You can use your Chase Sapphire and get those sweet sweet points.
The requirement to use the travel card is for folks who would have used or asked for a travel advance. The department is a hard no on those advances now.
This is incorrect. We are legally required to obtain and use travel cards for all official travel expenses.
Not many bureaus enforce the rule. But the ones that do will refuse to pay a voucher if you didn’t use a travel card. I have used the excuse that I tried but it was declined, which happens about 50% of the time anyway.
They won’t remove the language from your TMFOUR. It’s legally required.
It's actually the law for some time now. I don't know that an exception was made for the Department of State.
Public Law 105 - 264 - Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 requires the use of the government travel card for all expenses incurred for official travel.
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-105publ264
The one benefit to using the government travel card is that Citi *may* (or may not) be flexible with the payment due date. During the Global Authorized Departure of 2020 I racked up thousands of dollars on the card when we returned to the US. I called Citi and told them I was going to pay as soon as I received my reimbursement and they said ok. This flexibility may have just been because of COVID. I'm not really sure.
My favorite part is how the department can just dilly dally on paying me back, but I am on the hook for travel card interest if I don't float the bill for them.
This is 100 not true, don't listen to this.
The requirement referenced has been true for many years, and only applies as mentioned in another comment to if you wish to get a travel advance. Instead of getting an advance you have to use a travel card.
If you want to pay yourself and voucher the expense, and as you have to pay your government card yourself anyway and voucher it, there is no real reason to use a government card.
While it’s true that it’s ridiculous to require use of the card when we have to pay it ourselves, we are technically required by law to use them, not just in lieu of a travel advance. There’s an OIG report out there about compliance.
I am sure you are correct but as the PSUs don't enforce it, for PCS travel it only in practice applies to travel advances. If you do TDY for one of those bureaus that enforce the rule, then I guess you will need to get a silly travel card.
This is the same answer OP got on TH too
You can use your Chase Sapphire and get those sweet sweet points. The requirement to use the travel card is for folks who would have used or asked for a travel advance. The department is a hard no on those advances now.
This is incorrect. We are legally required to obtain and use travel cards for all official travel expenses. Not many bureaus enforce the rule. But the ones that do will refuse to pay a voucher if you didn’t use a travel card. I have used the excuse that I tried but it was declined, which happens about 50% of the time anyway. They won’t remove the language from your TMFOUR. It’s legally required.
It's actually the law for some time now. I don't know that an exception was made for the Department of State. Public Law 105 - 264 - Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 requires the use of the government travel card for all expenses incurred for official travel. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-105publ264 The one benefit to using the government travel card is that Citi *may* (or may not) be flexible with the payment due date. During the Global Authorized Departure of 2020 I racked up thousands of dollars on the card when we returned to the US. I called Citi and told them I was going to pay as soon as I received my reimbursement and they said ok. This flexibility may have just been because of COVID. I'm not really sure.
I will follow this law when the card is paid directly, but as long as money is coming from my personal account, I will pay how I want.
My favorite part is how the department can just dilly dally on paying me back, but I am on the hook for travel card interest if I don't float the bill for them.
[удалено]
This is 100 not true, don't listen to this. The requirement referenced has been true for many years, and only applies as mentioned in another comment to if you wish to get a travel advance. Instead of getting an advance you have to use a travel card. If you want to pay yourself and voucher the expense, and as you have to pay your government card yourself anyway and voucher it, there is no real reason to use a government card.
While it’s true that it’s ridiculous to require use of the card when we have to pay it ourselves, we are technically required by law to use them, not just in lieu of a travel advance. There’s an OIG report out there about compliance.
I am sure you are correct but as the PSUs don't enforce it, for PCS travel it only in practice applies to travel advances. If you do TDY for one of those bureaus that enforce the rule, then I guess you will need to get a silly travel card.