USAC Announces September 8 Transition to SAM.gov Banking Information
September 2, 2026
USAC has announced that it will begin using SAM.gov banking information to remit payment for all Universal Service Fund (USF) invoices starting on September 8, 2026. Per the announcement, USAC reminds E-Rate applicants who invoice using the Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) method, have an active SAM.gov registration, and have added their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to FCC Form 498 in EPC do not need to take any additional action. All invoices paid after September 8 will be disbursed to the bank account associated with their SAM.gov registration.
Payments Will Be Held for BEAR Filers Without an Active SAM.gov Registration and UEI
The announcement also states:
- All E-Rate applicants who use the BEAR method to invoice USAC and receive USF disbursements must have their current SAM.gov UEI on their FCC Form 498 in EPC and must have a valid bank account associated with their SAM.gov registration.
- BEAR filers who have not registered with SAM.gov or added their UEI to the FCC Form 498 in EPC should do so promptly. Once USAC transitions to SAM.gov banking information, BEAR filers without a UEI on their FCC Form 498 can submit invoices, but USAC will hold their payments until these steps are completed.
- If a payment is held, USAC will send an email to the E-Rate remittance contact notifying them of the hold with the subject line “Action Required: Your Payment is on Hold.”
- For questions about a held payment, contact the USAC Customer Service Center at CustomerSupport@USAC.org.
- E-Rate applicants who do not wish to submit their UEI in EPC can elect to use the Service Provider Invoice (SPI) method and should follow the steps to switch their invoicing method.
- SAM.gov requires users to renew their registration annually. The renewal process is conducted through the SAM.gov website. Once users complete their renewal, SAM.gov will inform USAC; E-Rate applicants do not need to take any action with their FCC Form 498.
Updating the Form 498
Using USAC’s E-Rate Applicant 498 UEI Confirmation Tool, I pulled the most recent data for applicants listed as having a Form 498 without a UEI. You can access the list by clicking No UEI on Form 498 as of 9-2-2026. The list also shows your Form 498 status. If the status is listed as “Rejected,” “Bank Rejected,” or “In Progress,” I’ve added notes on how to proceed.
For step-by-step instructions on updating or modifying the existing Form 498, I’ve provided a guide you can access by clicking on Form-498-Filing – Updating-Guide-UEI & Banking Info.
How do you know if you need to submit a BEAR?
The easy answer is that if you received discounted bills from your vendor, you do not need to submit a BEAR (your E-Rate discounts were applied to your bill). If you did not receive discounted bills, you will likely need to file a BEAR to collect your reimbursement. I’ve provided an updated list, which you can access by clicking on Invoicing Status of ALL FY2025 FRNs as of 9-2-2026, showing the invoicing status for every FY 2025 FRN (including internal connections and FRNs for which vendors have already provided discounted bills) to give you a holistic picture of your FY 2025 funding requests. Column R shows the status of the FRN; those highlighted in yellow require your attention, and those highlighted in green may require possible action.
Where Can I Find the BEAR Form?
A Guide to the Form 472 BEAR Invoicing System is available at: Form-472-BEAR-Filing-Guide.pdf. To access the EPC Invoicing System, log into EPC and select “EPC E-Rate Invoicing” from the shortcuts menu in the top right corner of your Landing Page. If you don’t see this link, it means that your EPC Account Administrator must change your User Permissions in their EPC portal (see Slide 11 for instructions on changing User Permissions). Hint: the BEAR allows (but does not require) you to upload a copy of the relevant vendor invoice, and I encourage you to do so for Category 2 funding requests.
FY 2026 Purchases
Many applicants purchased FY 2026 internal connections equipment after April 1, 2026, and paid for the equipment in full. Assuming they have received an FCDL and filed the Form 486, those applicants may now submit BEARs for those purchases as well. For instructions on filing the Form 486, see the Form 486 Filing Guide FY 2026.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Lorrie
Lorrie Germann
Pennsylvania E-Rate Coordinator
717-576-2737 – o
lgermann@e-ratepa.org
www.e-ratepa.org