p2 Digitizing the General 

 Lockbox Network 

p3 Discover Tomorrow’s 

 Solution with OTCnet

p4 Looking Ahead: 

 Meet the New OTCnet 

 Log In System, CAIA 

p4 Moving from Paper 

 (Cash/Check) Collections 

 to Electronic Collections

p5 CIR is moving to the cloud!

p6 Transforming Our 

Operations to Better Serve 

Our Customers

p7 FedNow Instant Payments

p8 eCommerce At-A-Glance Revenue 

Collections 

Management 

Spring 2023

LEAD. TRANSFORM. DELIVER.
As consumer demand for digital capabilities grows, 

Treasury embraces the opportunity for modernization 

and innovation. One area for growth is the General 

Lockbox Network (GLN), a program offered by Fiscal 

Service to help federal government agencies process 

non-tax paper checks and other remittance documents 

received through the mail. Treasury aims to replace 

paper transactions collected through the GLN with 

convenient and secure electronic solutions as 

part of the ten-year vision for the Future of Federal 

Financial Management.

Processing payments through the General Lockbox 

Network is significantly more expensive and resourcedependent for agencies than the electronic collection 

methods offered by Fiscal Service. The extensive paper 

and labor resources used in the GLN lead to operational 

inefficiencies in the payment process. 

Due to these increased risks and expenses, the banking 

industry is rapidly transitioning away from providing 

lockbox services and shifting their focus to more 

innovative solutions. 

We owe the American taxpayer our best effort to 

implement electronic collection channels that are 

less expensive and more efficient than paper-based 

processes, and provide customers with a more secure, 

modern, transaction experience. Fiscal Service and the 

GLN highly recommend expanding the use of 

Pay.gov and the adoption of other e-Commerce 

solutions, such as Online Bill Payment (OLBP) and 

Mobile Check Capture. These services provide 

federal agencies with improved fraud prevention, 

faster payment reconciliation, and reduced manual 

processing, while offering customers a simple, 

easy-to-follow payment process and enhanced 

data security.

Fiscal Service will also support agencies implementing 

a “No Cash No Check” policy and assist agencies 

with communication materials to ease the transition 

experience of customers. Please refer to the TFM Part 

5 Chapter 2000 Section 2025 in the Treasury Financial 

Manual for more information. 

Join us in our effort to provide customers with the most 

secure, convenient, and efficient payment methods. 

For questions about GLN or adopting electronic 

collection methods, or to be provided with 

communication materials to promote electronic 

methods to your customers, please contact: 

Agency Relationship Management Division

arm@fiscal.treasury.gov

Digitizing the General Lockbox Network

2
Discover Tomorrow’s 

Solution with OTCnet

OTCnet Essentials: 

Meet the Payment Methods for Every Task

Card Processing

The Card Processing terminal can be plugged into your existing workstation and accept debit, credit, 

and gift card payments. OTCnet Card Processing streamlines payment processing and reporting 

within one application. 

Want to enable customers to make self-assisted payments? The OTC Kiosk Tablet integrates the 

card terminal with a plug-and-play Check Processing scanner. The Kiosk Tablet is a lightweight 

and modern touch screen device that is ideal for locations with a small footprint. Interested in 

modernizing your payment collections? Get Started with Card Processing today!

Self-Service Kiosk

For a full suite of payment methods, the OTC Self-Service Kiosk allows a customized combination of 

all collection types. Agencies can host a large footprint of users and support Card Processing, Check 

Processing, and Deposits. The OTC Self-Service Kiosk comes with the added benefit of outdoor capabilities, 

custom receipt printing, custom agency logo placement, and top tier security provisioning. Visit the Getting 

Started: OTC Kiosk page for more information.

Check Processing

Agencies will find that Fiscal Service offers streamlined options to process payments electronically (Pay.

gov, Online Bill Payment, ACH, and more!) and prefer directing customers to these quick payments. If you 

receive paper checks, we still want you to convert paper checks to electronic payments. OTCnet Check 

Processing allows for a convenient way to conduct check scanning. 

The RDM and Panini scanners facilitate single or multi-feel check scanning. 

New Check Scanners: OTCnet now supports the RDM 9600i and 9700i series check scanners. 

For information on the latest check scanner updates, see the Hardware Overview.

Mobile Solutions

For agencies that want to process checks on the go, consider the OTCnet Mobile Check Capture solution. 

You can accept payments anywhere, anytime! Mobile check capture users benefit from enhanced 

security, one-step check capture, logo customization, fast processing time and more. Contact the Agency 

Relationship Management team to learn more.

Foundations for Success: Being an OTCnet PLSA/LSA

Do you support your agency as an OTCnet Primary/Local Security Administrator? 

As an LSA, you maintain users access by assigning and removing user roles and OTCnet hierarchy access. 

LSAs can also view security reports. PLSAs have the same functionalities as LSAs with the additional 

capability of creating and modifying LSAs. 

Want to see which user roles you can provision? Refer to Topic 2. OTCnet User Roles in OTCnet Participant 

User Guide for Administration. Your Deployment Specialist can help you navigate any user role provisioning. 

Looking to create user accounts? No problem! (P)LSAs will use the Fiscal Treasury ISIM page and log in 

with their Treasury Single Sign On (SSO) ID and navigate to “New External User Identity” from the ISIM 

menu. If you need any assistance, please reach out to the OTCnet Deployment Team: Fiscalservice.

otcdeployment@citi.com

Agency Spotlight: 

U.S. Courts Accepts Card

Payments

OTCnet is proud to support the United States Courts

through launching card processing at over five locations

across the United States. U.S. Courts has successfully 

used OTCnet card processing across district and 

bankruptcy courts to collect payments. 

Contact the OTCnet Deployment Team to learn more about

how your agency can integrate card processing into their 

collections suite.

3
DID YOU 

KNOW? 

The U.S. Treasury is strongly recommending agencies move away 

from collecting cash and checks and toward electronic solutions 

(i.e., Pay.Gov, Digital Wallet (PayPal/Amazon Pay) Online Bill 

Payment, ACH Credit/Debit) for collections. The OTCnet team 

has a goal of reducing paper deposit volume by 25% by 2025. 

For any assistance on this transition, please contact your 

Agency Relationship Manager to discuss your agency’s electronic 

collections options. 

We understand that after all efforts have been exhausted 

there will be a need to provide banking services for cash 

collections that cannot be moved to an electronic solution. 

Here are some helpful reminders on what is necessary when 

making physical deposits:

• If an agency wants to deposit Treasury General Account

(TGA) funds at a financial institution, the deposit

arrangement must be authorized by the Federal Reserve

Bank of St. Louis (acting as agent for U.S. Treasury). In

order to obtain authorization to deposit at a financial

institution, the agency must submit an Agency Profile Sheet

(APS) to the Federal Reserve Bank St Louis Treasury

General Account team.

• Verify with your approved TGA depositary for their business

day cut-off time to avoid processing delays. However,

your agency’s TGA deposits (funds and printed OTCnet

deposit ticket) should be received on the same date by the

approved financial institution. Failure to do so may cause

the accepting financial institution to incur unnecessary

penalty fees from Treasury.

• Work with your approved TGA financial

institution to order bank-specific deposit slips

(if required by that financial institution).

Looking Ahead: Meet the New 

OTCnet Log In System, CAIA

In August 2023, OTCnet will be transitioning their Single Sign On (SSO) system and user 

provisioning process from IBM Security Identity Manager (ISIM) to CAIA, Common Approach to 

Information Assurance.

Users will be able to log in and access OTCnet via three new options: 

• Log in with Login.gov

• Log in with ID.me

• Log in with your PIV or CAC

Having multiple ways to log in to OTCnet gives agency users an added layer of 

security protection. Plus, you will be in compliance with new federal requirements for multi-factor 

authentication sign-in methods. Look out for webinars on how to navigate the new system!

Haven’t linked your PIV or CAC to your Fiscal Service SSO account yet? Follow the OTCnet 

Connection Guide for step-by-step instructions. 

Moving from Paper 

(Cash/Check) 

Collections 

to Electronic 

Collections

4
The Collection Information Repository (CIR) is in the early planning stages of 

transitioning to a cloud hosted infrastructure by 2025. 

By mid-summer 2023, CIR representatives will be reaching out to users to get a 

more detailed understanding on how users are communicating with the CIR and 

how they are consuming CIR data. 

CIR

is moving to the cloud!

5
Transforming 

Our Operations 

to Better Serve 

Our Customers

Americans expect that their government:

- is an efficient steward of its financial resources;

- provides financial information that is accurate; and

- offers financial interactions that are modern,

seamless, inclusive, and secure.

Collecting

Provide citizens a variety of modern electronic options 

for paying federal taxes, charges, and fees. Minimize 

lockboxes and paper processing.

• 488 agencies used Fiscal for financial

management, travel, and human resources shared

services.

Increase Digitization 

of Paper Collections

Reduce paper volume processed through the 

General Lockbox Network by 25 percent by 2024.

Treasury lockboxes collect and process checks 

and paper forms for federal government 

agencies. To improve efficiency, Fiscal Service 

consolidated lockbox operations and automated 

manual processes. Fiscal is now working with 

federal agencies to replace paper checks and 

forms with modern online options for people 

making payments to the government.

* General Lockbox Network transaction volume decreased

during the pandemic (FY 2020–FY 2022) because some

agency billing obligations were suspended.

Increase Digitization 

of Paper Collections

Convert 25 percent of Treasury General Account (TGA) 

Network transactions from cash and check bank 

deposits to electronic by 2025.

The TGA Network provides banking services to 

federal agencies around the world, including 

deposits of cash and checks. Fiscal Service is 

converting paper processes to electronic solutions 

to better meet customer agency needs while 

maintaining operational stability.

* TGA Network transaction volume decreased in FY 2020--FY

2022 due to fewer customer over-the-counter transactions

during the pandemic.

Promote 

E-Commerce Adoption

Increase agency adoption of e-commerce digital 

solutions across federal agencies by 12 percent 

by 2025.

Fiscal’s e-commerce suite includes online bill 

payment, digital wallets, and mobile 

applications.

To learn more about the Future of Federal Financial Management Vision, visit fmvision.fiscal.treasury.gov

2024 2025

6
The Fiscal Service’s Credit Gateway will be 

adding this new payment service providing 

agencies with the ability to collect payments in 

real-time.

Instant Payment Use Cases

• Bill Payment

- Agency customers can pay bills, such as loan payments, fees 

for services, licenses and the purchase of agency products

• Agency to Agency

- Agencies can pay other agencies and include detail

remittance information with the payments

FedNow Features

Costs

• No cost to agencies to receive transactions

• Sending bank may charge their customer’s a fee to send (up to 

each bank to set their own pricing)

Transaction limit

• FedNow transaction will have a limit of $500K

• Future increases of the limit are expected

Reporting

• End of day reporting in Collections Information Repository (CIR)

- Summary level vouchers

- Transaction detail records

• Real-time reporting planned for the future

• Future API calls for agency data

Enrollment

• Agency enrollment required for collection of instant payments

• Setup a Credit Gateway account to receive instant payments

Instant Payment is a method of exchanging 

money and remittance data in near real-time with 

immediate confirmation to sending and receiving 

parties. It is a new payment mechanism taking 

its place alongside cash, check, the automated 

clearing house (ACH), and wire transfer.

Financial institutions participating in the 

FedNow Service will provide businesses and 

individuals the ability to send and receive 

instant payments with immediate settlement of 

funds 24/7/365.

The FedNow Service is a new instant payment 

service that the Federal Reserve Banks have 

developed to enable financial institutions to 

provide safe and efficient instant payment 

services in real time, around the clock, every 

day of the year.

7
Page 1 L EAD ∙ T RANSFORM ∙ D ELIVER

10,421,950 transactions, $500,243,933

167 agencies, 1,249 forms

75,440 transactions, $3,702,638

153 agencies, 1,136 forms

eCommerce At-A-Glance – April 2023

19 

agencies

62 cash 

flows

75,157,052

transactions

Digital Wallets

Mobile Program 

Online Bill Payment

Near Field Communication (Contactless)

$18,349,268,740

Agencies Cash 

flows

Transactions Dollars

Agency Facing

(FedRevCollect)

66 164 100,960 $206,088,968 

Public Facing 19 23 637,942 $121,818,431 

Card Acquiring Service

(~3,000 NFC-capable terminals)

• 46 Agencies

• 50,448,303 Transactions

• $1,676,600,529

implemented November 2013

implemented July 2016

implemented May 2013

implemented June 2016

implemented November 2013

eCommerce 

At-A-Glance 

April 2023

8
Thank You for 

Reading The 

RCM Collections 

Chronicle!

For information about RCM’s 

programs and services, 

please contact your Agency 

Relationship Manager or 

the Agency Relationship 

Management (ARM)

Division via the ARM mailbox:

ARM@Fiscal.Treasury.gov

For a complete listing 

of Revenue Collections 

Management programs and 

services, please click here.

 @FiscalService

 @FiscalService

 Fiscal Service

9