Military Money and Finance

MILITARY TRAVEL AND GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARDS
Convenient, Easy, and Serious Military Business

Today's military personnel are spending more time on the road: during relocation, training or in support of US military initiatives. To accommodate you, the military gives members a convenient way to manage the costs of your official military travel, with the Government Travel Card program.

The government travel charge card is a safe convenient tool you can use to pay your travel expenses. The process is very simple. You travel, you charge official travel expenses to your government travel card and (upon return) you file your travel claim and use the split disbursement option to pay those charges.

The Government Travel Card (GTC) is available to Department of Defense employees. Use of the GTC is mandatory for all DoD employees on official government travel, unless exempted from GTC use or denied usage due to poor credit or a suspended account.

Any misuse of your GTC is a serious legal breach, and can reflect negatively on your credit and your military career. Abuse of the GTC is punishable under DoD regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Knowing the correct usage of your military travel card is your responsibility, and the military takes it seriously. So should you.

MILITARY CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY

The Travel and Transportation Reform Act (TTRA) of 1998, requires that government employees pay expenses related to official travel with a government charge card unless otherwise exempt from mandatory use.

The use of the travel charge card is mandatory to pay transportation costs, rental car, and lodging, while meals and incidental expenses are exempt from mandatory use. A list of exempt individuals and expenses is available in the DODFMR Volume 9 Chapter 3. This list includes exemptions to infrequent travelers, use of the charge card during deployments, payment of PCS expenses, etc.

You are required to pay your bill, in full, when it is due. Amounts due and not paid become past due at 30 days and the account becomes delinquent at 60 days. Delinquent accounts are placed in a suspended status making them unavailable for use until the past due balance is paid.

CITIBANK CARDHOLDER AGREEMENT

Prior to receiving your travel charge card you will be asked to read the CitiBank cardholder agreement which will provide program and travel card use information and restrictions. You will than be asked to sign the paper application or the on-line application, indicating that you have read, understand, and will abide by the provisions of the agreement. A travel charge card will not be issued if this action is not completed.

The cardholder agreement is an agreement between you and the bank. You will also be asked to read and sign a DOD Statement of Understanding where you will attest to the fact that you understand proper use of the travel charge card and understand the penalties that are possible for abuse, misuse, and delinquency.

In addition, you will be provided a briefing by your organizations APC that further explain the travel card program and any requirements that are unique to your organization.