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Personal credit card on the road?


pilotguy

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For day to day purchases, use your own card to your hearts content. For hotels, flights, etc, use the GTC. For reimbursable stuff requiring receipts (gas for rental, airport parking fees, etc), use GTC.

I don’t know JTR chapter and verse but that’s the big picture.

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Just now, pilotguy said:

Well ya I know that I’m trying to see where exactly that’s written. Because if it’s not written I’m using personal for everything.

 

It’s in the JTR I believe. That being said I try to use it for things that need receipts. I’ve not used it several times for extended stay hotels because the charge was above the $4,000 limit and I didn’t feel like calling to up it. I’ve never had anyone say anything to me. I know several people that refuse to use their GTC for anything except the airline tickets booked in DTS and no one has ever said anything. 

Just know if you do it you are technically not following the rules. I would have a good excuse, like you card won’t scan/chip is broke, left your card at home, or some other excuse in your back pocket. 

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8 minutes ago, viper154 said:

It’s in the JTR I believe. That being said I try to use it for things that need receipts. I’ve not used it several times for extended stay hotels because the charge was above the $4,000 limit and I didn’t feel like calling to up it. I’ve never had anyone say anything to me. I know several people that refuse to use their GTC for anything except the airline tickets booked in DTS and no one has ever said anything. 

Just know if you do it you are technically not following the rules. I would have a good excuse, like you card won’t scan/chip is broke, left your card at home, or some other excuse in your back pocket. 

I de-magnetized mine 3 years ago...never seems to work and the numbers are difficult to read for some reason.

Hilton Diamond. 

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I always Used it for plane tickets via dts....because i couldn’t figure a good way around it. 

Everything else was personal card. 

Then moved the split disbursement on the voucher side to only pay Gtc balance and everything else went to my account. 

20 yrs, 3 days, zero issues. 

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58 minutes ago, BeerMan said:

You obviously put a lot of effort into this. Try Google:

https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/regulations/GTCC.pdf

040501. Requirement for Use

Unless otherwise exempt (see section 0406), all DoD personnel (military or civilian) are required to use the travel card for all authorized expenses relating to official government travel. Official government travel is defined as travel under official orders to meet mission requirements.

040502. Failure to Use GTCC

Failure to use the travel card will not be used as a basis for refusal to reimburse the traveler for authorized expenses. However, failure to use the travel card may subject the traveler to appropriate administrative or disciplinary action.

Then go look at Section 0406 for exemptions. 

Free advice: If you’re going to break a rule, don’t ask the crowd if it’s ok to break the rule, and then scoff people trying to help you when you appear to have put in about 3 seconds of actual work.

Wait....so, not the JTR? 

Free advice:  Don’t be a jabroni if a dude had a simple question on source information.

Awesome work deconstructing cross-referenced bureaucracy that no one else could. 

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3 hours ago, pilotguy said:

And has anyone ever gotten spoken to about using a personal credit card on the road instead?

Spoken to?  Yes.  More than once.

I retired 4 years ago, and never... ever... had a GTC issued to me.  As such, I couldn't use one.  

Yes, I'm an extreme data point.  But where there is a will, there is energy to find a way.  

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1 hour ago, DazedandCynical said:

Wait....so, not the JTR? 

Free advice:  Don’t be a jabroni if a dude had a simple question on source information.

Awesome work deconstructing cross-referenced bureaucracy that no one else could. 

It may not be in the JTR but it's DoD policy you nitwit.  The OP seemed to be under the impression that if it wasn't in the JTR then he could do whatever.  I've seen this policy enforced to varying degrees in my career.  Some commanders care, others don't.

Personally I don't see the big deal with not using your GTC and getting your Hilton points when you get Diamond with your AMEX platinum anyway.

Edited by Homestar
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6 hours ago, Homestar said:

It may not be in the JTR but it's DoD policy you nitwit.  The OP seemed to be under the impression that if it wasn't in the JTR then he could do whatever.  I've seen this policy enforced to varying degrees in my career.  Some commanders care, others don't.

Personally I don't see the big deal with not using your GTC and getting your Hilton points when you get Diamond with your AMEX platinum anyway.

Never said it wasn’t policy. His original question was where is this written. Ever had someone tell you a policy existed but quoted the wrong reg? 

In my experience, CCs don’t care. The problem arises from the RA that approves the voucher....RA = must approve voucher. The CC = may subject the traveler to the disciplinary action.

You get Hilton Gold with AMEX platinum. 

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In my experience the majority of RAs don't care - the conservative route is use the GTC for the big items like airfare, lodging, rental car.  More risk if you use personal card for those things, but still over all pretty low risk.  FWIW, 13 years and a metric shitload of TDYs (with friends in the same boat) and I don't know a single one who got in trouble for using their personal card on a multitude of things.  Doesn't mean it can't happen, but overall threat is very low.  What's your risk tolerance?

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Just now, brabus said:

In my experience the majority of RAs don't care - the conservative route is use the GTC for the big items like airfare, lodging, rental car.  More risk if you use personal card for those things, but still over all pretty low risk.  FWIW, 13 years and a metric shitload of TDYs (with friends in the same boat) and I don't know a single one who got in trouble for using their personal card on a multitude of things.  Doesn't mean it can't happen, but overall threat is very low.  What's your risk tolerance?

Ditto.  Nobody cares.  I'm sure somebody somewhere cares but nobody cares. 

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13 hours ago, Homestar said:

It may not be in the JTR but it's DoD policy you nitwit.  The OP seemed to be under the impression that if it wasn't in the JTR then he could do whatever.  I've seen this policy enforced to varying degrees in my career.  Some commanders care, others don't.

Personally I don't see the big deal with not using your GTC and getting your Hilton points when you get Diamond with your AMEX platinum anyway.

Amex platinum only gets you gold. 

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As a suggestion.. use your GTC for booking and pick-up of a rental car because you fall under the governments negotiated insurance policy.. upon return, if no damage to the car, have them switch the payment over to your personal credit card so you can get the points. 

My friend only only uses his GTC for DTS airline travel and the above rental car scenario. 10 yrs, airlift guy, no issues

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The one time I could’ve been bit by conveniently “forgetting” my GTC was when my jet broke at Hill and I needed a ticket from SLC but Delta wouldn’t give me a govt rate without the GTC.

Called my RA who told me to use my personal at the more expensive rate.

Expected to get a talking to as a Capt but never heard a word. I never use my GTC.


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

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Has anyone had a GTC negatively affect their credit score?

I was recently scheduled for a sim, our RA purchased airline tickets using my GTC thru SATO. The Guard Bureau cancelled the sim due to end of FY lack of funds. My orders were cancelled, my sim was cancelled, and my airline tickets were cancelled 2 days prior. I had a bunch of SATO fees with no way  to create an authorization or voucher without orders. Long story short, no one could figure out (or were willing to try) how to pay the pill in DTS with no orders, and Citi eventually suspends my card and says the charges are going to a collection agency and will be reflected on my credit score. So I pay it out of my own pocket, late, to avoid further headaches. Today, I get an email saying my score has changed, but I have zero debt any where, for any thing. The connection between Experian and USAA is down so I am unable to view the negative factors.

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4 hours ago, torqued said:

Has anyone had a GTC negatively affect their credit score?

The GTC has never showed up on my credit report let alone credit score. 

Doesn’t mean Citi won’t send it to collections if it’s way past due. A legitimate inability to pay due to the government’s failure to reimburse you is grounds for IG action I’d say. 

Edited by Homestar
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6 hours ago, torqued said:

Has anyone had a GTC negatively affect their credit score?

I was recently scheduled for a sim, our RA purchased airline tickets using my GTC thru SATO. The Guard Bureau cancelled the sim due to end of FY lack of funds. My orders were cancelled, my sim was cancelled, and my airline tickets were cancelled 2 days prior. I had a bunch of SATO fees with no way  to create an authorization or voucher without orders. Long story short, no one could figure out (or were willing to try) how to pay the pill in DTS with no orders, and Citi eventually suspends my card and says the charges are going to a collection agency and will be reflected on my credit score. So I pay it out of my own pocket, late, to avoid further headaches. Today, I get an email saying my score has changed, but I have zero debt any where, for any thing. The connection between Experian and USAA is down so I am unable to view the negative factors.

I’m curious as to how you guys tackle the problem. Sq/RA is my third additional duty.. I think I’d advise to create a voucher, zero out all the per diem and entitlements, just pay as if it was a one-day trip. I think this functionality might already be present in DTS. 

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1 hour ago, herkbier said:

I think I’d advise to create a voucher, zero out all the per diem and entitlements, just pay as if it was a one-day trip. I think this functionality might already be present in DTS. 

Ditto, local voucher is probably perfect for this. 

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At pilot Training they gave us the option to sign up for the TravelCard that showed up on your credit report and the TravelCard that didn’t. I chose to travel card that didn’t. The new rules governing the TravelCard that doesn’t show up on your credit report requires that before every trip you activate your card. It’s a stupid process and I don’t get it done very often. Hence my government travel card doesn’t work so I just used my personal card in those instances. Another example of using your personal card and getting away with it.

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