TABLE OF CONTENTS
(click on any link below to go directly a particular subject)

  1. Introduction

    2.  
  2. Determining If You are Required To Pay a Fee For Your Application

    3.  
  3. The FCC Form 159 - Required for All Payments

    4.  
  4. Paying by Check, Bank Draft or Money Order

    5.  
  5. Paying by Credit Card (Online and by Regular Mail)

    6.  
  6. Paying by Wire Transfer or Other Electronic Payments

    7.  
  7. Instructions for Hand-Delivery or Courier Delivery of Payments

    8.  
  8. Requests for Waivers, Refunds, Reinstatements and Fee Determinations

    9.  
  9. The International and Satellite Services Fee Filing Guide

 


STILL HAVE FEE QUESTIONS? 
If you have questions regarding your application and/or fee, you may call toll free the FCC's Consumer Center at 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322). For information on CORES call the CORES Administrator at 1-877-480-3201. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Introduction 
      So you’ve filed your application through IBFS and need to know how and where to pay the appropriate fee for your application. This is an important step, since we cannot begin processing your application until your payment is received and processed by US Bank.


      2. You have 3 basic options for submitting your payment to the FCC:
       

          1. Pay by Check
          2. Pay by Credit Card
          3. Pay by Wire Transfer or Electronic Funds Transfer

        This guide is designed to walk you through the steps to properly making your payment.
       

      Back to Table of Contents                Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Determining If You are Required to Pay a Fee for Your Application
      You must pay a processing fee for most of the applications you file through IBFS. However, there are some situations in which the applicant is exempt from fees or the application does not have a fee associated with it.


      2. To view detailed information on exemptions and Non-Feeable Applications, please read our Non-Feeable Applications and Fee Exempt Rules section. (You can also access this information from the IBFS homepage.)
       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. The FCC Form 159 - Required for All Payments


      2. The FCC Form 159, "Remittance Advice" is a multi-purpose form that must accompany any payment to the Federal Communications Commission. (e.g., Regulatory Fees, Processing Fees, Fines, Forfeitures, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Billings or any other debt due to the FCC.) The information on this form is collected and stored in a database to ensure credit of full payment of monies due, to expedite any refunds due and to service public inquiries. IBFS allows you to easily complete a Form 159 for electronically filed applications. For specific information on completing a Form 159 using IBFS, refer to chapters IV, V or VI of this document.
       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Paying by Check, Bank Draft or Money Order

      2. General Information on Paying By Check, Bank Draft or Money Order

      If paying by check, bank draft, money order or wire transfer, your remittance must be denominated in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. financial institution and made payable to "FCC." Applicants located in foreign countries should contact their local bank to determine what U.S. financial institution their bank is affiliated with that will allow a transfer of funds. Please keep in mind that there may be an additional fee added from the transferring bank for this service. No postdated, altered or third party checks will be accepted. No checks will be accepted for processing if older than six months.

      Paying By Check Using the Form 159 in IBFS

      Below are Step-By-Step instructions for completing a Form 159, and mailing in your check, bank draft, money order or credit card payment:
       

        1. MAKE SURE YOUR APPLICATION IS FILED. Before you can pay for any application in IBFS, you must make sure you have filed your application. You can check this by looking at the "STATUS" column on the right side of your application in your account maintenance window. If you want to pay for an application, its status should be "FILED".

          2.  
        2. CLICK ON THE "FORM 159 MENU" MENU TO START THE 159 PROCESS. This button is located just above the list of applications you’ve completed in your account maintenance window. Clicking this button will open another window with a list of applications eligible for payment.

          3.  
        3. ENTER YOU PAYER AND APPLICANT TIN NUMBERS. You will see payer and applicant Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) fields at the top of the screen.

          4.  
        4. SELECT THE APPLICATION(S) YOU WANT TO INCLUDE ON THIS FORM 159. If you scroll down you will see a list of all of your applications that have been filed and are eligible for payment in a table. The left column of the table has a check box where you can select one or more applications for payment. Click the check box(es) next to the application(s) for which you are making a payment and then click the "CONTINUE" button to move to the next section of the form.

          5. Remember that if you want to pay for multiple applications on one, 159, you must follow Part 1 of the FCC’s rules regarding multiple payments. For example, all applications paid for on a single Form 159 must be from the same lockbox. The lockbox is the P.O. Box listed in the address for that application type in the International and Satellite Services Fee Guide. For more information on multiple, please contact Claudette Pride at 202-418-1996.
           

        5. COMPLETE THE FRN WINDOW. You should now see a window asking for your (the applicant’s) FCC Registration Number (FRN). If you already have an FRN enter enter it and your FRN password in the fields provided. (If you are a ULS user, an FRN and password were assigned by the FCC and mailed to you in July 2000. You do not need to get a different FRN to use IBFS.)

          6. If you do not have an FRN, please note that at this time, you are NOT REQUIRED TO ENTER AN FRN on the Form 159. How do you get past this FRN screen on the Form 159? It’s simple. When the window asking for the FRN pops up, just look to the right hand side of that window. You will notice a link labeled PAYER INFORMATION. Just click on it and it will allow you to move on to the next section of the form.
           

        6. COMPLETE THE PAYER INFORMATION SCREEN. You should now see a small window listing the payer name and address information fields. The payer is the person or company whose name is on the check or credit card being used to pay for the application. You will notice that the fields have been pre-filled with the applicant address information. If the applicant is not the payer, review this information and edit it as necessary. Make sure you provide information for each field.

          7. When you have finished editing this information click the "UPDATE" button to move to the next step in the process.
           

        7. VIEW YOUR COMPLETED FORM 159. You will now see a payment summary screen with two buttons on it. If you want to pay for this application by mailing in your payment, click the "VIEW FORM 159" button. . (Depending on your computer’s setup, you may see a small window that giving you viewing options. You should click the circle next to the "OPEN IT" option and click ok.) You will now see a read-only version of your completed Form 159. You can print this form by selecting "FILE" then "PRINT" from your browser’s drop-down menu.

          8.  
        8. SEND IN YOUR PAYMENT. At this point, you should mail in your completed form 159 and your payment to the appropriate address at US Bank in St. Louis, MO. You can find mailing instructions in the INTERNATIONAL AND SATELLITE SERVICES APPLICATION FEE GUIDE located at www.fcc.gov/fees/appfees.html . REMEMBER: We must receive your payment within 14 calendar days from the date of your filing. If no payment is received within that time, we may dismiss your application.

       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Paying by Credit Card (Online and by Regular Mail)

      2. Paying For Your Application With A Credit Card By Mail

      If you wish to send in your credit card payment by regular mail, you should follow the step-by-step instructions for payment in Chapter IV of this document.

      Paying For Your Application With A Credit Card Over The Internet

      You may pay for your IBFS applications using a VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER or AMERICAN EXPRESS credit card. (For your privacy and protection, the credit card information submitted to the FCC is encrypted using 128-bit SSL. You must have a browser that supports 128-bit encrypted SSL to pay online by credit card. If you are using Netscape or Internet Explorer version 4.0 or higher, you are able to pay online. If you have an earlier version of either Netscape or Internet Explorer, you should upgrade to a version 4.0 or higher before attempting to pay online.)

      Below are Step-By-Step instructions for paying online with your Credit Card.


           
        1. MAKE SURE YOUR APPLICATION IS FILED. Before you can pay for any application in IBFS, you must make sure you have filed your application. You can check this by looking at the "STATUS" column on the right side of your application in your account maintenance window. If you want to pay for an application, its status should be "FILED".

          2.  
        2. CLICK ON THE "FORM 159 MENU" MENU TO START THE 159 PROCESS. This button is located just above the list of applications you’ve completed in your account maintenance window. Clicking this button will open another window with a list of applications eligible for payment.

          3.  
        3. ENTER YOU PAYER AND APPLICANT TIN NUMBERS. You will see payer and applicant Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) fields at the top of the screen.

          4.  
        4. SELECT THE APPLICATION(S) YOU WANT TO INCLUDE ON THIS FORM 159. If you scroll down you will see a list of all of your applications that have been filed and are eligible for payment in a table. The left column of the table has a check box where you can select one or more applications for payment. Click the check box(es) next to the application(s) for which you are making a payment and then click the "CONTINUE" button to move to the next section of the form.

          5. Remember that if you want to pay for multiple applications on one, 159, you must follow Part 1 of the FCC’s rules regarding multiple payments. For example, all applications paid for on a single Form 159 must be from the same lockbox. The lockbox is the P.O. Box listed in the address for that application type in the International and Satellite Services Fee Guide. For more information on multiple, please contact Claudette Pride at 202-418-1996.
           

        5. COMPLETE THE FRN WINDOW. You should now see a window asking for your (the applicant’s) FCC Registration Number (FRN). If you already have an FRN enter enter it and your FRN password in the fields provided. (If you are a ULS user, an FRN and password were assigned by the FCC and mailed to you in July 2000. You do not need to get a different FRN to use IBFS.)

          6. If you do not have an FRN, please note that at this time, you are NOT REQUIRED TO ENTER AN FRN on the Form 159. How do you get past this FRN screen on the Form 159? It’s simple. When the window asking for the FRN pops up, just look to the right hand side of that window. You will notice a link labeled PAYER INFORMATION. Just click on it and it will allow you to move on to the next section of the form.
           

        6. COMPLETE THE PAYER INFORMATION SCREEN. You should now see a small window listing the payer name and address information fields. The payer is the person or company whose name is on the check or credit card being used to pay for the application. You will notice that the fields have been pre-filled with the applicant address information. If the applicant is not the payer, review this information and edit it as necessary. Make sure you provide information for each field.

          7. When you have finished editing this information click the "UPDATE" button to move to the next step in the process.
           

        7. VIEW YOUR COMPLETED FORM 159. (Optional step) You will now see a payment summary screen with two buttons on it. If you want to view your completed Form 159 before you pay online, click the "VIEW FORM 159" button. (Depending on your computer’s setup, you may see a small window that giving you viewing options. You should click the circle next to the "OPEN IT" option and click ok.) You will now see a read-only version of your completed Form 159. You can print this form by selecting "FILE" then "PRINT" from your browser’s drop-down menu.

          8.  
        8. PAY ONLINE WITH A CREDIT CARD. If you now want to pay for this application over the internet with the payer’s credit card, make sure you get back to the payment options window from step 7. To do this, click the "Back" button at on your browser’s menu bar until you see the payment summary window. (Your browser setup may not allow you to do this. If your back button does not work, try closing only the window with the printable 159. This should bring you back to the screen that says it’s generating a viewable 159 form. Using the RIGHT mouse button, right click anywhere on the screen and select "back" from the drop-down menu. This should bring you back to the payment summary screen.)

          9. Then, click the "PAY NOW" button.


        1. In some browsers, you will see a NEW SITE CERTIFICATE window. Click the "NEXT" button at the bottom of the screen. Click the "NEXT" button 3 more times until you see a button that is labeled "FINISH". Click the "FINISH" button. This may bring you back to the payment summary screen. If it does, click on the "PAY NOW" button again.

          2.  
        2. You will now see a Credit Card Information Screen. Enter your credit card information and click the "SUBMIT PAYMENT" button at the bottom of the window.

          3. If your payment is approved, you will see a confirmation screen that you should print out and save for your files as proof of payment.

          Your payment may not go through for several reasons.
           

        1. If your credit card information is not recognized as valid, you will see a screen asking you to check your credit card information and try submitting again.


          2.  
        2. If your payment is declined, you will see a window telling you that your payment was not approved and instructing you consult your bank. The first thing you should do is check the credit information you submitted. If you made a mistake entering the number, re-enter it and try submitting again. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY GIVE YOU THREE TRIES TO SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION. If your payment is still not approved, first contact your bank to determine why the payment was not approved. Then contact us at IBFS (202-418-2222) to give you permission to rerun a new Form 159 and resubmit your credit card payment.

       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Paying by Wire Transfer or Other Electronic Payments

      2. Payment of fees, fines, and other debts may also be made by electronic payment. There are two types of electronic payments available. The first type is designed specifically for larger corporations capable of CPU/CPU communication. Under this method, the payer bank wires funds directly to the Commission's lockbox bank. As with cash payments, the funds must be wired from an U.S. financial institution. The second type is designed for smaller businesses and individuals. Under this method, the lockbox bank is given authority to withdraw funds from the customer's bank account. Authorization can be transmitted by a personal computer or by calling a toll-free number. To obtain more information about electronic payment and how it works, please contact the Credit & Debt Management Group at (202) 418-1995.
       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Instructions for Hand-Delivery or Courier Delivery of Payments

      2. If you file your application through IBFS and decide to pay the associated filing fee by check, bank draft or money order, you must send your payment along with a completed Form 159 to the US Bank address specified for it in the International and Satellite Services Fee Filing Guide.

      Parties hand-delivering fee filings may receive dated receipt copies of the filing from the acceptance clerk at the time of delivery. Receipts will be provided for mail-in filings if an extra copy of the filing (in this case, your completed Form 159) is provided along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Only one piece of paper per application will be stamped for receipt purposes. A "stamp and receipt" copy must be placed on top of the original package and clearly identified as a return copy.

      If you send your completed Form 159 and payment by hand or by courier, you must:

      1. Place your completed Form 159 and your payment inside an envelope. On the outside of this envelope, type or write the address specified for your type of application in the International and Satellite Services Fee Filing Guide. Your address will look something like this:

        2. SAMPLE ADDRESS
        Federal Communications Commission
        International Bureau - Earth Stations
        P.O. Box 979093
        St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

         

      2. Place the envelope from step one inside your courier envelope and use the following address on the outside of your courier envelope:

      Federal Communications Commission
      c/o Lockbox 979095
      SL-MO-C2-GL
      1005 Convention Plaza
      St. Louis, MO 63101

       
       
       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. Requests for Waivers, Refunds, Reinstatements and Fee Determinations

      2.   MANAGING DIRECTOR DECISIONS

      Requests for waivers, fee determinations, reconsiderations, applications for review, deferments, and specific refund requests are referred directly to the Office of the Managing Director. Each request is forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review and legal determination. 47 CFR, Part 1, Sections 1.1113, 1.1114 & 1.1117 govern the Commission's policy in these instances. The requester will receive written notification of the Managing Director's decision. These decisions are published monthly and are placed in FCC Docket 86-285. All such requests must be submitted in writing to:
       
       

      Managing Director
      Federal Communications Commission
      445 12th Street, SW, Room 1A625
      Washington, DC 20554





      WAIVERS, FEE DETERMINATIONS, AND DEFERRALS PROCESS

      The required filing fee must be paid for the service requested using the normal process. All requests for waivers, and fee determinations are filed directly with the Managing Director in Washington, DC. Deferrals of fees are also filed in Washington, DC, and have a limit of up to six months with good cause.

      REFUND PROCESS

      Routine refund requests are handled by the appropriate Bureau/Office. When a Bureau/Office determines that a refund is warranted, it is forwarded to the Office of the Managing Director, Credit & Debt Management Group for processing. The Credit & Debt Management Group (CDMG) handles all approved refund requests. The refund process usually takes four (4) weeks depending upon the complexity of the request. Once a request has been reviewed and processed by CDMG, it is forwarded to the U.S. Treasury in San Francisco, California where a check is issued to the payer of the remittance. For further information on return or refund of charges, refer to 47 CFR, Part 1, Section 1.1113 of the Commission's rules.
       
       
       
       

      Back to Table of Contents               Next Chapter                IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    1. The International and Satellite Services Fee Filing Guide

      2. The International and Satellite Services Fee Filing Guide provides information on filing fees and where to file them. A copy of the fee filing guide is located on the FCC web site at the following address:

      http://www.fcc.gov/fees/appfees.html

      Back to Table of Contents               IBFS Homepage


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Federal Communication Commission has authority under Section 8 of the Communications Act to charge fees for application processing. However, there are times where you may not be required to pay a fee. The following set of questions and answers should help you determine whether you need to send a payment to us for your application.

If you have additional questions regarding fee issues, please contact Claudette Pride, Chief of the Credit and Debt Management Branch at 202-418-1996, or our IBFS HelpLine at 202-418-2222.


 
    1. Question: How do I know if I am NOT required to pay a fee for the application I have filed through IBFS?

      2. Answer: You may NOT be required to pay a fee for an application if:

      1. If you meet one or more of the standards for general exemption in Section 1.1114 of the Commission’s Rules.

        2. OR

      2. If the application you are filing does not require a fee.


       
    2. Question: How do I know if I fit into one of the categories in Section 1.1114 of the Commission’s Rules?

      3. Answer: For International Services, the following applicants are usually exempt from paying a filing fee:

      1. Applicants providing, or proposing to provide, a non-commercial educational or instructional service;

      2. Applicants who qualify as governmental entities. We define a governmental entity as any state, city, county, town, village, municipal corporation or similar political organization or subpart thereof controlled by publicly elected or duly appointed public officials exercising sovereign direction and control over their respective communities or programs.

      To view the full text of Section 1.1114 of the Commission’s rules click the link below:

      Section 1.1114 of the Rules

    3. Question: Are schools and Universities always exempt from fees?

      4. Answer: No. Educational institutions that provide, or are proposing to provide, commercial service must pay application fees.

    4. Question: Do I need to provide any special documentation to prove I am fee exempt?

      5. Answer: Yes. To be considered fee exempt, you must attach a statement to your IBFS filing, explaining how you qualify as fee exempt.

    5. Question: Which IBFS applications never require a fee?

      6. Answer: The following applications do not require you to pay a fee: