Contributor

Making Payments

USAC collects and disburses funds for the federal universal service fund (USF). Companies that make regular payments to the USF are called "contributors." Companies that receive disbursements from the USF are called either "service providers" or "applicants."

Below is a list of the types of payments owed to USAC by contributors, service providers, and applicants. Click on the links below for more information about each type of payment and specific instructions to ensure USAC can apply payments correctly to the entities' accounts.

For entities that disagree with the amount billed, please refer to the Disputes and Appeals section on our website to determine proper course of action.

Companies that require a W-9 from USAC for tax reporting purposes can find it here.

Types of Payments Companies Make to USAC:

  • Contributor Payment - Funds that contributing companies send to USAC upon receiving their monthly invoices. Contribution amounts are based on the data that companies submit in their FCC Forms 499-A/Q.
  • Program Recoveries - Funds disbursed to applicants or service providers that must be returned to USAC - e.g., Commitment Adjustments (COMADs), demand letters, negative disbursement invoices
  • Payment Plan Payments - For companies that have been approved by USAC to pay their fund obligations on an installment basis (payment plan)
  • Bankruptcy Payments - For companies in bankruptcy that have USF obligations for Administrative or Recovery payments, they should mail the payments directly to the Lockbox

Non-USAC Payments:

Examples of non-USAC payments that should NOT be sent to USAC include, but are not limited to, DCIA payments, other FCC payments, and individual state (not federal) USF payments.