What is the appropriate use of the GSA SmartPay® Travel card/account?
The GSA SmartPay Travel cards/accounts may be used ONLY for authorized official travel and travel-related expenses. Official travel expenses are broadly categorized as transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals.
The travel card/account must not be used for personal expenses unrelated to official government travel. This is considered to be misuse of the account or use of a federal payment solution by an authorized user for other than the official government purpose(s) for which it is intended.
To help prevent misuse, the travel card/account may be electronically coded to be rejected at merchant locations that your agency has determined are not necessary for conducting official government business.
Some agencies allow the GSA SmartPay Travel card/account to be used for local travel.
Here’s an example of local travel use:
Sarah is traveling to a training class in Washington, D.C., which is located within the vicinity of her regular duty station. To attend the event, she must either take a taxi or public transportation. Official government travel authorization is not provided or necessary for this class. However, Sarah is able to use her GSA SmartPay Travel card/account because her agency policy has authorized employees to use their IBA travel card for local travel and related expenses.
How does the GSA SmartPay Tax Advantage Travel card/account work?
The Tax Advantage Travel card/account is issued to an employee designated by the agency/organization in the employee’s name.
Agency/organization program coordinators (A/OPCs) will work with their contractor bank to identify Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) for rental cars and lodging to be excluded from taxes.
Accounts will be established using IBA procedures, to include credit checks or other creditworthiness assessments.
When the card/account is used, invoices will be sent to the employee and the agency/organization for payment via split disbursem*nt.
The CBA portion of the charges will be paid by the agency and the IBA portion of the charges will be the responsibility of the employee.
Agencies/organizations must specify invoice elements in their task order level requirements.
Here’s an example of Tax Advantage Travel card/account use:
Andrew is on official government travel and is checking into the hotel using his Tax Advantage Travel card/account. The process does not change from how hotel merchants run the card and verify tax exemption status today. The hotel will need to verify (through use of the 6th digit and the BIN) that the payment is being directly provided by the government through the CBA function. Once verified, Andrew will provide any required CBA forms to the hotel. Required forms vary from state to state and can be found on the GSA SmartPay website. Even if the state does not exempt taxes for the IBA transactions today, it is still required to exempt all of the CBA transactions. At the end of the month, when Andrew receives his invoice from the bank, the hotel should already be paid for through his agency’s CBA process. He will just need to pay for his meals and incidentals.
Are there exceptions to using the GSA SmartPay Travel card/account while on official travel?
Yes, exceptions to using the GSA SmartPay Travel card/account include:
The GSA SmartPay Travel card/account may be used for authorized official travel and authorized travel-related expenses ONLY. Official travel expenses include transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals. The travel card/account will be printed in the cardholder’s name and must not be used by any other person. The cardholder is personally liable for all charges made on their travel card/account. They should not use their government travel card/account for any personal expenses.
What is Section 889 and how does it apply to purchases?
Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 (P.L. 115-232 [PDF, 789 pages]) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2018-017 prohibit the purchase of covered telecommunications equipment and services from merchants who sell products containing spyware. These devices could pose a threat to U.S. security by spying on or disrupting communications within the U.S. Therefore, GSA SmartPay card/account holders should follow their agency’s policy regarding Section 889 compliance.
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies.
SmartPay Travel cards/accounts may be used ONLY for authorized official travel and travel-related expenses. Official travel expenses are broadly categorized as transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals. The travel card/account must not be used for personal expenses unrelated to official government travel.
The GSA SmartPay Travel card/account may be used for authorized official travel and authorized travel-related expenses ONLY. Official travel expenses include transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals. The travel card/account will be printed in the cardholder's name and must not be used by any other person.
What is the GSA SmartPay travel account used for? Authorized official travel and authorized travel-related expenses ONLY. Official travel expenses are transportation, lodging, meals, and incidentals.
Travel managers should ensure that all of their travelers use their government-issued travel charge card for all purchases of travel-related services or products such as rental cars, hotel rooms, and telephone or Internet service.
The Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) is mandated to be used by DoD personnel to pay for authorized expenses (including meals), when on official travel unless an exemption is granted.
These cards are to be used for official government travel and travel-related expenses only. These expenses include air and rail tickets, lodging, meals, and car rental. They may also be used to obtain cash advances at automated teller machines. These cards are not to be used for personal, family, or household purposes.
The amount of cash withdrawals may not exceed the amount stated on the travel orders and may not exceed $_ per billing cycle. If my account is not delinquent and my travel orders authorize a larger advance, I can request an increase in the cash withdrawal limit up to $1,000 by calling 1-800-CASH-NOW.
There are three types of GSA SmartPay travel accounts: CBA, IBA, and a CBA-IBA combination called a Tax Advantage Travel account. The government makes direct payment for purchases made on the CBA travel account, and taxes should not be assessed in most states and territories.
No Foreign Currency Conversion Fees:The Travelex Travel Money Card lets you exchange currencies with no conversion fees, unlike with a debit card, so you can stretch your travel budget further. No International ATM fees:There are no fees when you withdraw cash from an international ATM with the Travelex travel card.
Use the ATM feature of your GSA SmartPay Travel card to obtain cash for official travel expenses authorized on your travel authorization. If you need assistance finding the nearest ATM, contact the bank's customer service at the number on the back of your GSA SmartPay Travel card.
Use of the GSA travel card is mandatory for all expenses as per the Federal Travel Regulation, except expenses for which it "is impractical (e.g., vendor does not accept credit cards) or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs (e.g., fees are charged for using the card)."
Federal employees can earn rebates by signing up for auto billing to their GSA SmartPay® travel card, or employees can bill to an agency's Centrally Billed Account. Services under this BPA are available through Lyft and Uber.
The default limits are $7,500 for credit, $250 for cash, and $250 for retail purchases. Restricted cards are issued to individuals with a FICO credit score below 660.
You can make a payment using a valid checking account. You must also have the routing number available. Other acceptable payment options available to Defense Government Travel Card clients include: Mailing Payment to Citi.
The GTCC is not for use for personal purchases or when not on official travel. Failure to use the GTCC in an authorized manner may lead to suspension or revocation of the GTCC as well as disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal Service.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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