Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

document listed above. After incorporation into the document listed above this PATCH will 

become obsolete. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

PATCH # 023 FEIRS COD Selection Procedure for Certificates (July 10, 2017)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 1 of 4

PATCH # 023

DOCUMENT: Fresh Electronic Inspection Reporting/Resource System (FEIRS) electronic 

programs revision.

REMARKS: The following guidance is to be followed when completing the COD information 

in FEIRS. 

FEDERAL NON-COD ACCOUNT STATUS

When an applicant’s account status is non-COD (i.e. to be billed via an invoice) their selected 

account in FEIRS will automatically populate the COD block with “N” and state “INVOICE” 

(see below). The applicant will receive a bill for the listed fee on this certificate.

FEDERAL COD ACCOUNT STATUS

When an applicant’s account status is COD (i.e. to make immediate payment via check, money 

order or credit card) their selected account in FEIRS will automatically populate the COD block 

with “Y” and state “CHECK” (see below). The employee must collect a check, money order or 

process a credit card transaction at the time of service before the certificate can be issued or 

results reported. The applicant will not receive a bill for the listed fee on this certificate as 

payment has been made. See the FEIRS homepage or contact the Service Center for current 

procedures for processing credit card payments. 
This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

document listed on the first page. After incorporation into the document listed above this 

PATCH will become obsolete.

PATCH #023 FEIRS Shipper Selection (July 10, 2017)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 2 of 4

The check or money order number and amount are required fields. For credit card transactions 

the last four digits of the credit card number will be entered on the certificate in place of the 

check or money order number. 

The check/money order/last four credit card numbers and amount will be listed automatically on 

the completed certificate. For credit card transactions under REMARKS on the certificate 

include this statement: “Credit card payment authorization number__ _ __ __ _ _.” This number 

will be provided from the SCI employee processing the transaction.

All payments made at the time of service must have the COD status set as “Y” on the 

certificate, for proper processing, to ensure that a bill is not sent and to avoid possible 

double payment on the account.

FEDERAL MANUAL ADJUSTMENT OF ACCOUNT STATUS

Applicant account status is determined by the customer when completing their new vendor 

application. This status is set when their FEIRS account is established. However, there are 

times when it is permissible for this status to be manually adjusted on a certificate from billing to 

COD. This may be due to an unresolved delinquency or questionable payment history on the 

billing account. If a supervisor determines that a certificate should not be billed but payment 

should be immediately collected, it is permissible to instruct the employee to manually adjust the 

COD status on the certificate from “N” to “Y”. This will change the account status for this 

certificate only and COD procedures as described above will be followed and no bill will be sent. 

Permanent changes to an applicant’s account status must be made via the Service Center.

It is only permissible to change the COD status from “N” to “Y”, do not manually adjust 

from “Y” to “N” for existing applicant accounts. This will cause the applicant to receive a 

bill for service and lead to a possible double payment on the account. 
This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

document listed on the first page. After incorporation into the document listed above this 

PATCH will become obsolete.

PATCH #023 FEIRS Shipper Selection (July 10, 2017)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 3 of 4

For non-existing applicant accounts it is permitted to adjust the status from COD “Y” to “N” 

when entered as New Applicant and it has been verified that they have an account in good 

standing in another SCI office (see below). SCI Vendor Form (4/13) is required to be completed 

and submitted to the Service Center for all new FEIRS applicant accounts.

FEDERAL-STATE COD ACCOUNT STATUS AND MANUAL ADJUSTMENT

All Fed-State FEIRS applicant accounts are created with a COD account status. However, this 

status maybe be manually adjusted on a certificate from billing to COD as based on the State’s 

internal account status of their applicant. FEIRS does not process billing for Fed-State 

applicants but FEIRS certificates should reflect the correct status of the State’s internal applicant 

account. Thus, if a State’s internal applicant account status is to collect a check, money order, 

credit card, etc., then their FEIRS COD status would stay as “Y” when the applicant is selected 

in FEIRS and required COD fields completed. If the State’s internal applicant account status is 

to bill and invoice, then the FEIRS COD status would be manually adjusted to “N.” This will aid 

the State’s internal billing service in coordinating and verifying applicant account statuses. 
This PATCH represents official guidance. This PATCH is scheduled to be incorporated into the 

document listed on the first page. After incorporation into the document listed above this 

PATCH will become obsolete.

PATCH #023 FEIRS Shipper Selection (July 10, 2017)

SCI Division Inspection Series

Page 4 of 4

For non-existing Fed-State FEIRS applicant accounts it is permitted to adjust the status from 

COD “Y” to “N” when entered as New Applicant as based on the State’s internal account status 

of their applicant (see above). SCI Vendor Form (4/13) is required to be completed and 

submitted to the Service Center for all new Fed-State FEIRS applicant accounts.