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Department of Defense Travel Card Benefits

Progress informed from the past, and inspired by the future, cardholder guide.

Official travel for the Department of Defense just became easier with the Citi Department of Defense Travel Card. When you are preparing to use your new card, please read What To Do When I First Receive My New Card . For more information regarding your new card, please read the Department of Defense Cardholder Guide .

Department of Defense Travel Insurance

As a cardholder, you will receive global travel accident and lost luggage insurance so you feel safe and secure wherever you travel with a Citi ® Commercial Card.

• Travel Accident Insurance Guide
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Visa Guide to Benefits

In addition to the card benefits provided by Citi, Visa provides card benefits such as Car Rental Insurance and Travel and Emergency Assistance. For full details, please read the Visa Guide to Benefits .

Travel Tips

For more information on your Citi Department of Defense Travel Card, please read What to do Before, During and After travel .

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For more information on the CitiManager ® tool, view our CitiManager ® Cardholder Quick Reference Guide .

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The Military Wallet

The Dos and Don’ts of Government Travel Charge Cards

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What is a Government Travel Charge Card?

Obtaining a government travel charge card, types of government travel charge cards, uses of a government travel card, the rules of a government travel card, how to responsibly use your government travel card, incorrect uses of a government travel card, resources and contacts.

You just received your first GTCC — the federal government’s version of a corporate travel credit card. But before your “ Wolf of Wall Street ” fantasies about perks and points come alive, it’s best to learn a bit more about how the GTCC program works, what’s expected of you as a cardholder, and how to use the card appropriately and legally.

Within this article, we explore the basics of the GTCC program at the Department of Defense, the different types of charge cards offered, and ways to obtain a card. Read on for some savvy tips on how to use (and how not to use) your government charge card so that you remain in control and out of trouble.

A GTCC is a commercial credit card offered to DoD personnel (both military and civilian) to pay for costs related to government-specific travel. For military members, this may include Permanent Change of Station moves and temporary duty assignments so that the service member doesn’t have to pay for work-related expenses out of pocket.

Currently, credit cards issued under the GTCC program are from the commercial partner, Citibank. However, the program itself is managed by DoD program coordinators within the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), who provide troubleshooting assistance to service members and federal employees. While Citibank issues GTCC credit card statements, DTMO set policy regarding GTCC use. It is the main agency that does so.

In general, military members will not have access to the GTCC program until it becomes a job requirement. Those who become eligible for holding a GTCC must first complete an online training course and then be invited to apply for the card through Citibank.

There are two main classifications for government charge cards: 

• Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs) 
• Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs)

Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs)

Individually Billed Accounts are issued to service members for travel and travel-related expenses. With these types of cards, the service member is responsible for settling the account. 

According to the DoD , the Standard card options within this category are typically issued to those with a 660 or higher credit score. They have a credit limit of $7,500. 

In contrast, the Restricted card option is issued to those with lower credit scores (500-659) and has a lower credit limit of $4,000. Restricted government charge cards are closely monitored. They are sometimes deactivated during periods when travel has not been approved.

Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs) 

Centrally Billed Accounts can also be used to pay for travel expenses. 

These cards are settled directly by the U.S. government (so the cardholder has fewer personal responsibilities). They have limited use. Unlike Individually Billed Accounts, where the service member is personally liable for card charges, Centrally Billed Accounts assume government liability.

Approved uses of a government travel charge card include, but are not exclusively:

• Meals (not including alcohol)
• Transportation (airfare, train, etc.)

For additional guidance on what constitutes “official travel,” see page 14 in the GTCC Regulations (2020) and the newly amended Joint Travel Regulations (2021) .

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Responsible use of your government charge card entails three main activities: 

• Ethical use of the card for official government travel expenses only;
• Timely and accurate reporting of charges (often with printed receipts);
• Timely payment of the card’s balance

The cardinal rule to follow: the government charge card is not to be treated as a personal card in any way. It should be used only for official travel . (Commuting to work or going on a family vacation do not constitute “official travel”). 

Following the travel event such as PCS or TDY , cardholders are expected to submit a “travel claims” report within five days of its conclusion in the Defense Travel System. This should include scanned receipts of individual charges as well as amounts, dates and descriptions. Foreign currency charges must be converted into U.S. dollars.

Additionally, cardholders with Individually Billed Accounts are responsible for ensuring that the government travel card is ultimately paid off. When entering trip report details in the Defense Travel System, cardholders are encouraged to use the split disbursement option to ensure that the service member is reimbursed for all out-of-pocket expenses and per-diem rates while the charges on the government credit card are settled in full.

Although it isn’t difficult to imagine the multitude of ways that service members can get into hot water for misuse of government travel cards, the most common missteps involve:

• Using the card for unofficial/non-approved travel or personal use
• Overspending
• Using the split disbursement feature incorrectly
• Failing to submit timely and/or accurate travel reports in DTS
• Failing to pay the card balance on time
• Including alcohol on receipts for DTS submission 

In addition to accruing late fees, which begin at 75 days past the due date, cardmembers can have their accounts suspended or terminated for improper use of a GTCC. For more serious offenses, service members may receive formal counseling, an Article 15, or even a court-martial . Therefore, it’s best to be on the safe side and remember the basics for proper GTCC etiquette:

• Use it only for official/approved government travel;
• Provide a timely and accurate report in DTS, using the split reimbursement option;
• Ensure that the GTCC is paid off in full by the due date

For more information on the DoD GTCC:

Citibank Customer Service: 1-800-200-7056 (or 757-852-9076 when calling collect)

GTCC Travel Assistance Center: 1-888-HELP1GO (1-888-435-7146)

Citi’s DoD Travel Card Webpage

Email of the DoD Travel Card Helpdesk

DoD GTCC Regulations (2020)

DoD Joint Travel Regulations (2021)

About Post Author

Meaghan Doherty Myers

Meaghan Doherty Myers is a freelance writer, specializing in military benefits, personal finance, and defense and security issues. She holds an M.A. in Strategic Studies and International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and recently graduated from the Russian language program at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. She is an Army spouse, a former ballet dancer, and a former management consultant who lives with her husband and daughter in Alexandria, VA.

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Travel charge card

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• Per Diem Lookup

What is the travel charge card? The GSA SmartPay® 3 program provides charge cards to U.S. government agencies, as well as tribal governments, through master contracts that are negotiated with major banks. 

There are currently more than 560 Federal agencies, organizations and Native American tribal governments participating in the program, spending $30 Billion annually, through 100 million transactions on more than three million cards.

There are three types of travel accounts:

• Individually billed accounts are issued to employees to pay for official travel and travel-related expenses. The government reimburses employees for authorized expenses. The employee is responsible for making payment to the bank.
• Centrally billed accounts are established by some agencies to pay for official travel expenses. Centrally billed accounts are paid directly by the government to the bank.
• GSA SmartPay Tax Advantage Travel accounts  are new product offerings that combine an Individually Billed Account (IBA) and Centrally Billed Account (CBA), providing a means to obtain tax exemption automatically at the point of sale for rental cars and lodging charges. The combined features of CBAs and IBAs are a key characteristic of this product. When using the Tax Advantage Travel Account, charges for rental cars and lodging will be automatically billed to a CBA for payment. Charges for other travel-related purchases, such as meals and incidentals, are billed to the IBA portion of the account.

What is the benefit for federal agencies? Each agency or organization using the travel charge card receives a rebate based on sales volume. The sale refund is remitted to the organization. In addition, a separate refund is provided to agencies and organizations based on improving speed of payment.

How can travel managers make it happen? In 1988, Congress mandated that federal employees use the government travel charge card for all payments of expenses related to official government travel, with some exceptions. 

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.

Looking for more information on SmartPay?

The GSA SmartPay program provides charge cards to U.S. government agencies/departments, as well as tribal governments, through master contracts that are negotiated with major national banks. Additionally, to contact Travel Program call 888-472-5585 or email [email protected]

• Download the complete Federal Travel Regulation
• Joint Travel Regulations
• Foreign Affairs Manual

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

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Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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The information displayed is based on the available information from the state taxation authority about sales tax and does not include other taxes assessed by county or local governments. As a card/account holder, you are responsible for working with the merchant to meet the requirements of the state. If the merchant has questions, they should reach out directly to the state.

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