated: | 2/19/03 |
| Bulletin Name: | Telecommunications Master Billing | ||
| Purpose | To provide state agencies with the information necessary to convert their telecommunication invoices to a master bill. Master billing provides for one monthly telecommunications bill for each agency. Master billing will save processing costs, free up staff resources for more value added activities and decrease paper.
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| Background | There are voluminous payments made to telecommunication vendors. Many of these payments are for very low dollars - including payments as low as 2¢. We identified the following seven vendors as having the highest volume of payments: Verizon, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, MCI Worldcom, Cingular Wireless, Frontier Communications, and Arch Wireless. We worked with these seven vendors to identify more efficient payment options. Each of these vendors can provide a monthly master bill to an agency-designated location. Each vendor has different options and requirements for converting to master billing. We have detailed these options and contact information in attachments to this bulletin. The seven vendors are listed in the chart below along with their OGS "P" contract numbers. We encourage agencies to contact their telecommunication vendors not listed in this bulletin, to take advantage of any master billing options they may be able to provide.
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| Seven Vendors |
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| Agency Action | Agency staff need to contact their telecommunications vendor to take advantage of the master billing option. Each agency should designate one primary contact to make the billing changes with each vendor. In most cases, agencies will need to provide vendors with the address for the master bill and all account numbers currently in effect. Agencies should use their central finance office as the designated address.
These vendors may also provide a master billing for other agency-specified contracts. Some of the telecommunications vendors can send a master bill to a central agency location and the detailed charges to a field office. Agency management should ensure the proper controls are in place to prevent duplicate payments and the only invoice paid is the master bill sent to the central finance office. Agencies are encouraged to pay the master bill upon receipt and subsequently audit and approve all charges. We can provide you with information regarding your spending patterns by cost center for your telecommunication transactions. Agencies may choose to allocate charges to cost centers on the new invoices based on a historical analysis of past expenditures with their telecommunications vendor.
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| Questions | If you have any questions regarding this bulletin, please contact the Customer Service Help Desk at (518) 474-4868 or by e-mail addressed to stexpend@osc.state.ny.us.
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| Vendor Master Billing Information | Click here for master billing and contact information for the above vendors. |