Citibank acquires Defense Department contract for military travel charge card

The government-issued Bank of America official travel charge card that’s been used for years by Defense Department military and civilian employees will be deactivated effective Nov. 30, 2008 Defense Travel Management Office officials said.

Citibank has the new contract, and eligible defense military and civilian travelers should have received their new Citibank travel charge cards in August or September. The switchover to Citibank is slated to occur at midnight the morning of Nov. 30.

“The way the new Citicard will be used is exactly the same as the current Bank of America card,” Nina Richman-Loo, DTMO’s chief of special programs and outreach, said during a recent interview. The cardholder agreement is the same cardholder agreement that our military travelers read and signed when they got their Bank of America card.

Bank of America had held DoD’s official travel charge card contract for a decade.

All military and civilian Depfense Department employees are required to call and verify receipt of their new Citibank cards, and personal identification numbers for the new Citibank cards should have arrived on or around Nov. 1.

The Citibank card will offer some of the same features Bank of America cardholders are accustomed to, including an online payment option.

Current Bank of America government travel card holders are required to pay off any outstanding balances by Nov. 29.

Travelers with questions about the new Citibank travel charge card can ask their agency travel program managers or access DTMO’s Web site for answers.