Quick Start
- Step 1: Read
- Become familiar with Schedule clause 552.238-88 GSA Advantage, which requires participation in GSA Advantage.
- Review clause I-FSS-600 Contract Price List of your MAS contract, which addresses the submission of electronic catalogs.
- Contractor’s electronic catalog file must be received no later than 30 days after award, in accordance with clause I-FSS-600.
- Catalogs must be submitted electronically via EDI or SIP.
- Step 2: Register
- All contractors must register with the GSA Vendor Support Center (VSC) or by calling toll free at 877-495-4849 (M-F 7:30-5:30 PM EST). If you use SIP, it will prompt you for registration information. The VSC will provide you with a password that is required on all catalog submissions. This password is used to protect your data. VSC personnel can also provide assistance with your SIP catalog submission.
- Step 3: Decide
- Determine which of the two method you will use to submit catalog information - SIP or EDI:
- Schedule Input Program (SIP) - download the free SIP software.
- Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - GSA utilizes the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X12 family of transaction sets to electronically communicate both “inbound” and “outbound” transaction sets. EDI will require you to use commercial software or use the services of a 3rd party to send EDI files to GSA Advantage, which may have costs associated with the services.
- Note: as contracts transition to the new FAS Catalog Platform, contractors will no longer decide between SIP & EDI. To learn more about FCP, click here
- Step 4: Submit
- Submit your catalog. You may submit your catalog anytime, including updates and changes. Customers will see the data you submit (part numbers, description, prices, etc.). You are responsible for submitting complete and accurate data. Please ensure that your products and services are adequately described and remain current.
Questions?
- If you have questions concerning your Schedule contract terms and conditions, please contact your GSA or VA Contracting Officer.
- If you have questions concerning the preparation and submission of your electronic catalog using SIP, contact the Vendor Support Center (VSC) at 877-495-4849 (M-F 8:30-5:30 PM EST) or e-mail vendor.support@gsa.gov.
- If you have questions concerning the preparation and submission of your electronic catalog using EDI, contact our EDI Help Desk at 703-605-9444 or email edistat@gsa.gov.
- If you have general questions regarding the GSA Advantage shopping system, call 877-472-3777 (select option 2) or e-mail gsa.advantage@gsa.gov.
- Note: as contracts transition to the new FAS Catalog Platform, contractors will no longer decide between SIP & EDI. To learn more about FCP, visit FCP
How GSA identifies a product
GSA uniquely identifies each product using a combination of your contract number plus the manufacturer part number and manufacturer name. Each product you submit must have a unique manufacturer part number - even if two or more manufacturers carry the exact same part number. Note: include Universal Product Codes (UPC) if required and when available (see section above).
Should I submit photos with my products?
Yes. Photos provide the best shopping experience for customers and give you an edge when it comes down to the customer's final purchase decision. Customers using GSA Advantage can also limit their search results to only those products with photos. Photos may be submitted via SIP or EDI. File size, resolution, and format requirements for upload can be found in the SIP Photo Guidelines and EDI Photo Guidelines
Please note: Photos must be product-specific.
Company logos or generic images may not be submitted as a photo.
How are purchase orders issued by GSA Advantage?
GSA sends all purchase orders to MAS contractors via the GSA Purchase Order (PO) Portal web site, EDI, or XML depending upon the vendor preference and capabilities. The PO Portal web site allows you to easily view or print your GSA Advantage purchase orders, or you may download your orders in a number of formats including XLS, TXT, XML, or PDF.
The PO Portal also allows you to send the order status to customers via GSA Advantage. The PO Portal web site can be accessed only by the individual you designate using SIP or EDI.
If you wish to receive EDI or XML purchase orders, please call 703-605-9444 or email edistat@gsa.gov.
How do I provide order status to my customers?
Please note - providing order status for GSA Advantage orders is mandatory.
Providing order status to your customer must be done through GSA platforms to ensure complete transparency. You can submit GSA Advantage order status via EDI/cXML or the Purchase Order Portal, which updates both GSA and your customers. Customers are sent an email each time their order status changes, reducing the number of phone calls you may receive.
In order to be compliant, you must provide order status through one of the following methods on Advantage:
- EDI: For those doing EDI, the 855 and 856 transaction sets documentation can be found on the VSC website here. If you want to start providing order status via EDI, or validate whether you're providing EDI transmission sets accurately to GSA, please email edistat@gsa.gov or call 703-605-9444.
- Purchase Order (PO) Portal: The GSA Advantage PO Portal website allows you to conveniently send a status update email to your customer(s) on every order sent to you via GSA Advantage. For more details,, please see this short video on how to use PO Portal.
- cXML: Contractors may also provide status back through cXML. For more information, please call our helpdesk number at 703-605-9444 or email edistat@gsa.gov.
For more information on order status, please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Interact.
What will my data look like in GSA Advantage?
Take a look at GSA Advantage to get a better understanding of how the system operates, and more specifically, how your products and services will appear to federal customers. Once your own catalog data is online, you should check it frequently to make sure it appears as you had intended.