GSA has proposed rules designed to maximize the rebates the government receives through use of travel charge cards, in part by refining the exceptions to the general policy that the cards must be used by federal travelers.
Regarding expenses, the rules would specify exceptions for those “for which payment through a travel charge card is impractical (e.g., vendor does not accept credit cards) or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs are exempt from use of the travel card (e.g. fees are charged for using the card).” An agency may also authorize an exemption in the interest of the government, it adds.
Regarding individual employees, specified exceptions would be those who have a pending application for a charge card; those for whom use of the card “would adversely affect the mission or put the employee at risk”; and those not eligible.
The proposed rules also state that “agencies should include information in their travel charge cardholder training to inform travelers of the statutory requirement to use the travel charge card and the benefits to the agency, as well as to the traveler, of its use. Such agency benefits include earning rebates that can be reinvested in mission delivery, as well as being able to readily identify the locations to which employees are traveling, which can be used to help determine the budgetary impact of lodging per diem rates.”
“Some examples of benefits to the traveler are no interest charges, longer payment terms, no reliance on personal funds/personal credit cards, and the convenience of direct/split disbursement payment,” it says.
