Government travel credit card; what's the best way to make sure you are not forced to pay out of pocket?

SGT(P) Daniel McBride — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:21:41 -0500

I understand that now this is mandatory for all pcs and tdy moves. I've recently been hearing of alot of soldier not being paid on time and being forced to pay out of pocket. Also, it's my understanding that you can be demoted for this even though, technically, it's not your fault

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 26 at 2015 12:30 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:30:11 -0500

I think you're right, SGT(P) Daniel McBride. The government travel card has been required for TDY trips for quite a while (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/govtravelcard.cfm).

And this article says that it's now being used for PCS moves as well:

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/10/23/troops-issued-government-travel-cards-for-pcs-expenses.html

You do have to pay your bill on time, but I've been doing this (traveling with a government charge card) for many years, and I have not encountered a problem. If there's a delay in processing for some reason, it's important to keep in touch with Citibank (for the GOVCC), your servicing finance office, your unit, DTS, etc. It has been my experience that Citibank has been reasonable about it and granted extensions for legitimate "excuses" (i.e., delays in payment) that are beyond your control.

If you are conscientious about it, there's no reason to worry about use of the government travel card.

Response by SGT(P) Daniel McBride made Jan 26 at 2015 12:35 PM

SGT(P) Daniel McBride — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:35:03 -0500

Thank you. I've recently seen people demoted over it. . . Would hate that to happen due to someone else's mistake or some kind of glitch

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 26 at 2015 1:24 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 13:24:43 -0500

You can still use your own credit card for any expenses and then wait to get reimbursed; only thing different now with PCS is that if you don't use the government credit card, you will not get any advances.