XL EagleDFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service)
DFAS stands for Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is the Department of Defense agency that handles payroll and bill paying. It pays military members, civilian employees, retirees, and the contractors who do work for DoD.
DFAS does not award contracts. After a contracting office awards your contract and you do the work, you submit an invoice electronically, usually through the WAWF module in PIEE. Once the government accepts the work, DFAS releases payment to the bank account listed in your SAM.gov registration.
Why it matters to a small contractor
DFAS is the reason clean paperwork matters. Most late payments come from small problems: a bank account that does not match SAM.gov, the wrong invoice type in WAWF, or a missing acceptance. Get those right and DoD generally pays within the standard 30-day window set by the Prompt Payment Act.
Example
A janitorial subcontractor finishes its first month at a Navy building. The prime submits the invoice in WAWF, the government inspector accepts it, and DFAS deposits payment about four weeks later.
DFAS: common questions
How do I check the status of a DFAS payment?
Contractors can look up invoice and payment status with DFAS's myInvoice tool. You will need your contract number or invoice number. If an invoice is stuck, first confirm it was accepted by the government.
Does DFAS award contracts?
No. DFAS only pays. Contracts are awarded by contracting offices at bases, commands, and agencies like DLA.
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