Air Force rolls out new travel card program Published Dec. 13, 2010 By 99th Comptroller Squadron NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The Air Force is rolling out a new travel card program that will change the way Airmen finance their travel. The new Controlled Spend Account cards have already been issued to a few members and the transition will be complete in spring 2011. There are four primary differences between the Government Travel Card and the new CSA card: 1. Every traveler will get one, because no credit check is required. 2. It is not a credit card. A spend limit will be loaded to the CSA card for each trip based on the estimated dollar amount of the approved travel order. 3. The new card must be used for all travel expenses (Temporary Duty, Permanent Change of Station and deployments). If the merchant doesn't accept the card, an ATM cash advance should be obtained for the expense. 4. All of the voucher settlement will be paid to Citi Bank. There will be no reimbursement from a travel voucher to a personal bank account. If a traveler has a residual balance after reimbursement, the traveler may charge personal expenses to the card up to the remaining amount, contact Citi for an Automated Clearing House, or check or withdraw the funds from an ATM. This means that travelers must have approved travel order at least five business days before they travel. If a short-notice trip pops up, the traveler or Unit Agency Program Coordinator can call Citi Bank directly to request a temporary spend limit. A TSL will automatically increase the balance on the CSA card while an order is approved. The TSL is good for up to five business days. If no order is approved after five days, the TSL is automatically decreased. The CSA card parameters also make it important for travelers to use good estimates for their travel expenses when submitting orders in the Defense Travel System. Travelers need to add fuel costs for rental cars, transportation to and from the airport and hotel tax costs. If travelers forget expenses in their order estimates and they need more money on their CSA card during the trip, they can also request a TSL from Citi Bank while they get an approved amendment to their orders. If travelers overestimate their travel expenses and spend more than Citi Bank is reimbursed, the traveler is responsible for paying the remaining balance. As with the GTC, Citi Bank still has a do not strand policy. This means Citi Bank will ensure travelers have the means on the CSA card to accomplish official travel, such as approved orders or TSLs. On a case-by-case basis, Citi Bank will force travel authorizations through on the CSA to ensure travelers can get to where they need to go. The CSA program is designed to bring the DoD travel card program in to compliance with public law. The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 requires travelers to use the official travel card for all travel related expenses. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2003 requires reimbursement of all official travel expenses to be sent to Citi Bank. While these laws have been in effect for some time, only half of all travel expenses were charged to GTC cards in FY09 (FY09 travel costs equaled $2.5 billion, but GTC charges only equaled $1.3 billion). To ensure the new CSA card will reach everyone, cardholders should ensure their current mailing address is on file with Citi Bank by calling 877-784-1407, or going online at https://home.cards.citidirect.com/CommercialCard/Cards.html. Once cardholders receive the new CSA card they must call Citi Bank to confirm receipt of the CSA card and establish a Personal Identification Number. A GTC PIN will not transfer automatically to the new CSA card. If you have specific questions about the CSA program, contact your unit Agency Program Coordinator or call the finance office at 652-4844. To view a chart that compares the new CSA card with the GTC: click here.
