41 C.F.R. Subpart H—Policies and Procedures Relating to Mandatory Use of the Government Contractor-Issued Travel Charge Card for Official Travel
Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management
Source: FTR Amdt. 90, 65 FR 3056, Jan. 19, 2000, unless otherwise noted.
Yes, your employees must use a Government contractor-issued travel charge card for official travel expenses unless: (a) A vendor does not accept the travel charge card; (b) The Administrator of General Services has granted an exemption. (see §301–70.704); or (c) Your agency head or his/her designee has granted an exemption. (a) The Administrator of General Services will exempt any payment, person, type or class of payments, or type or class of personnel in any case in which— (1) It is in the best interest of the United States to do so; (2) Payment through a travel charge card is impractical or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs on Federal employees or Federal agencies; or (3) The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Transportation (for the Coast Guard) requests an exemption for the members of their uniformed services. (b) The head of a Federal agency or his/her designee(s) may exempt any payment, person, type or class of payments, or type or class of agency personnel if the exemption is determined to be necessary in the interest of the agency. Yes, you must notify the Administrator of General Services (Attention: MTT), 1800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405, in writing within 30 days after granting the exemption, stating the reasons for the exemption. No, an exemption from use would not prevent the employee from using the Government contractor-issued travel charge card for official travel expenses on a voluntary basis in accordance with your policies. The Administrator of General Services exempts the following from the mandatory use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card: (a) Expenses incurred at a vendor that does not accept the Government contractor-issued travel charge card; (b) Laundry/dry cleaning; (c) Parking; (d) Local transportation system; (e) Taxi; (f) Tips; (g) Meals (only when use of the card is impractical, i.e., group meals or the Government contractor-issued travel charge card is not accepted); (h) Phone calls (when a Government calling card is available for use in accordance with agency policy); (i) An employee who has an application pending for the travel charge card; (j) Individuals traveling on invitational travel; and (k) New appointees. Note to [FTR Amdt. 90, 65 FR 3056, Jan. 19, 2000, as amended by FTR Amdt. 92, 65 FR 21366, Apr. 21, 2000] When you grant an exemption from use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card, you may authorize one or a combination of the following methods of payment: (a) Personal funds, including cash or personal charge card; (b) Travel advances; or (c) Government Transportation Request (GTR). Note to
Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 301–70—INTERNAL POLICY AND PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS
Subpart H—Policies and Procedures Relating to Mandatory Use of the Government Contractor-Issued Travel Charge Card for Official Travel
§ 301-70.700 Must our employees use a Government contractor-issued travel charge card for official travel expenses?
§ 301-70.701 Who has the authority to grant exemptions to mandatory use of Government contractor-issued travel charge card for official travel?
§ 301-70.702 Must we notify the Administrator of General Services when we grant an exemption?
§ 301-70.703 If we grant an exemption, does that prevent the employee from using the card on a voluntary basis?
§ 301-70.704 What expenses and/or classes of employees are exempt from the mandatory use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card?
§ 301-70.705 What methods of payment for official travel expenses may we authorize when an exemption from use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card is granted?
§ 301-70.706 May an employee use the Government contractor-issued travel charge card for purposes other than those associated with official travel?
No, the Government contractor-issued travel charge card may be used only for official travel related expenses.
§ 301-70.707 What are the consequences of using the Government contractor-issued travel charge card for non-official travel purposes?
If one of your employees uses the Government contractor-issued travel charge card for purposes other than official travel, you may take appropriate disciplinary action.
§ 301-70.708 What can we do to reduce travel charge card delinquencies?
To reduce travel charge card delinquencies by your employees, you should consider implementing one or more of the following suggestions (this list is not comprehensive; you may adopt other appropriate procedures):
(a) Agency travel program coordinators must be trained and aware of their responsibilities and the delinquency management tools available under your agreement with the travel charge card contractor (internet training is available for the GSA SmartPay(TM) Travel Charge Card at: http://fss.gsa.gov/training/transtrav.
(b) Ensure that managers and supervisors are provided monthly delinquency and questionable charges report.
(c) Periodically, but at least once a year, verify that cardholders are still current employees.
(d) For inactive accounts (cards not used within 6 months, one year, etc., reduce card limit to $1, increase dollar limit when necessary.
(e) Work with the charge card contractor to block certain high-risk category codes (e.g. department stores, automobile dealerships, specialty stores), etc.
(f) Review ATM cash withdrawals for reasonableness and association with official travel.
(g) Implement a salary offset program. (See part 301–76 of this chapter).
(h) Implement split disbursement in your travel vouchering system, so that an employee may authorize you to make certain payments directly to the charge card contractor on the employee's behalf.
(i) Refer potential fraud cases to your agency IG for investigation.
(j) For some helpful do's and don'ts for travel cardholders see GSA publication (Card-F001) entitled “But I didn't know * * *—Helpful Hints for Travel Cardholders”. This publication is available on the internet at http://fss.gsa.gov/services/gsa-smartpay, click on GSA SmartPay Agency Information, click on “But I didn't know * * *—Helpful Hints for Travel Cardholders”. You may print or call for telephone numbers listed for copies.
(k) Ensure that employees turn in their travel charge card when they retire or leave the agency.
[FTR Amdt. 108, 67 FR 57967, Sept. 13, 2002]
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