Section II: Key Program Participants

Numerous individuals and offices are involved in the administration of the GSA SmartPay® 2 program. This section will describe the key participants and provide a brief description of their major roles and responsibilities.

1. Who are the major participants in the GSA SmartPay® 2 program within my agency/organization?

Agency/Organization Program Coordinator (A/OPC) - As an A/OPC, you are responsible for the management and oversight of the accounts under your purview. Generally speaking, these responsibilities include::

• Setting up cardholder accounts and authorization controls;
• Serving as a liaison between cardholders and the bank;
• Providing ongoing advice and assistance to cardholders;
• Auditing Purchase Charge Card accounts as required by your agency policy;
• Maintaining account information;
• Using the bank's Electronic Access System to perform account management and oversight; and
• Developing agency policies and procedures as needed.

Approving Official (AO) - The AO is the individual responsible for reviewing and approving cardholder transactions to assure proper use of the Purchase Charge Card. The AO makes sure that purchases are necessary and appropriate for accomplishing the mission of the agency, and for resolving any questionable purchases with the cardholder. The AO may also be known as the reviewing or certifying official and may be responsible for certifying the monthly invoice resulting from the purchases/transactions of the cardholders.

Cardholder - The cardholder is the individual or agency/organization component designated by an agency/organization to receive a charge card. The cardholder is responsible for:

• Securing the charge card;
• Maintaining a log of all purchases;
• Using the charge card only to make informed buys of approved goods and services, following all applicable statutes and regulations;
• Ensuring availability of funds before making a purchase;
• Observing all dollar limits on purchases;
• Reconciling and documenting transactions; and
• Using the charge card ethically.

Designated Billing Office (DBO) - The DBO generally serves as the focal point for receipt of official centrally billed invoices. The DBO also serves as the liaison between the agency/organization, the A/OPC and the Centrally Billed Account (CBA) cardholder. Your agency may also require the DBO to perform Approving Official (AO) duties. The DBO oversees the proper processing of invoices and ensures invoices are paid within the Prompt Payment Act timeframes. Responsibilities typically include:

• Reconciling invoices;
• Providing feedback to the A/OPC on bank performance;
• Determining whether to pursue faster payment of official invoices in order to take advantage of productivity refunds, if in the best interest of the Government;
• Providing timely payment to the bank;
• Providing proper interest penalties for payments that exceed Prompt Payment Act Timeframes; and
• Making certain that the agency/organization's task order is adequately funded.

Transaction Dispute Officer (TDO) - The TDO is an individual or office that may be designated by the ordering agency/organization to assist the agency/organization and the bank in tracking and resolving disputed purchases or transactions. The TDO oversees the proper processing of transaction disputes and works with the bank to resolve transaction disputes.

EC/EDI Office (EO) - The EO is the focal point for electronic commerce/electronic data interchange for the agency/organization. This office also serves as the liaison between the A/OPC, EC/EDI systems staff and the bank. The EO oversees the proper implementation of the agency/organization EC/EDI capabilities and processes