Payment Methods
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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  1. What methods of payment do you accept?

    Entity query fees must be paid by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express) or preauthorized Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). The payment must be included at the time the query is submitted. Self-query fees may only be paid by credit card. Self-query payment information is required on the notarized self-query form. If a self-query is received at the Data Banks without the payment information, the self-query will be rejected.

  2. Do I have to enter my credit card information each time I submit an Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) query?

    No. Your Entity Data Bank Administrator may save your entity's credit card information on the Maintain IQRS Credit Cards screen in the IQRS. The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption creates a secure dedicated connection between your PC and the Data Banks system. However, if you do not wish to save your credit card information, you may submit it each time you perform a query.

  3. How do I establish an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account?

    Your Entity Data Bank Administrator must log in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) located on the Data Banks home page and follow on-line instructions to authorize EFT. The Entity Data Bank Administrator should complete all fields on the form and click Submit to Data Bank(s). The Entity Data Bank Administrator should print two copies of the formatted EFT Authorization form. They should keep one copy for their records and sign, date, and attach a voided check or deposit slip to the second copy, and mail it to the address specified on the formatted copy.

  4. My company changed to a different bank account. What should I do to keep my Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account current with the Data Banks?

    If your EFT account information changes (e.g., routing number, bank account information) you may submit the new information using the on-line EFT Authorization form available through the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS).

    Log in to the IQRS as the Entity Data Bank Administrator and click Authorized Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Select Modify EFT Account, complete all fields on the form, and click Submit to Data Bank(s). Print two copies of the formatted EFT Authorization form. Keep one copy for your records. Sign and date the second copy, and attach a voided check or Bank Verification Letter. Mail this copy, with attached check or letter, to the address specified on the formatted copy.

    You must ensure that your account information is kept current to avoid interruption of query services with the Data Bank(s).

  5. Where can I find a record of query/enrollment fees charged to my credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account?

    Entities and agents may view query charge receipts on the Billing History screen within the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS). For each query and Proactive Disclosure Service Prototype (PDS) enrollment, the following information is provided on the charge receipt:

    • The Data Bank Control Number (DCN) assigned to the query/enrollment submission.
    • The bill reference number.
    • The number of queries/enrollments processed and charged, compared to the total number of queries/enrollments in that submission.
    • The date the credit card or EFT account was charged.
    • The amount charged.
    • The type of payment used.
    • The last four digits of the account number.
    • The processing status of the bill.

    Self-queriers receive a record of the self-query charges in the mail along with the self-query response.

  6. How can I reconcile my credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) transactions with my queries or Proactive Disclosure Service Prototype (PDS) enrollments?

    To assist you in reconciling your payment transaction, the Data Banks provide a bill reference number for each charge to your entity's EFT or credit card account for a specific transaction. If your entity is an Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) user, the Bill Reference number can be found on your charge receipt. For ITP and QRXS submissions, the bill reference number is provided in each response file.

    The Data Banks include the bill reference number to your bank when requesting payment for a transaction. The bank may provide this information to you to help reconcile your entity's Data Bank(s) charges. The bill reference number will be preceded by an 'N' or an 'H' (N = NPDB, H = HIPDB) to identify the Data Bank to which the charge applies. (Also in ITP FAQ.)

  7. Our financial department is required to create a merchant account for payments made to the NPDB-HIPDB but they are confused by the way the Data Banks' identity is displayed on billing statements. Is there an explanation that we can give our financial department?

    The responsibility for the NPDB and HIPDB resides with the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). When you query the NPDB-HIPDB your billing statement will show the actual billing system that accessed your account (e.g., NPDB, HIPDB) and not HRSA. For purchase orders and merchant identification, please use the following:

    NPDB Merchant:
    Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NPDB
    FEIN: 52-082-1668
    D-U-N-S Number: 044007990

    HIPDB Merchant:
    Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), HIPDB
    FEIN: 52-082-1668
    D-U-N-S Number: 044007990

    Merchant Address:
    HRSA, Department of Health and Human Services
    Parklawn Building, Rm 8-103
    5600 Fishers Lane
    Rockville, MD 20857

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Last revised September 2008