How Do I Manage My Centrally Billed Travel Program (DoD ... · PDF fileThis material is intended for use by the GSA only. 3 ... hotel and car rental reservations ... How Do I Manage

U.S. General Services Administration

How Do I Manage My Centrally Billed

Travel Program (DoD)

Stacy Eslich, Citi

Ann Barkley, DTMO

July 2012

2012 GSA SmartPay Conference

“Fine Tune Your Payments Program with GSA SmartPay”

This material is intended for use by the GSA only

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House Rules

®

To ensure the best possible learning experience for participants, please adhere

to the following house rules:

• Turn electronic devices to vibrate

• No video- taping or audio recording is allowed

• Hold questions to end of session

• Ensure your participant badge is scanned to receive CLP credits

− For each course

• Take advantage of opportunities to provide feedback

− Please select the “Citi Q&A” icon on any Citi PC at the conference

− Answers to be e-mailed after the conference within 60 days

Travel A/OPCsTravel APCs

How Do I Manage My Centrally Billed Travel Program

®

Schedules Available at the Welcome Center DoD Travel A/OPCs

4




Visit the Citibank Welcome Center–Governor’s Lobby

Visit the Citibank One-on-One Lab–Governor’s Chambers D&E

Citi Q&A Link–Tell us your thoughts

®

Reminders DoD Travel A/OPCs

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This course is designed to assist you in

achieving the following objectives:

• Those activities that a DoD Travel A/OPC

would need to perform to support a CBA

travel program

• Provides information on how to use Citi’s

online tools.

Goals & Objectives

®


Travel APCs

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The “How Do I..” series is a unique education series designed to

provide your learning experience with policy guidelines, roles and

responsibilities, with instruction on Citi’s tools and technology.

“How Do I…” Manage My DoD CBA Travel Program

“How Do I…” Manage My DoD IBA Travel Program

“How Do I…” Manage My Online Users and APCs

The “How Do I…” Series

Guidance and Policy

Tools and Technology

Roles and Responsibilities

“How Do I…” Learning Guideposts

Useful

Information

and Tips

Warnings and

things to

watch out for

Additional

information

and resources



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Agenda

®


DoD Travel A/OPCs

Policy Guidelines and Training

1. OMB and DTMO Policy Overview

2. Ongoing Training

Managing Your DoD CBA Travel Program

3. CBA Overview

4. Practices with Traditional vs. DTS CBAs

5. Card Applications

6. Components of a Reconciliation Program

7. Managing Advanced Credits and Returned Tickets

8. Identifying and Disputing Charges

9. Card Closures and Exceptions

Travel APCs

1. OMB and DTMO Policy Overview

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OMB and DTMO Policy Overview


Travel APCs

OMB Circular A-123, Appendix B

www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/circulars/a123/a123_appendix_b.pdf

Prescribes policies and procedures to agencies regarding how to maintain internal

controls that reduce the risk of fraud, waste, and error in government charge card

programs.

Chapter 5 of this appendix (Performance Metrics and Data Requirements)

establishes guidelines for the Travel Card Program, as well as the Purchase Card

Program

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OMB and DTMO Policy Overview (continued)

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DoD Travel A/OPCsTravel APCs

Financial Management Regulations, Volume 9, Chapter 3

http://comptroller.defense.gov/fmr/09/index.html

Prescribes policies and procedures specific to DoD regarding the

management of the DOD Travel Card Program

Updated and maintained by the DTMO

Key Points:

• DoD policy that the Government Travel Charge Card will be used by ALL DoD

personnel to pay for all costs related to official Government Travel

• APCs must be appointed in writing

• Program Management Controls

• Delinquency Management

OSD-P&R policy memo “Reduction of CBAs” (May 3, 2007)

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/Reduction_of_CBAs_050307.pdf

2. Ongoing Training

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Interactive Training Events – DoD

Citi offers on-site training for its EAS at no cost for agencies meeting the required minimum participant level of 20 or more as set forth in the GSA SmartPay2 Master Contract.

Regional Citi Training Locations

– Norfolk, VA

– Washington, DC

– Visit www.defensetravel.dod.mil/passport to view and register for these sessions

On-site at your base or installation

– 20-participant minimum

– Visit www.citimanager.com/dodhome and under Resources to download the On-site Training Request Form

Web-Based Training (WBTs)

e-mail us at [email protected] and

a Citi training coordinator will work with you

directly for on-site or Web-Based sessions.


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3. CBA Overview

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CBA Overview

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DoD Travel A/OPCsTravel APCs

Centrally Billed Account (CBA)

• A travel charge card account established for an agency, paid by the agency

• Can be established and issued to a unit or organization needing the flexibility

of charging directly to a DoD liability account

• All new CBA applications must be approved by the Service/Agency

Component Program Managers (CPM) (Exception: For Army, Level 3 APCs can approve CBA

applications)

• Includes both a Central Account Number and a Transaction Account Number

The Corporate Account “Parent”-- receives

the statement for payment

The Transacting Account “Child”– is issued

to the travel agency or unit

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OMB and DTMO Policy Overview

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DoD Travel A/OPCs

Commercial Travel Office (CTO):

The commercial travel service used by the Department of Defense to issue air, rail

or bus tickets, hotel and car rental reservations

Authorized on behalf of DoD to charge air, rail and bus tickets for DoD travelers on

approved orders

Defense Travel System (DTS):

The official DoD online travel management system that provides users with a

centralized location to support travel authorizations, make reservations, receive

approvals, reconcile travel vouchers, and facilitate payments through DFAS to

Citibank.

DTS also has he capability to automate many aspects of the reconciliation for a

CBA account through the use of the DTS Recon Module or through traditional CTO

relationships.

Travel APCs

Bus tickets cannot be charged

to a CBA through DTS

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CBA Overview

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DoD Travel A/OPCs

There are two types of CBAs

1) Transportation Accounts

Used for making reservations on behalf of an individual

The card is white plastic held by the CBA Account Manager and not used at point of sale

Traditional CBAs(Manual Reconciliation)

Traditional Air/Rail/Bus (BIN: 4614-26)

Bus/Ground Transportation (BIN: 4614-28)

MEPS Accounts (BIN: 4614-70)

Defense Travel System CBAs(DTS Recon Module Supported)

DTS Recon Accounts (BIN: 4614-27)

Supports automated reconciliation of CBA to orders, booking and obligations

Travel APCs

All CBA programs are

GSA City Pair

Program certified,

except for MEPS CBA

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CBA Overview

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DoD Travel A/OPCs

2) Unit Travel Charge Card Account

Point of Sale card

SSN required

ATM availability can be requested

BIN: 4614-29

Authorized by the CPM

Typically issued to DoD Components in the traveler’s name (SSN required)

Charges are made directly by the cardholder and are typically used for group travel,

e.g. military band

Components will limit the issuance of unit travel cards whenever possible and

maximize the use of IBAs

Reconciliation of unit card statements is done at the organization level by the unit

account coordinator/approval official

Travel APCs

4. Practices with Traditional vs. DTS CBAs

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Practices with Traditional vs. DTS CBAs

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DoD Travel A/OPCs

Traditional

– CBA is reconciled manually by the organization or with the assistance from the CTO and

submitted to DFAS for disbursement

• Copies of travel orders and travel itinerary may need to be submitted with the invoice

package

– Some services utilize software in coordination with their CTO to assist with traditional

reconciliation, e.g. GTS

DTS CBA Recon

– Fully automated recon process within DTS that allows a user to electronically reconcile, certify

and submit the invoice file to DFAS/Vendor Pay for disbursing

– There are separate sessions at the conference that will provide an overview of the DTS CBA

Recon process

– Potential cost savings by using the DTS module or sending your invoice electronically to Vendor

Pay (DFAS)

– The “per LOA/transaction” rate charged to the components by DFAS is less for DTS CBA than

for traditional accounts; the rates charged by DFAS vary by component

Travel APCs

DTS CBA Automated Process Flow

DMDC

CCV

Invoice

DTS

Trip Request

AO

Approves

Travel

Authorization

(or Amendment)

User

CTO CTO

Ticket

DataCTO

CTO ticketed

information

populated

in DTS

CCV

Invoice

DTS

reconciliation

match to

trip record

CTO

Research

DISPUTES

PAID

(820)

Matched &

Unmatched Records

TO Review

&

Certification

$

OB

(821)

DFAS

GEX

CBA

Invoice

(810)

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5. Card Application

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Card Application

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DoD Travel A/OPCs

Who Can Citi Accept an Application for a Centrally Billed Account from?

• Air Force–CPM Office Only

• Army–CPM and Level 3 APCs

• Navy–CPM Office Only

• Marine Corps–CPM Office Only

• Independents–CPMs (HL3 APCs)

Travel APCs

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Card Application

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There are two types of CBAs that you can apply for

• Transportation Account (Traditional or DTS)

• Unit Card

Billing cycles can be chosen on the application

• 3rd to the 27th of the month

• It is important to vary your cycles to assist with reconciliation

Cards can be set up for:

• Air/Rail

• Bus

• Car Rental

• Hotel

• Restaurants

• Other

• All or some of the above

Transportation

CBAs

Unit Card

CBAs

If you are not sure,

check with your CPM

on the type of CBA

Card is Appropriate

Travel APCs

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Card Application

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Things to Look Out for When Considering A New CBA Card…

1. Cycle Dates – Accounts need to be reconciled quickly (15 days), so space them out if

you have more than one account

2. Contact Information for the Card holders and Units is critical for timely resolution of

issues

3. Type of CBA should match the Mission

a) DTS CBAs (BIN 4614-27) are the only CBA’s reconciled by the DTS Recon Module

b) Traditional CTO CBAs (BIN 4614-26) Need a DoD approved CTO to support the

card

c) Unit Card CBAs (BIN 4614-29) are the only cards you can swipe at a point of sale

and an individual’s SSN

d) MEPS Accounts (BIN 4614-70) are not City Pair Program Certified

Travel APCs

6. Components of a Reconciliation Program

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Components of a Reconciliation Program

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DTS Recon Accounts

• The DTS Recon module speeds the reconciliation process through the user of automated tools

and integration with DoD, CTO, and Citi systems

• DTS Accounts MUST be registered with the DTS Program Management team. The Citi CBA

Card Application alone will not register your account on DTS.

All Non-DTS Recon Accounts

• The focus of a CBA Reconciliation Program involves the validation of financial transactions

against their DoD obligation, the CTO travel booking and the Citi Statement.

• Attention should focus on resolving the “unmatched” transaction, including

• Does the Obligation provide for sufficient funding at the line of accounting

• Does the CTO data contain the correct information to identify the traveler and ticket

• Do the dollars on the transaction match that on the CTO information

• Does the amount that was certified match what was actually paid?

Travel APCs

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®


What Documentation is Necessary for a Proper CBA Program Reconciliation*

• CBA Reconciliation Form- Used to track the matching process

• CBA Register – Used to keep an accurate running balance of each CBA Account and maintain

the Ending balance.

• Monthly Bank Statement – The FULL Monthly Statement including the Central and Transacting

accounts

• Initial and Final CTO Reports (Labeled as “FINAL”)

• Any Reconciliation Communications- For use in the event of a future audit of your records

• All Correspondence Initiated to the Card Vendor or Airline and awaiting Resolution

• Any Other Relevant Recon Documents

Components of a Reconciliation Program

*Courtesy of the Dept. of Navy CBA Travel Card Program Website

https://www.navsup.navy.mil/ccpmd/travel_card/centrally_billed_accounts

Travel APCs

7. Managing Advanced Credits and Returned Tickets

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Managing Advanced Credits and Returned Tickets

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What Is an Advanced Credit?

Advanced Credits occurs when the balance is not paid in full due to a pending credit for

an airline ticket that was billed

Each Service /Agency CPM will determine what their policy is pertaining to advance

credits

How do I handle Advanced Credits?

Advanced Credits must be tracked in order to not take the credit twice. If you take the

advanced credit, when the credit does post, it must not be taken again

If the credit does not post timely you need to dispute the transaction. A dispute must be

filed within 60 days from the statement date on which the transaction appears

Responsibility is on traveler to contact the CTO when a ticket has not been used or was

partially used.Keep track of your Advanced Credits!

Unresolved advanced credits can get lost

in the monthly churn if you don’t stay on

top of them

Travel APCs

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Managing Advanced Credits and Returned Tickets

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Tracking Advanced Credits

The Airline Credit Report in the CCRS CBA Supplemental Folder lists credits posted from

airline merchants along with possible original transactions that can be matched for offset

In the DTS Recon Module, the DTS Unused Ticket Report is available in the Report

Scheduler

Travel APCs

Many credits provided by the CTO don’t

include the original ticket numbers. Pay

attention to the vendors and dollars

8. Identifying and Disputing Charges

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Identifying and Disputing Charges

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Identifying Transactions

• Identifying transactions that qualify for Dispute starts with a solid CBA account

reconciliation process

• Look for transactions that….

Don’t match known travel orders

Are lacking CTO data

Check for unauthorized charges

Verify that ticket charges from vendor match amount authorized for ticket

Verify credits are similar to the original transaction and belong on your account

Travel APCs

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®


If I Find Transactions I Don’t Recognize…

Call the CTO or merchant first and ask for clarification. Usually a call to the

merchant will resolve the issue

If the Merchant cannot resolve the transaction themselves, and you cannot

reconcile the transaction to known travel, then you can file a claim with Citi.

Remember a dispute must be filed by the APC within 60 days from the

statement date on which the transaction appeared and the APC must be

responsive to all requests for documentation from Citi

Follow up and track the resolution of your disputes. A resolved dispute may

still be in favor of the merchant and require payment.

You can track disputes in CCRS by usingthe Transaction

Dispute Report

Travel APCs

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®


DoD Travel A/OPCs

Disputes Do Require the Correct Form with a Signature

• The form can be downloaded from Citi at:

http://www.citibank.com/transactionservices/home/sa/a2/gsasmartpay2/dod/index.jsp

• In the DTS CBA recon module

• DTMO website under Program & Services/GTCC/DTS CBA Reconciled

Accounts

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/cba.cfm

Dispute forms must be faxed to Citi

per the instructions on the form for

the Dispute to be considered

Travel APCs

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®


The CCMS Dispute Log is Another Tool You Can Use to Track Disputes

https://home.cards.citidirect.com >> Web Tools >> CCMS >> Inquiry>> Dispute Log

Travel APCs

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Identifying and Disputing Charges (continued)

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For Accepted Disputes Citi Will:

• Provide a provisional credit while the dispute is being researched by Citi

• Promptly investigate disputed items and use best efforts to resolve the dispute,

including working with merchants and the transaction dispute officer

• If the dispute is found in favor of the government, Citi will chargeback

(rebill) the merchant where appropriate

• If the dispute is found in favor of the merchant, Citi will remove the

provisional credit and rebill the charges

Remember: Disputes must be filed within 60

days of the statement date on which the

transaction first appears or dispute rights are

relinquished.

Travel APCs

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Identifying and Disputing Charges (continued)

®


What are other common dispute reasons on a Centrally Billed Account?

Multiple Processing : A merchant may process a single transaction

more than once

Difference in amount: A merchant may charge a different amount,

i.e., instead of a $500 ticket they charge a $5,000 ticket

Transactions that have posted to the wrong account can be transferred

and should not be disputed. The transfer transaction form can be

accessed on the Citi site under the resources link:

http://www.citibank.com/transactionservices/home/sa/a2/gsasmartpay2/dod/index.jsp

Travel APCs

Be Careful with your Dispute Reasons...

Multiple “Unauthorized Transactions” indicates a

compromised account and your CBA will be closed

and reissued. “Services Not Provided” does not

close an account

9. Card Closures and Exceptions

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Card Closure

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Closing a CBA Account

Citi will accept a closure request for a Centrally Billed Account from:

– Army–CPM and Level 3 APCs

– Navy–CPM Office Only

– Marine Corps–CPM and authorized APCs

– Air Force–CPM Office Only

– Independents–CPMs (HL3 APCs)

When switching from one CTO to another, the CBA account must be closed

and a new one opened

– Does not apply to accounts using the DTS CBA Recon Module

A CTO can always be added to an existing

traditional CBA if there is no CTO on the

account, and does not require a new

application

Travel APCs

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Card Closure

®


It is important to pay your Centrally Billed Account on time

– Prompt Payment Act interest will accrue if your statement is not paid with in

30 days after receipt of the statement (calculated and applied by DFAS)

– CBA accounts will suspend at 61 days past statement billing date

– CBA account will be canceled at 126 days past statement billing date

CBA Exceptions can be requested for a temporary reprieve of suspension

– CPMs can request exceptions on accounts 55-90 days past billing/statement

date

– For accounts over 91 days past billing/statement date, the request must come

from the DTMO

– Exceptions do not change Prompt Payment Act interest due

– Canceled accounts do not qualify for exception

– Citi reserves the right to deny any exception request

Travel APCs

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Card Application and Closure

®


Applying for an Exception:

– Exception period will not exceed 30 days

– No more than three requests in a rolling 12-month period per account

– Requests must be made in writing from the CPM (or DTMO) via the

[email protected] mailbox

– Requests must include:

– Last six digits of the account number

– Date of last payment

– Number of days past billing

– Reason for delinquency

– Expected date of full reconciliation

– Expected date of payment and the amount

– Exception Justification to include date of voucher submission and amount

Travel APCs

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Identifying Cards at Risk

®


Aging Analysis for CBAs is available on CCRS for high-level reporting

Do you monitor delinquency reports?

– You don’t want a CBA to suspend!

– Your entire organization could be impacted

CitiManager >> Web Tools >> CCRS >> Shared Reports>> DoD Travel Shared Reports

Travel APCs

Stacy Eslich Ann Barkley

®

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Travel APCs


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