The Dos and Don’ts of Government Travel Charge Cards ❤️

Before you can let your ” Wolf of Wall Street” fantasies of rewards and points become reality It’s best to know some more about the way in which the GTCC program. Government Travel Charge.

My Friends Don’t Forget to check:

• Charging Credit Card Convenience
• Charge For Booking Hotel
• interest and charges
• business charge
• Finance Charge

operates as well as what’s required from the cardholder and how to use your card in a responsible manner and legally. Government Travel Charge.

In this article, we’ll go over the fundamentals regarding the GTCC program offered by the Department of Defense, the various types of credit cards available, and the best methods to get a credit card. Government Travel Charge,

Find out some smart strategies for using (and the best way to not use) the government credit card to ensure you stay at the top of your game and stay out of trouble. Government Travel Charge.

What is a government travel Charge Card?

The GTCC is a credit card available by DoD personnel (both civilian and military) to cover the expenses related to travel for government purposes. 

For military personnel, it could include permanent Change of Station changes as well as temporary duty assignments, so that they don’t need to cover costs related to work from their own pocket.

The credit cards currently issued through the GTCC program come from their commercial partner, Citibank. Government Travel Charge.

However, the GTCC program is overseen by DoD program coordinators in the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) who offer assistance in troubleshooting to federal employees and service members. 

When Citibank provides GTCC credit statements to customers, DTMO set a policy regarding GTCC usage. It is the principal agency responsible for this.

Applying for a Travel Credit Card from the Government Card

In general, members of the military do not have access to GTCC until they are able to access the GTCC system until such time as it is an essential part of their job. 

Anyone who is eligible to hold the GTCC must first pass an online course for training followed by being asked to sign up for the account at Citibank.

Different types of government travel charge Cards

There are two major types of charge cards issued by the government:

• Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs)

• Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs)

IBAs are Individually-Billed accounts (IBAs)

Individually-billed accounts are issued to members of the military for travel expenses and other travel-related costs. Government Travel Charge.

When using these kinds of accounts, the customer is responsible for the settlement of the account.

Based on the DoD the Standard credit card options in this category are usually given to people with at least a 660 credit score. They are able to get credit up to a limit of $7,500.

The Restricted option is available to people with less score on credit (500-659) and comes with an upper maximum credit amount, $4,000. 

Government charge cards that are restricted are monitored closely. They can be deactivated at times in instances where travel is not accepted.

Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs)

Centrally-billed accounts can be used to pay travel expenses.

The cards are directly endorsed by government officials of the U.S. government (so the cardholder is not personally responsible). They are not used for anything other than. 

Contrary to Individually Billed Accounts which are where the person is personally responsible for charges incurred by the card Centrally Billed Accounts take on the government’s liability.

Benefits of a Travel Card

Accepted uses for the government travel credit card can include, but aren’t solely:

• Lodging
• Food items (not comprising alcohol)
• Rental car
• Fuel/gas
• Transportation (airfare, train, etc.)

For more information on what is “official traveling,” see page 14 in the GTCC Regulations (2020) as well as the newly revised Joint Travel Regulations (2021).

The rules of the Government Card for Travel Card

How to Utilize Your Travel Card of the Government

The responsible use of your government credit card involves three primary actions:

1. The card should be used ethically to pay for travel expenses of the government only.
2. Rapid and precise and timely reporting of all charges (often using the receipt in print);
3. The card’s balance

The principal rule to adhere to is that the charge card issued by the government should not be used as a personal credit card or in any other way. 

It is intended to be used only to pay for only official trips. (Commuting for work, or on vacation with your family does not count as “official traveling”). Government Travel Charge.

After the travel experience the PCS, as well as TDY Cardholders, are required to file the “travel claim” statement within 5 business days of completion in the Defense Travel System. 

The report should contain the scanned invoices for individual transactions, in addition to dates, amounts, and descriptions. Foreign currency charges should be converted to U.S. dollars.

In addition, cardholders who have Individually charged accounts are responsible for ensuring that the federal travel card is eventually fully paid off. 

When entering the details of a trip report within the Defense Travel System, cardholders are advised to utilize Split disbursement in order to make sure that the service participant gets reimbursed for all out-of-pocket costs and per-diem fees and they are ensuring that the fees on their credit card are paid in the full amount.

Unsafe Uses of a Federal Travel Card

While it’s not hard to imagine the myriad of ways that military personnel could end up in hot water over the misuse of travel cards issued by the government The most frequent mistakes include:

• Using the card for unofficial/non-approved travel or personal use
• Overspending
• Utilizing Split Disbursement improperly
• Inability to submit timely or exact travel reports to DTS
• Failure to pay for the balance at the time it is due
• Inclusion of alcohol on receipts to support DTS submission

In addition to accumulating late fees that begin after 75 days from the due date, GTCC cardholders may be denied credit or have their accounts removed for misuse of the GTCC. 

For more serious violations the service members could be subject to formal counseling as well as the use of Article 15, or even a judge-martial. 

It is therefore recommended keep on the safer side and keep in mind the fundamentals to follow the correct GTCC manner of conduct: Government Travel Charge.

1. Use only for official/approved travel for the government.
2. Make a timely and exact report that is timely and accurate in DTS with the option of split reimbursement;
3. Make sure it is the GTCC is paid in full before the due date

Contacts and Resources

For more information about this GTCC, please visit the DoD GTCC:

Citibank Customer Service: 1-800-200-7056 (or 757-852-9076 for calls made to collect)

GTCC Travel Assistance Center: 1-888-HELP1GO (1-888-435-7146)

Citizens’ DoD Card for Travel Card Website

E-mail from the DoD Travel Card Helpdesk

DoD GTCC Regulations (2020)

DoD Joint Travel Regulations (2021)

Government Travel Charge Cards Also Search