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Why does PBS charge a fee?
The statutory authorities that permit PBS to provide reimbursable services require GSA to recoup all indirect costs.
What does the RWA Management Fee cover?
The RWA Management Fee is to cover PBS’s indirect costs which includes the costs of managing the reimbursable program nationwide.
What determines if the old or current fee structure is applied and when?
For nonseverable services:
If an RWA is amended, does the current fee structure apply?
No. The RWA will keep whichever fee structure was associated with it when the RWA was originally accepted, based on the RWA acceptance date.
If the entire amount of the RWA is not needed, will customers still be charged the original fee amount shown on the RETA estimate?
No. Customers only get charged a fee based on the actual amount of cost expensed. If the original RWA was for $10,000, but PBS only expensed $8,000, the fee will be assessed and charged based upon the $8,000. Any remaining value on the RWA, including any remainder originally estimated for the fee, will be returned to the customer via the RWA Closeout Letter.
What is the fee structure, and where can I see the values?
The current fee structure for nonrecurring RWAs is a stepped fee. A stepped fee means that the fee rate decreases as the project costs increase. The fee structure for recurring RWAs is a flat $500 per child estimate (e.g. overtime utilities in GSA-owned space). All RWAs (recurring and nonrecurring) will be charged a minimum of $500. You can find the table showing the different fee rates for each dollar range at gsa.gov/rwa on the Policy and Guidance page.
How often does PBS revise the RWA fee structure?
In an effort to ensure PBS is recovering the appropriate amount for management of all Reimbursable work, PBS reviews and updates our PBS fee every 3-5 years. The fee most recently changed on August 1, 2020.
If an RWA is amended to add additional funds, how is the fee calculated?
The fee is charged on the new total value of the RWA, not on the additional cost. For example, if $5,000 is added to a $20,000 RWA, the fee will be calculated based on $25,000.
I only have a very small RWA - will I still be charged the minimum fee of $500? What other options do I have?
Yes - all RWAs will be charged a minimum of $500 to cover GSA’s cost to establish and maintain the RWA. Customers have the option to NOT create an RWA, and instead use Micro-Purchase Authority, which can be delegated within your agency. You can visit the Facilities Management page for more information.
For F-type RWAs for miscellaneous services, is the customer charged $500 just to establish the RWA, and then another $500 for every task ordered against that RWA?
No, F-type RWAs follow the stepped fee structure, so the fee applied is based on the estimated total project costs associated with the RWA. There is not a separate fee assessed on top of each task ordered against the RWA.
Where can I get more information about the old (4% and sliding scale) fee structure?
More information is available at gsa.gov/rwa under Policy and Guidance, or you can reach out to AskRWA@gsa.gov for questions if you have additional questions.
What are Direct Costs?
Direct Costs are not the fee. They are the expenses that are directly linked to the goods or services by contract awards or direct labor if applicable.
What is Direct Labor?
PBS provides a base level of service to manage reimbursable work, and that base service is covered in our RWA Management Fee. Costs which exceed that base level of service or self-perform work that PBS would otherwise contract for (e.g. completing a design) is required to be “directly charged”. For direct charges, PBS estimates how much additional labor or travel will be required in excess of the base service, and invoices labor and travel as it is utilized. A detailed list of PBS base services and services which are in excess of that base are outlined with the PBS Pricing Desk Guide.
Can PBS charge customers for the level of effort required to develop the scope of work for projects that customers do not follow through on?
No, as it considered the cost of doing business.
Who should customers contact with billing issues?
Visit gsa.gov/rwa and use the Contact Us page to find the right billing contact.
Can customers use a purchase card to pay for an RWA?
Yes, but it’s not recommended for most federal customers due to additional fees.
If customers choose to use a purchase card:
When will customers be billed?
GSA bills RWAs around the 19th of each month (or the next business day).
Where can customers view their bill?
Bills are available in the Vendor and Customer Self-Service (VCSS) system a few days after billing (typically around the 25th of the month).
Bills are not emailed or mailed—customers must log into VCSS to view them.
What is VCSS?
VCSS (Vendor and Customer Self-Service) is the system customers use to:
Do invoices or billing delays affect project completion?
No.
Billing and payments affect financial closeout, but they do not delay when GSA marks the work as complete.
Where can I learn more about IPAC transactions?
For detailed guidance, refer to resources published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on interagency transactions.
What is G-Invoicing?
G-Invoicing is a government-wide system for managing interagency agreements and payments. For more information, visit the G-Invoicing page.
When will GSA start using G-Invoicing for RWAs?
In FY27 GSA PBS will begin using the 7600EZ for billing and settlement. GSA PBS RWA Program will not be ready to create orders in G-invoicing for a few more years. Customers will continue using eRETA to establish WRs and enter RWAs. For more information, please contact ginvoicing.rwa@gsa.gov.
How does GSA verify the customer is using the correct funding year?
Customers must cite funding which is available for obligation during the fiscal year (FY) of bona fide need of the work. GSA uses the supporting information and the Treasury Account Symbol on the RWA to verify the correct funding year is being used. Note that RETA/eRETA will give validation errors if there are mismatches between the fund year/type/etc. For more information about the bona fide need rule, appropriation law, and fund types, please see the RWA Policy Manual available at gsa.gov/rwa on the Policy and Guidance page.
When do my funds expire? When will my RWA get closed?
That depends. How long funds are good for is defined by the “funding appropriation availability” from Appropriation law dictates how long funds are valid for (5 years after the expiration of obligational authority). For more information on Appropriation law and how it dictates fund availability, please see the RWA Policy Manual available at gsa.gov/rwa on the Policy and Guidance page.
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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the Department of State.
Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
U.S. General Services Administration