ALCGPSC 056/22 - GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CHARGE CARD (GTCC) PROGRAM: FINANCIAL AND TRAVEL SYSTEM TRANSITION GUIDANCE - UPDATE

R 141433Z APR 22

ALCGPSC 056/22
SUBJ: GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CHARGE CARD (GTCC) PROGRAM: FINANCIAL AND TRAVEL SYSTEM
TRANSITION GUIDANCE - UPDATE
A. Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) Program Policies and Procedures,
COMDTINST M4600.18 (series)
B. Military Assignments and Authorized Absences, COMDTINST M1000.8A
C. Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)
D. ALCGPSC 087/21 GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CHARGE CARD (GTCC) PROGRAM: FINANCIAL AND
TRAVEL SYSTEM TRANSITION GUIDANCE
E. ALCOAST 096/22 COMMANDANT DIRECTS STAND UP OF FSMS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM
F. Personnel & Pay Procedures Manual, PPCINST M1000.0 (SERIES)
1. This message restricts the use of the Centrally Billed Account (CBA) and
extends the expanded use of the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC)
Individually Billed Accounts (IBA) to support travel until the Financial
Systems Modernization Solution (FSMS) Incident Management Team (IMT) objectives
are met as indicated in reference (E). These policy waivers offer a reliable
means of financial support in the absence of standard travel advances being
processed or travel claim payments being promptly processed, particularly for
Permanent Change of Station, Long-Term TAD, and Disaster Evacuation Orders.
2. Centrally Billed Account (CBA): FSMS/ETS2 vouchering and FINCEN
reconciliation difficulties with CBA expenditures make it necessary to limit
the use of the CBA going forward. The temporary waiver allowing all GTCC IBA
cardholders to use the CBA is immediately terminated. The restrictions on GTCC
cardholders from using the CBA for common carrier transportation expenses (i.e.
airfare, train tickets, etc.) contained in reference (A) are reinstituted. GTCC
holders may continue to use the CBA per policy for the noted exceptions in
reference (A). Travelers and Approving Officials (AOs) shall include the
following statement in the remarks section of travel orders: Use of the
Centrally Billed Account (CBA) is authorized. Members using the CBA must create
a Travel Authorization (TA) in the E-Government Travel System (ETS) so a
document number is created and travel is approved (this includes dependent and
medical travelers). When members are placed in immediate travel/deployment and
the CBA is required, Form 4251 may be used to provide authorization to the
Travel Management Center (TMC). In these cases it is the member's
responsibility to complete a mandatory TA as soon as possible to create a
document number for CBA reconciliation.
3. GTCC Payments: Accounts in good standing will continue to be monitored and
placed into a mission critical status (MC) on a month-to-month basis. This
status will keep accounts in an active status and prevent adverse impacts
resulting from debt while travel claims are being processed. Travelers shall
retain receipts and be prepared to immediately submit vouchers when travel is
complete. New GTCC cardholders will immediately be placed into mission critical
status. This status is designed to protect cardholders who cannot voucher due
to system issues and shall not preclude members who are able to complete
vouchers from doing so within three business days of completing travel.
4. Credit Limits: Travelers who require credit limit adjustments as a result of
the inability to process travel claim reimbursements should contact their local
Travel Manager. Travel Manager authorization to establish credit limits is
temporarily increased from $9999 up to $19,999. Any requests above $20,000 will
be forwarded to the GTCC program managers for DHS approval.
5. Disaster Evacuation: GTCC is authorized for Member and Dependent Meal and
Incidental Expenses (M&IE) as flat-rate per diem for the number of allowable
evacuation days limited by the evacuation order and actual days evacuated. GTCC
cardholders may withdraw up to $415 per week in cash at ATMs against their GTCC
account to cover member and family M&IE Expenses while evacuated under
evacuation orders.
6. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) and Long-Term Temporary Duty (TDY):
Effective immediately, a temporary waiver to use GTCC for PCS and long-term TDY
is authorized. The restrictions contained in reference (A) for PCS greater than
15 days and TDY greater than 21 days are temporarily suspended. Policy
regarding authorized purchases remain in effect IAW with references (A) and
(C). The GTCC is only for official travel to cover authorized expenditures;
however, a temporary policy waiver is granted to cover authorized dependent
expenses during PCS.
a. Proper use of the GTCC for PCS consists of the following:
(1) Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) at the old or new Permanent Duty
Station (PDS): Charges related to this expense include lodging and meals while
in temporary lodging. See Chapter 5, reference (C) for additional TLE
information.
(2) Fuel for Privately Owned Vehicles (POV), but only if POV is the
authorized mode of transportation for the PCS travel. This is not a directly
reimbursed item; it is paid in the form of a Monetary Allowance in Lieu of
Transportation (MALT). MALT is a flat-rate per mile and per vehicle entitlement
based on the distance between the old and new PDS, as determined by the Defense
Table of Official Distances (DTOD).
(3) Lodging and meals enroute: These items are not reimbursed directly,
the member and dependents are entitled to a flat-rate per diem for the number
of allowable travel days based on the mode of transportation, not to exceed the
actual travel days used as outlined in Chapter 5, reference (C).
(4) Airfare/Train/Bus/Ferry for the member and concurrently traveling
dependents and only if it is the authorized mode of transportation for the PCS
travel. Personal travel arrangements made for Leave In Conjunction With
Official (LICWO) travel cannot be purchased with the GTCC. See Chapter 3,
reference (C) for further details regarding LICWO travel.
(5) Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is paid for using the CBA and
purchased through the TMC service provider.
(6) Tolls and miscellaneous fees may be charged to the GTCC.
b. Misuse: Non-travel related expenditures will still be considered misuse.
GTCC may not be used for local travel, team gear, permissive orders, retirement
/separation, personally procured moves, during leave, to/from leave site, LICWO
travel, or for cash withdrawals exceeding reimbursable amounts. Commanders/Supervisors
will ensure travel cards are used only for official
travel related expenses. Examples of misuse include, but are not limited to:
(a) expenses related to personal, family or household purposes except for
authorized PCS expenses,
(b) cash withdrawals from an ATM used during non-travel periods or not related
to official government travel requirements are "not authorized." This includes
but is not limited to any withdrawal of a credit balance remaining on the card,
(c) intentional failure to pay undisputed charges in a timely manner, and (d) ATM
cash withdrawals taken more than three days prior to official government travel.
Cardholders who misuse their travelcard may be subject to administrative or
disciplinary action, as appropriate.
c. Check-out: Immediately upon receipt of orders, if not already a
cardholder, the member must apply for a GTCC. Travel Managers should assist
cardholders in the application process and determine if expediting a card is
necessary to meet travel requirements. Travel Managers will adjust credit
limits 10 days prior to the approved detach date to reflect the estimated cost
of the PCS travel entitlements, allowing GTCC to be used for temporary lodging.
It is important the traveler understands what PCS reimbursable entitlements are
rated and their estimated dollar amounts. Upon completion and certification of
the outbound interview, the traveler will be provided an endorsement to the PCS
orders which contains the estimated dollar amount of the travel entitlements.
The traveler will use this information to ensure charges placed on the GTCC do
not exceed the amount that will be reimbursed upon PCS travel voucher
settlement. Upon check-out, Travel Managers must counsel cardholders concerning
proper use of the GTCC and who they should contact if issues arise. Any
cardholder who requires assistance during the PCS travel period should contact
their Travel Manager for their former command; if already reported to the new
PDS, contact the Travel Manager of the new PDS. Members can determine who their
supporting Travel Managers are under the contacts Portal page located at:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-bops/GTCC%20Library/Forms/AllItems.aspx.
If the cardholder is unable to reach the Travel Manager, Citi Customer Service
should be contacted by calling the number on the back of the GTCC.
d. Check-in: Cardholders must submit their PCS travel vouchers in a timely
manner upon check-in at the new PDS, as outlined in Section H of reference (F).
When the travel voucher is completed, ensure the split-disbursement amount in
block 1 of the DD Form 1351-2 reflects all undisputed charges placed on or
pending in the GTCC. If temporary lodging is still required at the time of
completion of the travel voucher, the cardholder must include an estimate of
the TLE charges in the split-disbursement amount. Other than payment for
temporary lodging, no further charges will be placed on the GTCC after
completion of the travel voucher. Cardholders must ensure they update their
GTCC contact information immediately following the establishment of their
address at the new PDS. If the cardholder does not have a Citimanager account,
the Travel Manager should make the necessary changes or assist the cardholder
to create a user profile in Citimanager: home.cards.citidirect.com
/CommercialCard/ux. Cardholders must proactively review GTCC statements to
ensure payment are made in full from the split-disbursement. Any remaining
balance due after the posting of the split-disbursement must be paid
immediately by the cardholder. Payment can be made via Citimanager at Citi
Commercial Cards (citidirect.com), using the Citi mobile application, or by
calling the number on the back of the card. If the split-disbursement exceeds
the amount due, cardholders may obtain the amount of the credit balance via the
same methods described above. The cardholder is solely responsible for ensuring
the card balance is paid in full once claim processing becomes available again.
e. Commands are reminded that particular attention is required for those
newly reporting cardholders who typically would not have been issued a travel
card from the departing unit. As soon as they have completed their travel
claims, ensure the travel card limits are reduced to the minimum limits.
7. GTCC Non-availability/Eligibility: If a GTCC Account cannot be established
for a member then the CBA should be used to the maximum extent possible and the
member may use a personal credit or debit card for related commercial lodging
and M&IE costs. The Travel Management Center, currently CWT Sato, should still
be used for official travel reservations, including disaster evacuation
reservations.
8. Applicability: This policy does not apply to accession, separation, or
retirement travel, nor does it affect the payment of advance pay or advance
Basic Allowance for Housing to pay for rental deposits. Additionally, this
policy does not apply to PCS travel for civilian personnel, Selected Reserve
members, or Individual Ready Reserve members as these populations do not use
the same order writing and outbound interview processes.
9. GTCC Travel Managers may direct questions to Mr. Michael Duchossois at 703
-254-7175 or Michael.A.Duchossois@uscg.mil or to Ms. Evelyn Carlene Curry at 703
-258-5996 or Evelyn.C.Curry@uscg.mil.
10. Released by: RDML S. N. Gilreath, Commander, Personnel Service Center. The
Service Center for Our Most Important Resource - Our People.
11. Internet release is authorized.