Response_to_Solicitation_Questions_-_Amendment_0001.xlsx
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- IRS Electronic Payment Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 2032H5-19-R-00005
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Response to Questions - Amendment 0001
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Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitation_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_-_Amendment_0001.doc | DOC document | |
| Solicitaton_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_SF33_-_Amendment_0001.pdf | ||
| Solicitaton_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_SF30_-_Amendment_0001.pdf | ||
| Solicitation_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_Attachment_A_-_QASP.doc | DOC document | |
| Solicitaton_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_Attachment_B_-_SF_1019A.docx | DOCX document | |
| Solicitation_No._2032H5-19-R-00005.doc | DOC document | |
| Solicitaton_No._2032H5-19-R-00005_SF33.pdf | ||
| Response_to_Pre-Solicitation_Questions_final.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| IRS_Electronic_Payment_Services_pre-sol_no._2032H5-19-R-0005_-_amendment_letter.pdf | ||
| Draft_Solicitation_No._2032H5-19-R-00005.pdf | ||
| Draft_Attachment_A_-_QASP..pdf | ||
| Draft_Attachment_B_-_SF_1019A_-_Subcontracting_Plan_v10-18.pdf |
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Sheet1
| Reference | Requirement | Question | Answer |
| With the Government requesting innovative payment options to drive more taxpayers to online payments, is the IRS considering awarding to more than three (3) vendors to allow for more innovative payments options, beyond options that have been affixed for the last 10-20 years? How many vendors does the Government anticipate making award to? | Refer to Section H.1. The Government intends to award at least one non-monetary, zero-dollar contract. As such, it is anticipated the Government will not award more than three contracts. | ||
| What is the anticipated date the Government will make Pass/Fail determinations on Phase I Proposal responses? | A specific time frame for the initation of Phase II is not available at this time. In accordance with FAR provision, 52.212-1(c), 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers. | ||
| What is the anticipated due date the Government will request Phase II Proposal responses? | A specific time frame for the initation of Phase II is not available at this time. In accordance with FAR provision, 52.212-1(c), offers must be held firm for 180 days. | ||
| Because of the size and depth of this opportunity, we request a one month extension to the current RFP due date of 25 October 2019? | In order to meet Government's milestones for award, an extension of two week to Nov. 8th is being granted. | ||
| Section B.2 | What is an “Extended Fee”? | The contractor shall charge a convenience fee. The requirement for the extended fee in Section B has been removed. | |
| Section B.2 | Is the “Extended Fee” the same as a “Convenience Fee”? | The contractor shall charge a convenience fee. The requirement for the extended fee in Section B has been removed. | |
| Section B.2 | Can a contractor charge a Convenience Fee or Extended fee or a combination of both? | The contractor shall charge a convenience fee. The requirement for the extended fee in Section B has been removed. | |
| Section B.2 | Can the “Convenience Fee” and/or “Extended Fee” vary based on how much the taxpayer is paying (e.g., $3.00 flat fee for payments less than $1,000 and a $4.95 flat fee for payments over $1,000)? | The Contractor shall submit their proposed card fees per the solicitation requirements. | |
| Section B.2 and C.2.5 | The Contract Pricing in Section B.2 allows for Debit Card Payment Services and Credit Card Payment Services with Convenience Fee and Extended Fee pricing. If other alternative forms of payment methods such as Cash, as detailed in Section C.2.5, are offered, how would the IRS prefer that contractors include such forms of payment in the Contract Pricing Section B.2? Should the alternative forms of payment be included as a separate line item, but in the same manner as Debit Card Payment Services and Credit Card Payment Services, with the appropriate Convenience Fee and/or Extended Fee pricing for the alternative payment method? | Yes, alternative forms of payment methods should be added to Section B.2 pricing as a separate line item in the contract. | |
| Does the IRS request or require a two transaction model to process a tax payment with a credit card or debit card (e.g., one transaction for the convenience fee and one transaction for the tax payment)? | Yes, refer to C.2.15 | ||
| What is the anticipated amount of time that will be given between Phase I and Phase II for offerors invited to advance? For example, if an offeror is notified to submit Phase II documents, how much time will they have to submit the documents from the initial notification? | Offerors which pass Phase I will be given approximately 15 days from receipt of request for proposals for Phase II response. | ||
| Please confirm that the requested “Provision fill-ins” (“Solicitation No. 2032H5-19-R-00005,” p. 82) in Phase I, Volume 1 is referring to Section K (pp. 62-81). If this is not correct, please specify which “provisions” are being referred to in that section of the solicitation document. | Yes, that is correct. | ||
| Can the IRS provide the CPAR ratings of the current vendors: PayUSATax.com, Pay1040.com, Official Payments? | No, the government cannot provide the Contractors Performance Assesment review documents | ||
| Will the IRS consider hybrid operating model of onshore/offshore or will all operations need to be US based? | The IRS will only consider US based operations. | ||
| Does the IRS have an established solution for BSA/AML that will be require integration to provider solution, including with respect to cash conversion? | The IRS does not require additional BSA/AML requirements other than what is provided within this solicitation | ||
| Would the IRS be open to a provider offering a taxpayer option for a lending product to pay back taxes owed/installment payments? | This solicitation is intended to provide credit and debit card processing services to federal tax payers only. | ||
| Would the IRS be open to a provider being both a processor and TFA? | This is subject to a final determination on potential conflicts of interest. | ||
| Will the government consider additional non price factors in evaluating the offers responses, such as user experience, data analytics, and ease of use? | Yes, please refer to Section M.1 of the solicitation. | ||
| What other factors beyond user experience will the government consider in potentially selecting a preferred provider to promote through IRS.gov and the call centers? | The other factors will be discussed with the contractors which receive award. | ||
| Will the government consider offers proposing enhanced transactional data files? This could be used for integrating the data with other IRS payment info, analyzing trends, meeting external reporting requirements, and targeting areas for increased use and promotion of payment options to citizens. | Yes, please refer to Section L.1 of the solicitation. | ||
| Are there any additional reporting or data retention standards beyond those specified in the records retention section of FAR subpart 4.7 and retention of transactional logs? | Yes, please refer to Publication 4812. | ||
| Will the IRS please provide the following: (1) Total annual volume for debit card payments in 2018, (2) Total cost for debit card payments in 2018 (if possible), and (3) Cost basis of debit card payments (percent)? | The IRS can only provide the number of combined debit/credit transactions and dollars. Refer to Section C.1.4, Table 1.4 of the solicitation. | ||
| Can you please provide the full document for the Credit Card Bulk Provider Requirements since the website only has the first five pages? | Yes, a copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full execution of an NDA with the requesting entity. | ||
| B.2 | Please confirm that the contractor will not process any payments or receive any fees during the eight-month phase-in period. | During the eight-month phase-in period the processor(s) will not be collecting/processing federal tax payments | |
| C.1.2 | Please confirm that the amounts of all payments - balance due, estimated, installment, and other - will be provided through an API integration of the contractor’s IRS payment site to the IRS’ backend system. In other words, the management of these tax payer accounts and amounts owed is not the responsibility of the contractor. | Yes, the IRS responsible for the management of tax payers. Please note the API specific requirements are being developed and will be provided to the contractors after award once available; however, vendors shall demonstrate the ability and/or capability to meet API technology compatibility/connectivity. | |
| C.1.3 | Please provide access to the current CCBP requirements document. | A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full execution of an NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.1.4 | Please provide the following: 1. For credit cards only: transaction counts for 2018 and 2019 (projected); 2. For debit cards only: dollars collected for 2018 and 2019 (projected). | The IRS can only provide the number of combined debit/credit transactions and dollars. Refer to Section C.1.4, Table 1.4 | |
| C.1.5 | Must the contractor’s on-line IRS payment site and payment processing be live and operational by May 1, 2020 or is May 1 the beginning of the implementation period and contractors will need to be fully operational and approved to start taking payments by Jan 1, 2021? | May 1 the beginning of the implementation period and contractors will need to be fully operational and approved to start taking payments by Jan 1, 2021 | |
| C.2.3 | Can the IRS please provide details of their TFA and the requirements for settling payments through them. | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.3 | Is the IRS’ requirement that the TFA also serves as the contractors sponsoring bank and will be responsible for settling all card brands directly into a TFA account? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.3 | Is the 24 to 48-hour settlement to the TFA after the credit and debit cards have initially settled into contractor’s bank account by the contractor’s sponsoring bank? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.4 | Can the IRS please define “guaranteed payments” in the context of C.2.4? | "Guaranteed payments” means funds shall be available in the Contractor's designated bank account one business day after the settlement is submitted. | |
| C.2.4 | Can the IRS please clarify the term “one business day after the settlement file is submitted”? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.4 | Contractor would operate under a model where the contractor acts as the merchant of record. All transactions for a business day will be settled initially into the contractor’s bank account. Contractor will then disburse those settled transactions next business day to the IRS. Please confirm if this flow of funds is correct and acceptable. If not, can the IRS clearly articulate the flow of funds with the associated timeframes? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.5.1 | How does the IRS envision contractors to convert cash payments? How are cash payments handled by the current approved contractors? | This information is publicly available at https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-with-cash-at-a-retail-partner | |
| C.2.5.1 | What fee will contractor’s receive for cash to electronic payment conversion? There are costs/fees associated with this service and this would not be a credit card or debit card transaction and therefore not eligible for the fees in Section B. | This information is publicly available at https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-with-cash-at-a-retail-partner. Please refer to the answer to question 9 above. | |
| C.2.5.2 | How is the ability to enable the cash payments method system to have the capability to accept a range of taxpayer payments and should not limit the payment transaction amount provided today? | Don’t understan the question, we need clarification | |
| C.2.7 | Can the IRS please explain if the TFA bank account is simply a depository account where contractor will disburse, via ACH, settled transactions? It is our assumption that the contractor can use any sponsor bank/merchant processor, and that the initial card settlement into contractors account, with an ACH transfer of settled transactions to the TFA account. Please confirm. | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.7.1 | Can the IRS please provide examples or use cases for when a contractor would take “intermediate actions for coding, applying, and transmitting payment data”. Also, please provide examples of adjustments to transaction files that may result in failure to verify and validate payment. Contractor is assuming that all tax payer information, like amount, are submitted to the Contractor’s checkout pages by the IRS via APIs. Tax payor would enter their payment information into the contractor’s hosted checkout pages, which are transmitted to contractor’s merchant processor for authorization. In the flow above, contractor’s system does not allow for any intermediate actions or adjustments. Please clarify with examples. | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. As a new functionality, the IRS is introducing API technology and therefore the specifics are not currently available. The API specific requirements are being developed and will be provided to the contractors after award once available. | |
| C.2.8 | Section C.2.8 references adherence to government banking regulations regarding debit and credit card rate fees. Is the Government referencing the Dodd-Frank Durbin Amendment only, or it is also referencing other regulations? If the latter, please provide. | The contractor is required to meet and follow all applicable banking regulations. | |
| C.2.12 | Can the IRS define “secure entity validation” and provide examples and use cases? | The definition of "secure entity validation" is a process in which the taxpayer provided information is validated by the IRS system using the WEB/IBR secure required fields to ensure the entity information of the taxpayer is valid. An example is as follows: Example, processor contact the taxpayer to notify that IRS rejected their entity information and they should call IRS to verify and that until then, payment cannot be accepted & process | |
| C.2.12 | What is the process/method of the IRS informing contractor of any transaction that fails validation? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.12.1 | Can the IRS please provide examples of entity rejections and the procedures for contractor to correct these? Are these rejections provided to the contractor’s system via APIs and before taxpayer is able to checkout? | The contractor shall implement processes and procedures in notifying taxpayers of entity rejections within ten (10) days or less. An example is as follows: The contractor will contact the taxpayer to notify that IRS rejected their entity information and the taxpayer should call IRS to verify and that until then, payment cannot be processed. As a new functionality, the IRS is introducing API technology and therefore the specifics are not currently available. The API specific requirements are being developed and will be provided to the contractors after award once available. | |
| C.2.12.1 | How will contractor be informed about any entity rejections? | The contractor will receive a rejection file from the IRS system. Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.12.1 | What is the current entity rejection rate under the current contract? | This information is not available at time time. | |
| C.2.12.2 | Can the IRS provide examples of the types of edits and actions needed to be performed by the contractor to ensure the payment will be applied accurately? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.12.2 | Can the IRS confirm that these edits and actions are performed through integrations to the IRS backend systems and prior to allowing taxpayer to checkout? | Edits and actions are perform after the entity validation reject. Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. As a new functionality, the IRS is introducing API technology and therefore the specifics are not currently available. The API specific requirements are being developed and will be provided to the contractors after award once available. | |
| C.2.12.3 | Can the IRS please clarify this requirement and provide examples of where the transaction date is ever less than 11 days prior to the settlement date. The normal flow of card transactions is that they are directly settled by sponsoring banks within 24 to 48 hours depending on the card brands. | The following example is provided. If today was August 1st, the Contractor would need to provide the settled funds for any payments scheduled to settle between today and August 10th,. If the payment is scheduled with a settlement date of September 15th, the Contractor would not provide the settled funds until September 5th. | |
| C.2.13 | C.2.13 requires contractor to retain transaction logs for 72 months, including credit card number (if applicable). However, I.11(11) says all sensitive but unclassified information shall be routinely purged. Could the Government please confirm that I.11(11) takes precedence over C.2.13 with respect to sensitive data? | Yes, I.11 takes precedence over C.2.13. Please note that I.11 includes Publication 4812. | |
| C.2.19.1 | What is the time frame and process involved in the contractor security review? | Annual Security Assesment review process are done by IRS Cybersecurity area and details of process involved will be shared after award. Scheduling is subject to contractor and IRS Cybersecurity availablity during the performance year. | |
| C.2.33 | Please provide the IRS CCBP agreement form and the ITS annual CCBP registration form that contractors are required to sign. | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.36 | Can the IRS please confirm that the first test would need to be completed by January 1st, 2021? | The eight (8) month phase-in period will include the first test and will occur prior to December 1, 2020. The contractor shall remediate all high security findings and all functionality findings annually by December 1st. | |
| C.2.37 | Section C.2.37 makes the contractor subject to the section 6103 provisions of the Taxpayer Browsing Protection Act and IRS Unauthorized Access (UNAX) briefing requirements and required the contractor to submit UNAX forms to the COR/CO. IRM 10.5.5, Unauthorized Access, Attempted Access or Inspection of Taxpayer Records (UNAX) Program Policy, Guidance, and Requirements, is otherwise not cited as a reference in the RFP. Are there UNAX requirements other than those set forth in C.2.37? | Refer to Section I.12 IRSAP Clause IR1052.224-9001 Mandatory IRS Protection and Security Awareness Training Requirements (JUN 2013) |
| C.2.43 | If a chargeback is won, it is credited back to the settlement account automatically. The taxpayer’s credit card/debit card account is automatically debited by the card issuing bank. As chargebacks are not considered “refunds”, could the IRS please provide further clarification on this requirement? | Refer to IRM 21.4.4.7 at https://www.irs.gov/irm | |
| C.4.1 | When will the IRS provide the contractor with electronic record specifications necessary for funds settlement and posting of tax data related to the electronic payment transactions? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.4.2 | When will the IRS provide the contractor with the functional requirements outlining validity checks and processing periods? | IRS will provide the contractor with the functional requirements after award at the initial kickoff meeting | |
| C.6.1 | Can the IRS confirm if the four-character name control is provided to the contractor’s system via the real-time API used to provide contractor with taxpayer payment information? Can the IRS please provide details around the response file, 824 transaction set? | As a new functionality, the IRS is introducing API technology and therefore the specifics are not currently available. Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.6.5 | Can the IRS please provide details and examples of types of transactions that require exception handling? | An example of types of transactions that require exception handling is a manual payment correction input by IRS where the IRS contact processor POC to receive details to assist IRS in correcting the payment transaction. | |
| C.6.5 | Will the IRS or contractor do the manual correction? If so, by what means? | Once the payment is received by the IRS, the IRS input the manual correction. | |
| C.6.5 | Are these corrections made at the time of the transaction or post-settlement? | These corrections are made by IRS post settlement | |
| C.6.14, C.6.15, C.6.16, and C.6.17 | Sections C.6.14, C.6.15, C.6.16, and C.6.17 require an Incident Response Plan; a Security Awareness Training and Education Plan; an Information Security Policy; and an Acceptable Use Policy, respectively, “that adheres to IRM 10.8.1.” IRM 10.8.1 was recently amended such that subsections 10.8.1.4.8 and 10.8.1.4.2.1 regarding Incident Response Plans and Security Awareness Training have been redacted. Please clarify the applicable requirements for C.6.14, C.6.15, C.6.16, and C.6.17. | An unredacted copy of IRM 10.8.1 may be provided by written request from the contractor to the COR after contract award. Refer to Publication 4812 for additional information. | |
| C.6.21 | Can the IRS please clarify if the credit card/debit card can be initially settled into an account owned by the contractor and then disbursed to an IRS TFA account via ACH debit? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| I.2(e)(1) | Certain FAR clauses are included in Part II, Section I.2(e)(1), as subcontractor flow-downs but not applied to the Prime in Section I.1 or I.2 (a) – (d) or elsewhere (e.g., requires Service Contract Labor Standards (52.222-41, 41 U.S.C. chapter 67) as a subcontractor flow-down but this clause is not checked as applicable to the prime). Compare I.2(e)(1)(xii), p. 45, with I.2(c)(2), p. 43. Please confirm that the omission of these requirements as applicable to Prime was not intended. | Please see the amended solicitation for updated applicable clauses. | |
| L.1 | If contractor is proposing commercial license terms applicable to the payment processing platform system, should they be presented in Phase I or Phase II? | If the contractor elects to propose commercial license terms, this information should be provided in Phase II. | |
| L.1 (b) | Please provide the timing for submission of the Phase II proposal with respect to the Phase I due date of October 25th. | A specific time frame for the initation of Phase II is not available at this time. | |
| L.1 (b) | For companies passing Phase I evaluation, will the government provide industry 30 calendar days from Phase I submission to respond to Phase II? | A specific time frame for the initation of Phase II is not available at this time. | |
| L.1 (b) (5) | Should contractors include the terms of any express warranty (item (5)) with their pricing in Phase II or somewhere else? | Yes, contractors should provide terms of any express warranty as applicable with the pricing in Phase II. | |
| L.1 (b) (6) | Item (6) states that the contractor shall include as a part of their proposal the provided chart for each performance year using the government provided estimates for the base and option years. However, the referenced PWS table does not provide estimates of the projected transactions for credit cards and debit cards for the base year and option periods 1-4. Can the IRS provide the projected transactions and estimated dollar amounts for the base and option years? | Please use the historcial rates in Table 1.4 of the solicitation. | |
| L.6 | Are questions permitted if they arise after 9/30/2019? | No questions received after the due date in the solicitation will receive a response. | |
| L.6 | Will there be an additional inquiry period for Phase II for those that qualify? | No, an inquiry period will not be available. | |
| M.1 Phase I Factor 1 | Please confirm that Phase I Factor 1 will be the stated objectives for each of the business requirements will be as outlined in Section L.1(b)(4)(i) not (ii) as stated in this section. | Yes, please see the amended solicitation. | |
| M.1 Phase II Factor 1 | Please confirm that Phase II Factor 1 Technical/System Functionality/Usability: will be evaluated as outlined in Section L.1(b)(4)(ii) not (iii) as stated in this section. | Yes, please see the amended solicitation. | |
| Pre-Solicitation Questions | Per the pre-solicitation questions document row 11, if a contractor wishes to take exception to any terms and conditions of the contract, should those be included in the cover letter of Phase I or Phase II? | Yes, any exception to the terms and conditions should be included in the cover letter in Phase II. | |
| Due to the delay in receiving the CCBP document and size of the RFP, we ask for a three week extension from the time the document is provided to give us a better opportunity to complete a comprehensive offering for IRS. | An extension of two week is provided. | ||
| Following the release of the CCBP document please consider an additional week for submittal of questions. This will allow for thorough validation of requirements tied to document. (C.2.12) | No, additional question and answer periods are not available. | ||
| Can IRS provide the interchange mix from the other processors currently from all Card Brands (ie; Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover)? This will allow for a more competitive pricing model. | Please refer to https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-taxes-by-credit-or-debit-card for current processor interchange and Card Brands. | ||
| Regarding debit transactions, can IRS provide the breakdown of regulated debit verses non-regulated debit? This is needed to provide a debit rate. | This information is not available at this time. | ||
| C.1.4 | Table 1.4 Historical Credit/Debit Payment Data | Does this volume include all credit/debit card payments received for all channels of payment, or only those for the scope of this solicitation? If it contains all, please provide the breakdown that applies to just the scope of this solicitation or an assumption of what the breakdown is. | Data provided is specifically debit/credit card payments for the scope of this solicitation. |
| C.2.5.1 | The contractor shall provide a secure a payment method that converts cash payment to electronic transactions for the unbanked or underbanked. | What are your use cases for accepting payment? Are you looking for walk-in facilities or kiosks? | The government is seeking solution for cash payments and vendor shall submit their proposals for review |
| C.2.7.3 | The contractor shall submit daily, payment detail records or settlement files using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) 813 transaction set. The TFA will initiate one bulk debit each business day from the contractor’s account, which must be established for this purpose (refer to CCBP requirements). | Please consider adding to requirement C.2.7.3 to include “contractor to credit funds to the TFA deposit account”, see requirement below: The contractor shall submit daily, payment detail records or settlement files using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) 813 transaction set. The TFA will initiate one bulk debit each business day from the contractor’s account, which must be established for this purpose (refer to CCBP requirements), or alternately the contractor will initiate one bulk credit each business day to the TFA deposit account. | In accordance with the CCBP, the recommended language is not applicable at this time. |
| C.2.16 | The contractor shall provide taxpayers live and automated customer service including frequently asked questions and problem resolution assistance. The contractor shall provide clear, concise messaging and consistent treatment. Live customer service assistance shall be available, at a minimum, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, local time. | Please provide annual number of live operator calls for each of the current vendors broken out by domestic and international taxpayers? | This is information is not available. |
| C.2.16 | The contractor shall provide taxpayers live and automated customer service including frequently asked questions and problem resolution assistance. The contractor shall provide clear, concise messaging and consistent treatment. Live customer service assistance shall be available, at a minimum, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, local time. | Please provide the average call length, calculated using the annual live operator calls, for each of the current vendors broken out by domestic and international taxpayers? | This is information is not available. |
| Section C.2.29 | What does the limit of 100 contractors mean? Does that mean contractor can only use 100 of its employees/subcontractor employees? | Correct, contractors can only have 100 or less employees working on the IRS contract | |
| Section C.2.3 and C.4.3 | Will the contractor have any input on the selection of the Financial Agent (which may double as the Visa/MC sponsor bank) in order to ensure next day funding required by Section C.2.4? | No, the contractor does not have any input on the selection of the financial agent. | |
| Section C.2.43 and C.4.6 | Is it the intent of the IRS to supersede the Network Rules and requirements related to chargebacks in connection with contractor processing chargebacks or is the contractor to conform to the Network Rules? | Refer to IRM 21.4.4.7 at https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-004-004r#idm140074124357344 | |
| Section 4.6 | Does the IRS anticipate the contractor funding chargebacks regardless of the amount or is there a limit on what is required to be initially funded by the contractor? | Refer to IRM 21.4.4.7 at https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-004-004r#idm140074124357344 | |
| Section C.6.10 through C.6.13 | May contractor provide executive summaries of the plans to the IRS while making the actual plans available to review at a secure facility to ensure security of the contractor system? | Annual Security Assesment review process are done by IRS Cybersecurity area and details of process involved shall be discuss after award | |
| Section G.1(b) | Can the IRS detail what control it anticipates over the labor, work locations and work areas of contractor given that this is an electronic e-payment system provided by contractor from highly specialized data centers which are not easily reproducible outside of its current proposed locations and staffing? | For security requirements at contractor facilities using contractor-managed resources, please reference Publication 4812. Visit IRS.gov https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4812.pdf | |
| Section 1.8 | Is the credit card transaction information (cardholder authorization and settlement data) considered SBU information? | Yes, IRS considered it is SBU | |
| C.1.4 | Please supply historical transaction count by Credit Card and Debit Card via web | This information is not available at this time and once available will be provided to the vendors. | |
| C.1.4 | Please supply historical transaction count by Credit Card and Debit Card via mobile | This information is not available at this time and once available will be provided to the vendors. | |
| c.2.45 | “IRS mobile devices only to be used by IRS authorized please make and model of IRS mobile devices currently used by IRS personnel | This information is not available at this time and once available will be provided to the vendors. | |
| C.2.45 | Please share process flow of transaction taken via agents mobile device | This information is not available at this time and once available will be provided to the vendors. | |
| C.2.2 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows a wide array of taxpayers’ (i.e. domestic, international) access for making federal income and business tax payments. All Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Internet applications are required to provide taxpayers with a unique toll-free number and web address (URL) for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average annual number of web credit card payment transactions. | 2018 estimated of 4,065,187 |
| C.2.2 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows a wide array of taxpayers’ (i.e. domestic, international) access for making federal income and business tax payments. All Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Internet applications are required to provide taxpayers with a unique toll-free number and web address (URL) for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average annual number of IVR calls for domestic taxpayers. | 2018 estimated of 987,546 (domestic & international) |
| C.2.2 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows a wide array of taxpayers’ (i.e. domestic, international) access for making federal income and business tax payments. All Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Internet applications are required to provide taxpayers with a unique toll-free number and web address (URL) for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average annual number of IVR calls for international taxpayers. | 2018 estimated of 987,546 (domestic & international) |
| C.2.2 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows a wide array of taxpayers’ (i.e. domestic, international) access for making federal income and business tax payments. All Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Internet applications are required to provide taxpayers with a unique toll-free number and web address (URL) for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average annual number of web debit card payment transactions. | 2018 estimated of 4,065,187 |
| C.2.2.1 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows international taxpayers access for making federal individual and business tax payments. All IVR and internet applications are required to provide international taxpayers with a unique non-toll-free number for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average call length, calculated using the annual IVR calls, for international taxpayers. | The IRS can only provide the number of combined debit/credit transactions and dollars from last year. |
| C.2.2.1 | The contractor shall provide a system that allows international taxpayers access for making federal individual and business tax payments. All IVR and internet applications are required to provide international taxpayers with a unique non-toll-free number for the completion of federal payments only. | Please provide the average call length, calculated using the annual IVR calls, for domestic taxpayers. | The IRS can only provide the number of combined debit/credit transactions and dollars from last year. |
| C.2.41 | The contractor shall provide weekly and monthly transaction reports. The reports shall include volumes and dollars for individuals and businesses according to card issuer, as well as, whether these payments were credit or debit transactions. The contractor shall provide this report in MS Excel (i.e., using current IRS version). (Refer to Section C.6.3). | Please provide the average annual number of Web payment transactions. | 2018 estimated of 4,065,187 |
| C.2.41 | The contractor shall provide weekly and monthly transaction reports. The reports shall include volumes and dollars for individuals and businesses according to card issuer, as well as, whether these payments were credit or debit transactions. The contractor shall provide this report in MS Excel (i.e., using current IRS version). (Refer to Section C.6.3). | Please provide the average annual number of IVR payment transactions. | 2018 estimated of 987,546 (domestic & international) |
| C.2.41 | The contractor shall provide weekly and monthly transaction reports. The reports shall include volumes and dollars for individuals and businesses according to card issuer, as well as, whether these payments were credit or debit transactions. The contractor shall provide this report in MS Excel (i.e., using current IRS version). (Refer to Section C.6.3). | Please provide the average annual number of Mobile payment transactions. | 2019 estimated of 1,460,570 |
| C.2.12.1 | The contractor shall implement processes and procedures in notifying taxpayers of entity rejections within ten (10) days or less. The contractor shall provide assistance to the taxpayers with their entity rejection corrections without providing the given reason from IRS (IRS reject code reason) following IRS security guidelines for Taxpayer Protection Act. Processes and procedures shall be documented and subject to IRS’s review and approval. | How will the vendor be notified of an entity rejection by the IRS? | Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. |
| What documentation is shared with the vendor to identify an entity rejection? | TFA will submit a file number to include rejects and reason code. Refer to Credit Card Bulk Provider document. A copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full excution of a NDA with the requesting entity. | ||
| How soon will the vendor be notified of an entity rejection by the IRS? | In an hour or so | ||
| Please describe in detail how a vendor would assist a taxpayer with entity rejection corrections without providing the reason code. | The Contractor shall establish a process for government approval. | ||
| Please provide the IRS security guidelines for Taxpayer Protection Act. | IRS security guidelines are available at https://www.irs.gov/irm | ||
| How many entity rejections occurred that required vendor engagement for past year January 2018 through December 2018? | The information comes from the current vendors (to IRS) and thus is not public information. | ||
| C.1.4 | Can the IRS provide breakout of volumes either by current provider? | Information cannot be shared since it is Confidential. The information comes from the current vendors (to IRS) and thus is not public information. | |
| C.1.4 | Can the IRS provide breakout of volumes by card type (Visa/MC/Discover/Amex), or alternatively, Transaction details, including card type, IRDs and/or interchange/assessments/costs per transactions; Percentage breakdowns indicating mix of card type (including consumer credit vs. commercial credit; regulated debit vs. unregulated debit)? | The IRS can only provide the number of combined debit/credit transactions and dollars from last year. | |
| C.1.4 | Does the data shown includes card transactions originating from e-file/epay integrators? Can the Government confirm this data is NOT included? | Table 1.4 data inlcuded transactions originating from intergrated file & pay | |
| C.1.5 | The IRS indicated the phase-in period is from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. | Can the IRS confirm May 1, 2020 is the first date it expects winning providers to start accepting card payments from taxpayers? | May 1 the beginning of the implementation period and contractors will need to be fully operational and approved to start taking payments by Jan 1, 2021 |
| Is the contract base year period January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021? | The base year of the contract consists of an eight (8) month phase-in period; the remaining four (4) months include collection of credit and debit card collection fees from the date of award date | ||
| The IRS indicates that changes cannot occur until after the annual requirements review (June 30th) | Will there be an annual review on June 30, 2020? | Yes, there will bean annual review process | |
| Can vendors propose changes at that time? If not, what does the IRS expect differently between the phase in period and January 2021? | The awarded contrator shall commence testing in the phase in period. Go live Janauary 1, 2021 | ||
| Is the first possible date of changes July 1, 2021, thus making the offering static until July 2021? | No | ||
| C.2.1 | The contractor shall provide an electronic payment processing service in English and Spanish. If a caller uses a different language will we be utilizing the existing Language Line, be provided with another service, or not be able to provide assistance? | The government is not limiting the service to be provided to the taxpayer. | |
| C.2.1.2 | Can the Government clarify what the term “secure entity validations” means? | The definition of "secure entity validation" is a process in which the taxpayer provided information is validated by the IRS system using the WEB/IBR secure required fields to ensure the entity information of the taxpayer is valid. An example is as follows: Example, processor contact the taxpayer to notify that IRS rejected their entity information and they should call IRS to verify and that until then, payment cannot be accepted & process | |
| C.2.1.5 | Can the Government provide additional clarity on the Integrated database allowing taxpayers to verify all payments across applications “regardless of input channel”. How does this system work today? | This information is not available at this time. | |
| C.2.1.6 | Can a provider develop mobile apps for one platform (i.e. only Apple or Android)? Does the IRS have a list of supported mobile operating platforms? Is the Local time requirement 7AM to 7PM mean Eastern Time? If not, is it 7AM-7PM for the continental United States? | The IRS do not have dedicated mobile platform; however, IRS.GOV and all new applications are mobile friendly built with Responsive Design to provide adaptability across devices. With that said, our UXD team does have a style guide which governs the design of all items on irs.gov. This was created to be shared with anyone interacting with pages & application on IRS.GOV including new vendors. | |
| Is the Local time requirement 7AM to 7PM mean Eastern Time? If not, is it 7AM-7PM for the continental United States? | No, it is not limited to EST. Local time 7 am- 7 pm for the continental United States | ||
| Section C.2.2.1 | Can a provider offer international taxpayers the ability to pay using an international ACH, where available, which is not presently supported by the current IRS domestic ACH processes? | Processor can present offer after award (nlt June 30th ) for the IRS to review and approval. | |
| Section C.2.2.7 | The contractor shall conduct post implementation review of live application including production monitoring, reporting, user/non-user surveys and user free-form comments. Do vendors need to have a support survey for live callers or is it website/online based? | Solicitation has no requirements for specific surveys | |
| Section C.2.23 and C.2.27 | If a provider is a TFA, can it settle directly to the IRS’ account versus sending to another TFA? | No, provider msut settle with IRS TFA. The processors must follow the guidelines /requirements found in the CCBP when it comes to funds settlement. | |
| Section C.2.3 and C.2.5 | These Section have references to the CCBP, can the government provide an extension to respondents based on needing extra time to receive these from the COTR/CO? | No - a copy of the CCBP will be provided upon written request and full execution of an NDA with the requesting entity. | |
| C.2.39 | Can a provider only support one mobile platform (i.e. just Apple or Android)? If not, does the IRS have a standard list of supported mobile operating systems/devices? | The IRS does not have dedicated mobile platform; however IRS.GOV and all new applications are mobile friendly built with Responsive Design to provide adaptability across devices. With that said, our UXD team does have a style guide which governs the design of all items on irs.gov. This was created to be shared with anyone interacting with pages & application on IRS.GOV including new vendors. | |
| Can the IRS share the current marketing plan as an example? Does the Government expect the provider is expected to cover the costs of executing the marketing plan and its recommendations? If so, can the Government provide historic ranges of what has been used to allow us to understand a potential budget? | The goverment does not have marketing plan, each provider porvides thier own marketing plan. Yes , each provider is expected to cover the cost of executing thier own marketing plan. Goverment does not have historic ranges used for budget. | ||
| Section C.2.4.5 | Can the Government provide more detail on the required functionality for this mobile application? Is this an existing IRS app into which the provider would integrate payment acceptance capabilities (e.g., via a gateway) or is the provider required to build an app for this specific purpose? | As a new functionality, the IRS is introducing a payment card application technology and therefore the specifics are not currently available. However, offerors should demonstrate solutions and capability for the future implementation of this technology. | |
| Section C.2.5.1 | Can the Government explain what system it is using today to convert cash to electronic for the un/underbanked? Does this include unmanned kiosks? | Refer to https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-with-cash-at-a-retail-partner | |
| Section C.6.2 & C.6.3 | Does the Government have standard report formats or will it accept the provider’s format? | The government has a standard report format (template) | |
| Section B / L | In the Section B, the Government has a price table for fees. Is this required for a Phase I submission on October 25? Can the Government confirm it is acceptable to deliver the proposal via email to the email address on the SF-33? Can the Government confirm all that is needed to submit on October 25 is Volume 1 – Cover letter and Provision fill-ins; and Volume 2 – Business Requirements and Section 508 (see L.1(b)(4)(i)). | Please see Section L.1, 52.212-1(b) for the requirement of Phase I submission. | |
| Section L | In Section L, the Government indicates Pricing is a Phase II submission. Does the Government have a timeline for Phase II submissions? Can the Government provide any additional details on warranties that would be expected or accepted by the IRS. Can the Government clarify what is meant by “any discount terms”? | A specific time frame for the initation of Phase II is not available at this time. The offeror may propose any expressed warranties as applicable. Discount terms may not apply to this requirement as it is anticipated to be a no-cost contract. | |
| Section L.3 | How will the inclusion of a Protégé be considered in the Corporate Experience in Phase II? | An incentive for the Mentor-Protégé program is not being applied in the evaluation. | |
| Section C.2.16 | The contractor shall provide taxpayers live and automated customer service including frequently asked questions and problem resolution assistance. | Are the FAQs and Problem resolution limited to payment assistance? | The government does not restrict nor limit what the processors include in the FAQ. |
| Section C.2.16 | Does the vendor need to maintain a System of Record where live support agents will document inquiries? If yes, is this an IRS system or a system run by the offeror? | No, this is not a requirement at this time. | |
| Section C.2.16 | What channels are requested for the live support? Voice, Chat, E-mail? | The government does request specifics live support systems in accordance with C.2.16. Live is defined as a non-automated representative speaking with the taxpayer. | |
| Are dedicated customer service agents required or can agents work on other programs? | Refer to Publication 4812 | ||
| What percentage of transactions require Live support interaction? | The contractor shall determine live support interaction | ||
| Can the Government furnish call arrival patterns? | No, the govermrnt will not furnish call arrival patterns | ||
| What are the monthly volumes that are typical now for live support? | The government does not have this information at this time. | ||
| Given this is RFP is listed as no-cost fixed convenience fee model, please explain if vendors have a path other than convenience fees to recoup any upfront investment (as opposed to ongoing operating or transaction fees) required to prepare or implement the program? | In accordance with Section L.1, 52.212-1(e), offerors may propose multiple offers presenting alternative solutions for consideration. | ||
| Reference to pending HR legislation HR 5445 (Century IRS Act) that may impact the program. What are the provisions for adjusting current program to account for these changes if they occur mid-contract? | FAR clause 52.212-4(c) and (l) would apply. | ||
| Our proposal is expected to include the convenience fee rates and total fees collected. Can the Government provide expected volume forecasts or guidelines around assumptions for overall tax payments (as was done for tax year 2019) to help with the volume forecasts for the term of the contract? | Please refer to Table 1.4 of the solicitation. | ||
| Customer Service Representative (CSR) | Can the Government provide expected call volume data for prior years, including: Number of total calls; Breakdown of calls by call type/reason (e.g., to make a payment vs. questions about the convenience fee, etc.); Average call length in minutes ; Breakdown of calls by month, by week, by day, by hour (or smaller increments) to help with forecasting; Breakdown of calls by language (English, Spanish, other?) | Government can only povide combined debit/credit transactions and dollars. Please refer to Table 1.4 of the solicitation. | |
| Customer Service Representative (CSR) | Does the Government have a view on any expected increase/decrease in expected call volumes related to this program (e.g., due to any actions from the IRS)? | The government does not have this information at this time. | |
| Customer Service Representative (CSR) | Will the Government provide call scripts that providers will use or do we need to develop these ourselves? | Contractors will develop the callscripts |
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