Posted on Sep 10, 2015

Government Travel Card! Can I be the only person that hates them?

24.8K

I hate the fact that they are mandatory. I have a credit card for personal use and then just for emergencies. I use debit card for anything that I purchase including my flights. Up to this point I have only used a personal card for official military travel but am now being told (new unit) that it is illegal to use a personal card as a GTC card holder.

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Posted >1 y ago

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Responses: 18

CSM Carl Cunningham

Posted >1 y ago

I HATE DTS. While it isn't the card specifically, that systems helps lead to delinquent accounts.

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CSM David Heidke

>1 y

A lot of time it's not the system, but the custodians of the system that won't delegate the authority to approve vouchers. We have vouchers that ferment for quite some time before someone gets around to approving them.

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CSM Carl Cunningham

>1 y

I hear ya CSM, but the 1351 was pretty easy. Now you have Soldiers that forgot how to fill that out during a PCS because they do not use it for TDY's. I equate DTS to DTMS; they are like the Eye of Sauron.

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SFC Melvin Brandenburg

6 y

I am still waiting on travel pay from TDY in early January. I'm glad I don't use the GTC, and pay for travel out of pocket and get reimbursed.

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CSM David Heidke

6 y

MAJ Ken Landgren Where was this before I retired?! My issue was that someone upstream would be a bottleneck... Like every penny they had to approve would come out of their paycheck. My last voucher never got paid. I had to pay for a hotel stay out of my pocket. I purposely waited a few months to pay the bill so it would show on the delinquent report after my retirement order was cut.

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COL Vincent Stoneking

Posted >1 y ago

I hate it with a passion. I use it ONLY for paying for flights, the only purchase that was ACTUALLY required to be put on the card until recently. There was always a lot of pressure to put everything on it, and occasional questions about "why didn't you follow protocol and....", but flights were the only thing decreed by regulation. My understanding is that now lodging (Not sure if all lodging? Just saw something recently) is being added to that.

My feeling has always been if it is credit that is in my name, affects my credit rating, and that *I* am required to repay regardless of reimbursement[1], then I will damn well use the card I want (and get Cabela's points!!!).

[1] Per the reg, you are required to pay your balance when due. "My voucher hasn't been paid" is not considered a valid excuse. I have an issue with that, and have ever since I first got a GTC, way back in the day.

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SFC Melvin Brandenburg

6 y

I simply refused. Of course, I was willing to forgo schools, but I knew I was retiring so that was not an issue.

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LTC Tom Hartley

Posted >1 y ago

Yeah. I never understood how it was legal for them to be mandated? It effects your credit score negatively, because of the low credit limit. You are stuck with the bill, yet use is restricted, and data is reviewed by others?

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CSM David Heidke

>1 y

because the government gets a kickback probably.

If I have to pay it when the government won't approve my voucher, I should be able to use my own card, and get my own rewards for using it.

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SFC Melvin Brandenburg

6 y

I think the government will eventually move to pay for everything on the card, and instead of per diem, there will be a limit to reimbursement, but if you save the government money by staying in cheaper lodging or eating more economically, the SM won't keep the difference, it will just be a savings to Uncle Sam.

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Government Travel Card! Can I be the only person that hates them?

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