(a) Medium of payment. Payment of the applicable fees as provided in this section must be made by check, money order, or other PBGC permitted method, and in accordance with the FOIA instructions on PBGC's website, www.pbgc.gov.

(b) Advance payment or assurance of payment. Payment or assurance of payment before work is begun or continued on a disclosure request may be required as follows:

(1) Where PBGC estimates or determines that charges allowable under the rules in this subpart, are likely to exceed $250, PBGC may require advance payment of the entire fee or assurance of payment, as follows:

(i) Where the requester has a history of prompt payment of fees under this part, PBGC will notify the requester of the likely cost and obtain satisfactory assurance of full payment; or

(ii) Where the requester has no history of payment for requests made pursuant to FOIA and this part, PBGC may require the requester to make an advance payment of an amount up to the full estimated charges.

(2) Where the requester has previously failed to pay a fee charged in a timely fashion (i.e., within 30 days of the date of the billing), PBGC may require the requester to pay the full amount owed plus any applicable interest as provided in paragraph (c) of this section (or demonstrate that he has, in fact, paid the fee) and to make an advance payment of the full amount of the estimated fee.

(c) Late payment interest charges. PBGC may assess late payment interest charges on any amounts unpaid by the 31st day after the date a bill is sent to a requester. Interest will be assessed at the rate prescribed in 31 U.S.C. 3717 and will accrue from the date the bill is sent.