Travel Charge Card - Effective for travel on or after October 1, 1999

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 11:48:45 -0400
To: "USGS Employees"<distribution>
From: Jack Blickley <jblickley>
Subject: Travel Charge Card
Cc: "Lisa E Zukowski,  Reston, VA" <lzukows>,
        "Margaret J Seaboy,  Reston, VA" <mseaboy>,
        "Pauline P Scott,  Reston, VA" <pscott>,
        "Tammy J Makel,  Reston, VA" <tmakel>,
        "Susan R Sheely,  Reston, VA" <ssheely>,
        "Kathleen A Keillor,  Reston, VA" <kkeillor>


In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 270
						September 29, 1999
				Memorandum

To:	 All USGS Employees 
						
From:	John J. Blickley  /s/				
  	Acting Chief, Office of Financial Management

Subject:  Travel Charge Card - Effective for travel on or after October 1, 1999

There have been many changes regarding travel procedures and the use of the
Bank of America (formerly Nations Bank) Master Card since its
implementation last November.  Listed below are some items that need
clarification in the use of the card as well as the travel voucher
preparation:

  	1.  The following items should always post to the Centrally Billed
Account (CBA) and reported on the travel voucher as ‘non-reimbursable'
(Please note that local travel has not been part of this list until now):

	--  Commercial Airlines
	--  Passenger Railways
	--  Rental Cars
	--  Tolls and Bridge Fees
	--  Gasoline for GOV or rental car (NEVER POV)
	--  Airport Parking*
	--  Local Travel  - (Including:  Subways,  Ferries & local water
transportation, Shuttles, Taxicabs, Limousines and Bus Lines)

	*The majority of the airport parking will post as a CBA item; however,
there are occasions when a charge may post to an Individually Billed
Account (IBA).  Posting can be verified in either EAGLS or in the FFS CARD
table. 

	Only the Government Charge Card is permitted for airline and other
transportation charges.  Also, it is recommended that the rental car and
gasoline transactions be handled with the government card.  Remember that
used of the travel card will become mandatory for travel performed on or
after January 1, 2000, as a result of the Travel and Transportation Act.
On the occasions when cash is used for items such as local travel, airport
parking, etc., (which do not require a receipt) please annotate beside the
claim on the voucher that traveler used cash and requires reimbursement.
Attaching a copy of travelers on-line statement from EAGLS would be helpful
to further support transactions charged with Government charge card and
whether the items posted to IBA or CBA.

	2.  Retail purchases can only be accomplished if the cardholder has the
purchase business line open on the Master Card.  This is a change from
AMEX, where all cardholders were able to use their card for retail
purchases.  If the purchase business line is open and emergency field
purchases are charged, these items are not reported on the travel voucher.
This is a acquisition transaction and not a travel related transaction.

Questions can be directed to the Agency Program Coordinators For Each
Business Line:

PURCHASE:
   Lisa Zukowski, Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, (703)
   648-7347, lzukows@usgs.gov;
   Margaret Seaboy, Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, (703)
   648-7350, mseaboy@usgs.gov;

TRAVEL:
   Susan Sheely, Office of Financial Management, (703) 648-7602,
   ssheely@usgs.gov;
   Kathy Keillor, Office of Financial Management, (703) 648-7621,
   kkeillor@usgs.gov;

FLEET:
   Pauline Scott, Property Management Branch, (703) 648-7327, pscott@usgs.gov;
   Tammy Makel, Property Management Branch, (703) 648-7327, tmakel@usgs.gov;