CEP Webform User Guide (004).pdf

VA’s Vendor File Request Webform User Guide

Introduction

On September 1, 2022, the VA Financial Services Center released a web version of its legacy VA Form 10091, VA-FSC Vendor File Request Form.

Anyone who needs to add themselves to the VA financial system to receive a payment or benefit must complete the vendor file form. The same goes for vendors who need to update their existing record with the VA financial system.

This User Guide walks you through each form and how to complete them. Prior to starting either, please have your bank’s name, your account number, and your routing number readily available, and if you are updating a previous enrollment, please have your previous bank’s name, account number, and routing number readily available as well. You also need access to an active email address with both options.

What’s In This User Guide

With this guide you will find a visual walkthrough of the steps you need to complete either process. As it is the preferred option, the online webform instructions are covered first. After words, we will cover the PDF/paper version. Next, there is a section for Frequently Asked Questions. Lastly, there is a small section listing other sources for help.

As you navigate this Guide, you may see green boxes on the images. These were used to draw your attention to where the instructions are referring to on the screen or document.

Contents

The Online Webform Is as Easy as A B C! Page 2

A – Set Up for your ID.me Account Page 3

B – Login to the Customer Engagement Portal Page 4

C – Welcome to the VA Customer Engagement Portal (CEP) Page 8

Frequently Asked Questions Page 16

Need Additional Assistance? Page 17

The Online Webform Is as Easy as A B C!

VA’s online webform process is broken down into three parts A, B and C. These parts must be completed in that order.

“A” is for Account. To access the webform, you will need set up an ID.me account.

Government entities such as VA have partnered with ID.me to protect user’s identities.

Creating an ID.me account is a one-time effort and can be used across Government.

“B” is for Begin. Once set up your ID.me account, log into the VA FSC Customer Engagement Portal. As part of logging in, you will need to authenticate who you are, and if you have a smart device, this is as easy as getting a text. If you do not have a smart device, a phone call will do. You will need to do this every time you need to access the Customer Engagement Portal.

“C” is for Customer Engagement Portal. Once you authenticate yourself, the Customer Engagement Portal take you through the webform’s 5 sections to complete the required fields marked with an asterisk (and circled in green in this Guide). Additional information for what you can expect after you submit your webform is in the FAQ of this document.

B

C

Set Up for your ID.me Account

You must create an ID.me account before you can access the webform. The steps below will get you started. If you already have an ID.me account, go to the next section – B, Login to the Customer Engagement Portal.

Things you will need to get started: You will need the following:

1) Access to the web through a personal computer/laptop or smart device such as a cell phone or tablet.

2) A Government ID such as your state driver’s license. The ID.me account creation process may require information from your Government ID and ask you to upload images of that ID to the ID.me website.

3) The site may also require you to submit a “selfie” as part of the account creation and identity verification. This selfie will also be uploaded to the ID.me website.

Time to complete: Creating an account may take 5 to 10 minutes.

1. Open a web browser and go to ID.me (https://www.id.me/) to create an ID.me account.

2. Select “My Account” and select “Create an ID.me account.”

3. Compete the ID.me account creation process.

As the ID.me site is not a VA site, this Guide does not include the remaining ID.me account creation step or images from this point on.

Once you complete your ID.me account continue to B, Login to the Customer Engagement Portal.

A https://www.id.me/ https://www.id.me/

Login to the Customer Engagement Portal

Once you complete creating your ID.me account, you are ready to access the Customer Engagement Portal (CEP) with your ID.me account credentials.

Things you will need to get started: You will need the following:

1) Access to the web through a personal computer/laptop or smart device such as a cell phone or tablet. If you do not have a cell phone, you will need access to a regular phone.

2) Your ID.me login information (email address and password).

Time to complete: Logging in may take up to two minutes.

1. Go to the Customer Engagement Portal: https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/.

2. On the Customer Engagement Portal Login page, click on the “Login” button.

3. Once the Continue Login Process popup appears, click “Continue”.

B https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

4. From the Access VA Home for the Customer Engagement Portal (CEP), select the “ID.me-

Sign in with the ID.me” option.

5. The Secure Login Redirect will appear; select “Accept”.

6. Complete the Sign in to ID.me prompts (6a- 6c.)

6a. Enter your Email, Password and 6b. Select your identity verification method click Sign in. (i.e., Text me or Call me) and click Continue.

6c. Enter the verification code into ID.me and click Continue. After successful verification, ID.me will return you to the VA Customer Engagement Portal.

(EXAMPLE ONLY)

Welcome to the VA Customer Engagement Portal (CEP)

After logging in through ID.me, the Customer Engagement Portal home page will appear. On the home page, locate the “VA FSC Vendor File Form” button.

Things you will need to get started: Your current banking information where you want your payments to go to, and if this is an update to a previous enrollment, you will need your previous banking information. Again, since you must complete the form in one sitting, we strongly recommend having your banking information (i.e. – name, account number, routing number) readily available prior to starting.

Time to complete: Completing the webform should take 5 to 20 minutes. Once you start your form, you cannot save your progress or information to go back to later.

1. After reading the Authorized Use Only, click “I Agree”.

2. Click the VA FSC Vendor File Form button. (Note: Do not click on the Register button as it is not required to complete the web form.)

C

The Customer Engagement Portal Vendor File Form has 5 specific sections – Tax ID Information, Payee Information, Address/Bank Information, Add Authorized Representative Contact/s, and Review. To track your progress, the form highlights the stage you are in with a visual reference at the top of the screen. You may go back to any previous section at any time by selecting the section name; however, you can only progress through the form as you complete each of the sections.

Section 1 – TAX ID Information

1. Enter your TAX ID or Social Security Number (both are 9-digit numbers) and then re-enter it again in the free text fields. (Note: Click on the “eyeball” in the free text field if you need to review what you entered.)

2. Select the appropriate Request Type – either New or Update. Unless you already have an active VA vendor record (completed this process previously either online or through the pdf VA Form 10091 form), select New. If in doubt, select New.

3. For the question “Is the account that you are adding or updating registered with SAM.gov”, unless you are a SAM.gov vendor, select No. If in doubt, select No. If you are a SAM.gov vendor select Yes and then add your UEI (and EFT indicator) in the appropriate fields.

4. Click Next.

<User’s Name>, <User’s Name>

Section 2 – Payee Information

1. Pull down on the Payee Type drop down menu and select the most appropriate Payee Type for you.

a. Medical Provider: A commercial vendor who has an NPI and generally submits a medical claim for goods or services provided.

b. Utility: A commercial vendor who provide utility type services.

c. Individual: A non-commercial vendor that is not a caregiver or Veteran.

d. Foreign: All commercial vendor not of US-origin.

e. Commercial/ALAC: All commercial vendors not covered by a more specific vendor type in this list of Payee Types. Also, select this Payee Type if you are a VA Administrative and Loan Accounting Center (ALAC) vendor.

f. Caregiver: An individual who provides care to Veteran and may or may not have an NPI.

g. Veteran: An former member of the United States Uniformed Services.

h. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E): Commercial Vendors who are specific to VA’s VR&E program.

2. After selecting the Payee Type, enter your legal first and last name or legal business name at it is on file with the IRS in the Payee/Vendor Name field.

3. If you have a Doing Business As name, enter it into the DBA field.

4. If you have a National Provider Identifier (NPI) in the NPI field if you have one. If in doubt, leave it blank.

5. Click Next.

Section 3 – Address/Bank Information

1. Enter your Current Payee Mailing Address by completing the Address, City State and Zip code fields. (Though VA does not intend to send you mail because of this process, VA may.

VA may use this address to verify your identity.)

2. Scroll down to enter your banking information.

3. Enter your Bank Routing Number. This will auto-populate the Bank Name field.

4. If the Bank Name is incorrect, edit as needed; however, if correct, skip any edits.

5. Enter your Bank Account Number*. To ensure accuracy, Re-Enter your Account Number.

(If using a paper check for reference, do not include the check number as part of the Account Number.)

6. Select the appropriate Account Type. If in doubt, select Checking.

7. The Notes field is optional. Add notes as needed or leave blank.

8. Click Next.

Section 4 – Add Authorized Representative Contact/s

Adding an Authorized Representative is OPTIONAL!

As the form indicates, an Authorized Representative is a person you are authorizing to represent you and once designated is authorized to change your vendor file information that is stored in VA’s financial system (aka, your vendor file) to include your banking and address information. Please note, this does not authorize this individual(s) to update any other VA records with VHA, VBA, NCA or any other staff offices.

1. The top portion of this form will auto-populate with the First Name, Last Name, Email Address and Phone Number you shared with ID.me as you are automatically designated as your own Authorized Representative. (Note: If your email is incorrect, you must go to ID.me to correct it.)

2. Add your Official Title (i.e., Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Dr.).

3. If you do not have an Authorized Representative, click Next and you will be taken to the next section of the process and may skip the rest of the instruction in this area.

4. If you do have an Authorized Representative, click the +Add Additional Contact.

5. Enter your Authorized Representative’s information in the required fields (First Name, Last Name, Official Title (i.e. – Mr., Ms., Dr.), Email Address, and Phone Number) for your designated Authorized Representative.

6. Repeat this process for every Authorized Representative you want to designate.

7. Click Next when done.

Section 5 – Review

All the information entered in the previous 4 sections will carry over to this Review section and should be reviewed for accuracy/correctness (typos) prior to submission.

1. To Review the information in a Specific section, click the carrot or Section name to be reviewed. This will expand the data captured in this Section.

2. If any of the information is incorrect, go back to the appropriate section by clicking on the Section heading at the top (form progress numbers) or click the Back button.

3. If the information entered is accurate/correct, review the certification statement at the bottom of the page. If you agree to the statement, select the checkbox next to the statement.

4. When done, click Finish.

Once the page accepts the entry, a Case Number (which is a help desk ticket) is generated for the transaction. Expect to receive an email from “FSC.CustomerSupportDoNotReply@va.gov” with your Case Number. Please allow up to two weeks for the Financial Services Center team to process your transaction. You should expect another email from the same email address letting you know when your case was completed (“Resolved”).

mailto:FSC.CustomerSupportDoNotReply@va.gov

Using the Paper/pdf VA Form 10091

Though the webform may be a more convenient way to sign up for direct deposit, using the paper/pdf VA Form 10091 accomplishes the same thing.

Things you will need to get started: You may need the following:

1) Access to the web through a personal computer/laptop or smart device such as a cell phone or tablet where you need to download a copy of the form.

2) Access to a printer to print the form if sending the form by mail or fax.

3) Access to a facsimile machine if sending the form by fax.

4) An envelope, postage (not provided by VA), mail carrier if sending the form by mail.

Time to complete: Completing the webform should take 5 minutes but may take up to 30 minutes. You may electronically type your answers on the form and save it to a local drive so you can send by email. Otherwise, you may print a copy and either use a typewriter or handwrite your responses onto the form. If you print, please ensure the print is legible especially letters and/or numbers that may look similar. Illegible forms may result in inaccurate entries or may be rejected to be completed again and cause a delay in processing.

Instructions: Completed all fields marked as “REQUIRED”. A Sample Form image is provided after the instructions and have a corresponding blue encircled number to match the instructions. The instructions labelled as “SKIP/Do Not Enter” should not be answered.

Optional fields may be completed or skipped and not represented on the Sample Form.

Visit the VA’s Forms site: https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10091/ to get a copy of the form. On your form, complete the following:

1. REQUIRED: Select the NEW or Update box

a. Check New if this is your first time requesting direct deposit

b. Check UPDATE if you had a change in your direct deposit information, mailing address or both since your last submission.

2. Enter the current Date

On the Left Side of the Form – VA Facility Information

3. SKIP/Do Not Enter: The Station Number and selecting an VA Agency box, Station Contact, Station Phone/Fax Number, Station Email Address boxes.

4. REQUIRED: Under Payee/Vendor Type, make the most appropriate selection.

5. SKIP/Do Not Enter: Any option under Miscellaneous Actions unless you know one applies.

https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10091/

On the Right Side of the Form – Payee/Vendor Information

6. REQUIRED or SKIP/Do Not Enter: If you are a SAM.gov vendor, select Commercial Vendor Registered in SAM.gov; otherwise, skip.

7. REQUIRED or SKIP/Do Not Enter: If you are a SAM.gov vendor, enter your Unique Entity Identifier and your EFT Identifier; otherwise, skip.

8. REQUIRED: Enter your Social Security Number or Tax ID in the SSN/TIN.

9. REQUIRED or SKIP/Do Not Enter: If you are Medical Provider (and some Caregivers), enter your NPI (National Provider Identifier). If you are not a Medical Provider, skip.

10. REQUIRED or SKIP/Do Not Enter: If you are a Small Business, select this box; otherwise, skip.

11. REQUIRED: Enter your full legal or business name in the Payee/Vendor Name field.

12. REQUIRED or SKIP/Do Not Enter: Your DBA (Doing Business As) name; otherwise, skip.

13. Optional. An Authorized Representative is a person you are authorizing to represent you and once designated is authorized to change your information to include your banking and address information that is stored in VA’s financial system (aka, your vendor file). Please note, this does not authorize this individual(s) to update your VA records with VHA, VBA, NCA or VA staff offices. If you would like to designate someone as your Authorized Representative, enter their full legal name.

14. REQUIRED: Enter your Email Address. This is used to contact you.

15. Optional: You may enter your Phone Number.

16. REQUIRED: Enter your address in the Current Address field. Please ensure the address includes Street, City, State and Zip Code as the form indicates.

17. REQUIRED: If this is an Update request, enter your Previous Address if it changed since the last time, you submit the form. If this is a New request, leave this field blank. If you do add your previous address, please include Street, City, State and Zip Code

18. REQUIRED: Enter your Bank Name.

19. REQUIRED: Enter your Bank Address to include City, State and Zip Code

20. REQUIRED: Enter your Nine-Digit Bank Routing Number

21. REQUIRED: Enter your Account Number. Do NOT include a Check # as part of the Account # as this will cause your payment to reject.

22. REQUIRED: Select the Account Type for the Account Number entered.

23. REQUIRED: Enter your Name and Title of Payee/Vendor (Title ex. – Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.)

24. REQUIRED: Please sign under the Signature of Payee/Vendor field.

Once you complete the form, send it to the VA Financial Services Center using one of the following methods.

1. Fax the form to (512) 460-5221 or 2. Email it to VAFSCCSHD@va.gov or

3. Mail it to:

Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center

PO BOX 149971

AUSTIN, TX 78717-8971

mailto:VAFSCCSHD@va.gov

After sending your enrollment form, keep it for your records, at a minimum, until you receive notification your is complete.

Sample Form

1 1 2

3 6

Frequently Asked Questions Webform –

Question: After I submit my webform, when can I check the status of the form?

Answer: After submitting the webform, you may check the status of your webform from the Customer Engagement Portal home page. Select “My Profile” which opens a screen that displays the “Vendor File Form Cases”. Then select the case number issued to you when you submit your form. The case number starts with “VCOM” followed by a dash and a number.

Question: I submit my webform, but never received a Case Number (a help desk ticket number) or an email with a Case Number, can I call the FSC help desk (FSC Call Care Center) for a status update?

Answer: If the system did not generate a Case Number at the time of submission, and you do not see a Case Number under your My Profile, Vendor File Form Cases, it is most likely your submission failed and needs to be resubmit. Without a Case Number, the FSC help desk (FSC Call Care Center) may be limited in their ability to provide support and they most likely ask you to resubmit your form.

Question: If my initial webform was successful and I received a Case Number, can I call the help desk (FSC Call Care Center) for a status update?

Answer: After you submit the webform, please wait up to 15-days to contact the VA FSC for follow up/status updates. If you did not receive an email update by that time, yes, you may call the FSC Call Care Center for a status update.

Paper form –

Question: After I fax or email my VA Form 10091, when can I check the status of my submission or how will I be notified?

Answer: Unlike the webform, there is no means to check the status of your paper form in the Customer Engagement Portal. However, like the webform process you should expect to receive at least two different emails from “FSC.CustomerSupportDoNotReply@va.gov” with Case Status mailto:FSC.CustomerSupportDoNotReply@va.gov updates. The first email you should arrive approximately three to seven days from the day you faxed or emailed your Enrollment form letting you know a Case was created and provide you a Case Number. (Keep this email for reference.) The VA Financial Services Center team processing your form may take up to 15-days. Once the form is processed, expect to receive another email indicating your case was resolved/closed which means your form was successfully processed.

Question: How is sending my form by mail different from sending it by fax or email?

Answer: The VA relies on the mail carrier to deliver the Enrollment form to the VA Financial Services Center. If they are successful, add about 7 days to the fax/email processing time outline in the previous FAQ. If you do not receive an email within 10-days of sending, you may need to resubmit your Enrollment form. Consider using fax or email in the second try.

Question: If I sent my form by mail but did not receive an email within 10-days of sending, can I call the FSC help desk (FSC Call Care Center)?

Answer: Yes, you may call; however, until you receive a Case Number, the FSC may not be able to locate your form. You may want to consider sending in your original form using the fax or email option at this time or use the webform option.

General –

Question: I need to add or remove an Authorized Representative after I submit my form, what do I do?

Answer: Please call the VA FSC help desk (FSC Call Care Center) at: 1-877-353-9791. After they authenticate who you are, they will provide you with additional assistance.

Need Additional Assistance?

If you need assistance, please contact the VA FSC’s help desk (Customer Care Center) at 1-877- 353-9791. Please have your Case Number readily available as this will help them locate your request.

Need ID.me Assistance: As this is not a VA program or site, please visit:

Verifying for Veterans Affairs – ID.me Help Center https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/categories/200309310-Verifying-for-Veterans-Affairs

Thank you for you service to our Nation’s Veterans!

https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/categories/200309310-Verifying-for-Veterans-Affairs https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/categories/200309310-Verifying-for-Veterans-Affairs