Posted on Sep 10, 2015
Government Travel Card! Can I be the only person that hates them?
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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.
Travel
Finance
Orders
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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I HATE DTS. While it isn't the card specifically, that systems helps lead to delinquent accounts.
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SFC Melvin Brandenburg
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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MAJ Ken Landgren
CSM David Heidke - You are absolutely right. My small budget shop conducted DTS for NG and AC soldiers. It was a very efficient system as we settled vouchers in 5 days. One of the biggest impediments is the soldiers did not know how to use DTS, which slowed down my budget shop as we made inputs on behalf of the soldiers. This became inefficient as it increased our work load tremendously, and it became a goat screw trying to figure out the travel requirements for the individual soldiers.
I decided to rectify the situation by focusing a week on how to use DTS. I had no training on DTS, so it took me awhile to create a DTS Smart Book. Upon completion of that project, I pushed it out to all the soldiers in the unit. Soldiers were more understanding of DTS and our work load dropped significantly. The end result is greater efficiency and faster turn around times for voucher settlements.
I gave the DTS Smart Book to the army and it has taken over the project. I really do not know how appropriate it is now considering the changes to DTS. If you look closely you might find my name on one of the pages as I am not bullshitting. https://militarycac.com/files/DTS_SMART_BOOK.pdf
I decided to rectify the situation by focusing a week on how to use DTS. I had no training on DTS, so it took me awhile to create a DTS Smart Book. Upon completion of that project, I pushed it out to all the soldiers in the unit. Soldiers were more understanding of DTS and our work load dropped significantly. The end result is greater efficiency and faster turn around times for voucher settlements.
I gave the DTS Smart Book to the army and it has taken over the project. I really do not know how appropriate it is now considering the changes to DTS. If you look closely you might find my name on one of the pages as I am not bullshitting. https://militarycac.com/files/DTS_SMART_BOOK.pdf
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CSM David Heidke
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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MAJ Ken Landgren
CSM David Heidke - Let me think. I wrote it in 2008. I think I gave it to the Finance Branch around 2011. My DTS NCOs often made inputs to settle travel vouchers on the day they received them. 4-5 days later the vouchers were settled. It's a good system if everyone is cognizant of the roles and responsibilities to include understanding DTS. The unequivocal frustration of DTS is a 95% solution means you are still flapping in the wind. You can see my name on page 13!
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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.
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
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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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
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.
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
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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