FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

(January 20, 2022)

APPLICANT PORTAL

The interface with SCION that our customers see and use 

to create their accounts, make service requests, and get their service reporting

SIGN UP AND SIGN IN

1. I currently have an e-Authentication account for my company’s import permit applications. 

Can I use the same e-Authentication account or do I need a new one? Your existing USDA eAuthentication account will work for SCION. There is no need for a new account.

2. When I log on to SCION, I get a ‘single Sign-On error.’ I use the USDA e-Auth portal for other 

things, but this is the first time I've used SCION. You may need to be connected to your correct 

SCION account. Please contact your SCI servicing office.

3. If an applicant is having issues creating an account or requesting inspections in SCION, who is 

their first point of contact? Customers should contact their local area office for assistance.

4. Is there a particular web browser that is better to use for this? Edge, Chrome, etc.? SCION 

should work fine on any web browser. It works best on the most current versions of web 

browsers.

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

1. Can we sign up for SCION as an organization or do all individuals need to sign up? When you 

first set up your account, you can list all individuals associated with it. They do not need to set 

up separate individual accounts. Individual users will, however, need their own eAuthentication accounts. 

2. Will SCION save contact information so it can be applied across all future service requests? 

Yes. Once an applicant has an account, their information will remain in the system.

3. Do I want to set up a national or local account? That is your choice depending on your business 

needs. A national account is appropriate if you request inspection services from multiple SCI 

offices, have a single point of contact for all service requests and billing, and want a single bill 
for all services. A local account is for those who request inspection services from a single or 

multiple SCI offices, and do not have a single point of contact for inspection requests and billing.

4. How does SCION determine to which office a national account is assigned? Will it 

automatically be the first office where they request service? We are still exploring this. More 

to come.

5. Who will be the national applicant’s point of contact? The applicant’s point of contact will be 

the person who deals with the applicant’s billing statements.

6. Our company acts on behalf of several of our customers. Do we need to be registered 

separately for each customer account (expeditor)? When you set up your account, you can 

include your customers on it. We are still working through how this will work and ensuring that 

“Contacts” related to the customer accounts of the company only have visibility into their own 

information. The company having visibility into their customer accounts is functioning as 

expected, but the visibility up from customer accounts is what is being worked out. There is a 

current enhancement/issue that is being worked on by the O&M team to address how/what 

contacts can see.

7. Will each individual who receives emails of certificates or invoices need e-Authentication or a 

SCION account? They will not.

8. Who is my SCI point-of-contact for SCION? Your local office management or administrative 

staff are your points of contact for SCION. 

BILLING

1. Will applicants get one bill that lists all SCI/SCION services together as one amount due? Yes, 

the applicant will be billed for all services on one National Finance Center (NFC) bill so long as all 

services were requested under the same customer account and FMMI billing code.

2. I can see billing statements in SCION, but will invoices still be emailed to me for processing? I 

am not comfortable providing my personal information to obtain an invoice to pay. You will 

still receive your monthly invoice from NFC as you always have.

3. Can applicants see a total balance of all service requests completed within a specific 

timeframe? No. Applicants should contact their servicing office for information on account 

balances. National Account contacts have access to an Executive Summary that shows the total 

of charges based on the Local Accounts listed under the National Account.

4. Does SCION show only SCION billing to the applicant but not FMMI status? SCION does not 

reflect the live status of a FMMI account. SCI staff should always verify a customer’s account 

status using FMMI and NFC.

5. How will a customer get billed if they choose to not create a SCION account? If a customer 

does not use SCION, SCI will set up an account for them in the platform and then provide 

service. However, we strongly encourage our customers to join us in using SCION’s modern, 

efficient capabilities. In either case, the applicant will still receive their monthly bill from NFC.
6. How are COD accounts paid? No payments are processed through SCION. COD payments will be 

processed as they are today. SCION will not impact how COD payments are processed.

7. How does billing work for audits done on a farm with an account that are billed to another 

farm with a different account? SCION allows customers to request service at a different facility 

but still be billed directly for services provided. 

SERVICE REQUESTS

1. Are we going to have to use SCION to request inspections instead of emailing the form we 

currently use? SCION was built to modernize how applicants request and receive USDA 

inspection and audit services. It will be easy and efficient for you to use SCION to submit service 

requests online. We’ll be providing you with training materials and will support your transition 

to the new system.

2. Will one SCION account allow an applicant to request any SCI service, e.g., an inspection and 

an audit? One account will allow applicants to request any type of service. 

3. What if I don’t know which audit service I need when I submit my service request? If you 

aren’t sure which audit you need, you can select “I Don’t Know” to get in touch with SCI for 

assistance. 

4. What happens if I enter "Spanish" in Special Language Needs? This will provide notification to 

your servicing office so that we can contact you to meet your needs. SCION does not have 

language capability beyond English. 

5. Is the service request type for intermittent in-plant grading "Lot" or "In Plant Service"? Inplant functionality is not yet part of SCION. More to come.

SERVICE RESULTS – CERTIFICATES AND REPORTS

1. How do the "fax" and "by mail" distributions work in SCION? If you choose to receive results 

via fax, SCION will send your documents to the fax number you provided when you set up your 

account. In addition, your documents/outputs will always be in the Service Request output tab 

on your SCION Dashboard. If you need help, SCI can access/download your documents and 

share them with you manually.

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