Analysis to Support Electronic Funds Transfer and Remittance Mandate

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

OMB No.: NNNN-XXXX
Exp. Date: XX/XX/XXXX

BUREAU OF THE FISCAL SERVICE
WASHINGTON, DC 20227

Questions for Focus Group – Small Businesses
Moderator script to be said at beginning of session:
Thank you for joining us today to discuss how your business makes payments to the US
government and its agencies. Your input is extremely valuable and will be used to help the US
Treasury Department evaluate how changes to the list of payment methods these agencies can
accept might affect the public and small businesses. We are going to ask you questions about how
your business makes payments and what are the costs or burdens to your business when using
those methods. We would like this to be an open discussion. If you think of any information that is
related, but we do not ask a question about it, please feel free to share anyway. We are here to
hear more about you, your business, and any troubles your business might face using different
payment methods (especially electronic).

Questions

Notes for moderator

1. Other than to pay taxes, does your business ever
pay the federal government for anything? How
often?

If no, please prompt the respondant to
reflect on stories heard from other
small business owners. If the
respondant cannot think of any
instances of non-tax payments to the
federal government, skip questions 2-5.

2. Does your business have any of the following:

Please allow respondant the
opportunity to discuss more subjective
matters relating to theses financial
instruments (i.e. desire to obtain bank
account or cards in future, main
hindrances to obtaining bank account
or cards, history with these
instruments).

a.
b.
c.
d.

Bank account
Debit card
Credit card
Prepaid card

Please also allow the respondant time
to reflect on his/her personal use of
bank accounts and cards versus
business usage. Does the respondant
have one account for both personal
and business, or are they separated?
3. When your business makes a payment to a
government agency, what payment methods do
you use?

If the respondant’s business is
unbanked, please prompt respondant
with the possibility of cash or money
orders.

4. Does using this payment method to the federal
government charge your business any additional

Please prompt respondant to think of
all potential costs and travel associated

fees or gives your business any inconveniences?
5. Have you ever made a payment to the federal
government using the internet?
a. What type of costs, burdens, or constraints
did you face when making that payment?

with making the payment.
Take the time to also discuss the
respondant’s and his/her employees’
ability to access the internet with the
respondant.

a. Is there anything about online payments
that you prefer to other payment
methods?
6. If and when your business needs to submit a form
or documentation with a payment, can your
business submit the form online?
a. What types of costs, burdens, or
constraints does your business face?

Please also prompt respondant to share
general thoughts on making internet
payments and submissions (i.e.
security, reliability, etc.).

b. Are there benefits to your business in
submitting paper documentation rather
than submitting electronically?
7. If the government announced that it would no
longer accept paper payments (including cash,
checks, and money orders), how would that affect
your business?
a. What costs, burdens, or constraints would
your business face because of the change?
b. If you have to pay electronically for your
business, how would you do it? Why did
you choose this method over other
possible options?

If the respondant, has a difficult time
brainstorming ways he/she could
access electronic payment methods,
please prompt him/her with known
methods used by unbanked individuals
(i.e. prepaid debit card used at internet
café). However, give him/her sufficient
time to craft his/her own answer. Do
not lead the answer too heavily.
If the respondant is considering
increasing his/her business’ level of
financial inclusion of internet access,
try to guage what scenario would push
the respondant to do so.

Thank you very much for your time and input.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement of Burden
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The time required to participate in this
information collection is estimated to average 90 minutes. Your response is voluntary. Comments concerning the
accuracy of the time estimate and suggestions for reducing this burden should be directed to the U.S. Department
of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Washington DC 20227.

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