2000 DFPS Travel Policy
2100 State Travel Charge Cards
Travel October 2020
State travel charge cards provide services to travelers. The state benefits financially by negotiating lower rates.
2110 Charges
Travel October 2020
State travel charge cards are issued only for official state business. State travel charge cardholders are expected to use the charge card for all eligible, business-related travel expenses.
2111 Unallowable Charges
Travel October 2020
An authorized cardholder cannot use the card for the following:
- Personal charges.
- Alcoholic beverages. Cardholders also may not seek reimbursement for alcoholic beverages.
2112 Allowable Charges
Travel October 2020
An authorized cardholder may use the card for the following:
- Meals, lodging and incidental business expenses for overnight business trips.
- Incidental travel charges that are not reimbursable, such as phone calls not for business purposes, in-room movies, meal tips, fuel for personal vehicle, and so on for overnight trips.
- Contracted airfare if the agency’s central billing accounts were not used to purchase the airfare.
The table below shows appropriate and inappropriate use of the State Travel Charge Card. Note: Inappropriate and some appropriate charges are non-reimbursable. Appropriate reimbursable charges may be reimbursed on the employee’s travel claim.
| Appropriate Reimbursable Use |
Appropriate Non-Reimbursable Use |
Inappropriate Use |
|---|---|---|
Meals while on business out of town overnight |
Tip at meals while on business out of town overnight |
Meals or tip while on business in HQ or home city |
A long-distance business call added to the employee’s lodging bill while on business out of town |
A long-distance personal call charged to the employee’s lodging bill while on business out of town |
A long-distance personal call from the employee’s HQ |
|
A tire for or repair to an employee’s personal car during a business trip |
Fuel for an employee’s personal car for a family trip |
Airfare and luggage fees for an employee to attend an agency meeting |
|
Airfare to go to an amusement park or airfare for an employee’s spouse |
|
|
Alcoholic beverage purchases |
|
An in-room movie charged to an employee’s lodging bill while out of town on business |
Renting a video to take home to the kids |
Tip for a bellhop to carry bags as a special accommodation for a person with a disability |
|
Tip for a bellhop to carry bags when a special accommodation is not needed. |
2120 Eligibility for State Travel Charge Card
Travel October 2020
To apply for a state travel charge card, an authorized traveler must:
- Have a job description that lists travel requirements.
- Not have had a state agency corporate charge card revoked.
- Take (or anticipate taking) three or more trips per fiscal year, or accumulate a total of at least $500 in business-related expenses per fiscal year.
A cardholder is not eligible for an advance travel request.
See 2200 Travel Advance Funds for details regarding the Advance Travel EXTRA card.
2130 Charge Card Holder Payment Responsibility
Travel October 2020
DFPS does not assume any liability for charges made to individually issued state travel charge cards. Delinquent accounts are strictly prohibited. To avoid delinquency, a cardholder must pay his or her state travel charge card bills upon receipt and without regard to travel reimbursement claim status. Failure to pay the charges on a state travel charge card may result in disciplinary action.
Appropriate reimbursable charges may be reimbursed on the employee’s travel claim. A traveler may submit travel claims once every 30 days or immediately for claims of $200 or more.
The cardholder must immediately notify and provide a written explanation to his or her supervisor or the agency’s charge card coordinator when the following occurs:
- The employee has an emergency situation related to the business of the state agency (such as lost luggage or a repair to a personal vehicle).
- The employee is away from his or her designated headquarters.
The following actions will be taken on delinquent accounts:
- 30 days delinquent — The supervisor gives the employee a verbal warning that the card will be suspended if the next report shows a 60-day delinquent balance. If all or any portion of a payment is not received by the Bank within 58 days of the first statement date, the Bank will assess a late fee equal to 2.5% of all past due balances. Delinquency assessments are not a reimbursable expense.
- 60 days delinquent — When the account reaches 61 days past due, the Bank will suspend the account until it is paid. The DFPS Travel Section sends a written notification to the employee suspending the card with copies to the regional director or administrator and the supervisor. If the account is repeatedly 60 days delinquent, DFPS Travel Section will cancel the account.
- 90 days delinquent – The Bank will cancel the account and it will not be reopened.
An employee whose state travel charge card is canceled is not eligible for re-issuance of a card at any time in their remaining tenure with DFPS and will no longer be eligible for advance travel funds.
2140 Unauthorized Use of State Travel Charge Cards
Travel October 2020
Use of a state travel charge card for personal purchases, including alcoholic beverages, is prohibited. Use of the charge card other than official state business is a direct violation of the state’s contract with the Bank and CPA’s rules (1 TAC §20.413). Violations may result in cancellation of the state travel charge card, disciplinary action, or both.
2150 Applying for a State Travel Charge Card
Travel October 2020
The employee takes the following steps:
- Completes the online Texas Corporate Travel Charge Card Application, asking that the bill be sent to his or her home address (see Online Process, below).
- Signs the Statement of Responsibility regarding appropriate use of the state travel charge card. The supervisor must sign the form certifying that the employee has met the requirements to hold a state travel charge card.
- Scans the signed and approved Statement of Responsibility and sends to DFPS STCC or sends to DFPS Travel Section (STCC) at mail code 1215. Online applications cannot be approved by the STCC without the Statement of Responsibility.
The Online Process is as follows:
- Click on Texas Corporate Travel Charge Card Application.
- Under New Users, click on “Apply for Card.”
- Select “Invitation Passcode” and continue.
- Enter Pass Code “TX530CITI.”
- Enter – Inviter’s Email Address.
- Fill out the application form and submit.
- Once the application and Statement of Responsibility are received by the DFPS Travel Section (STCC), the application process will begin.
- Employee will receive an email from the Bank once the application has been approved by the STCC.
- The card will be mailed to STCC in approximately three weeks.
- Employee will receive notification of STCC mailing the card to the employee’s home address.
- Employee should reply to DFPS STCC upon receipt of travel charge card.
- If employee does not receive the travel charge card within five business days of the STCC email notification, contact the DFPS STCC for further instructions.
The DFPS Travel Section does the following:
- Checks the application and the Statement of Responsibility for authorized signatures and completeness.
- Reviews, approves, and submits the application for processing online.
- Maintains a file of the Statement of Responsibility.
If the employee qualifies and the Bank issues the card, the state travel charge card will be mailed to the employee’s home address listed on the application within three weeks. If the employee does not receive the state travel charge card within three weeks, or after receiving the email notification that is has been mailed, the employee should contact the DFPS STCC.
2160 Cancellation of a State Travel Charge Card
Travel October 2020
A state travel charge card may be canceled for the following reasons:
- An employee requests the cancellation.
- DFPS cancels the card due to misuse or account delinquency.
- The state travel charge card company cancels the account due to late payment, nonpayment, or non-use.
- Termination of employment with DFPS.
Upon cancellation of a state travel charge card, the employee must cut the card and surrender it to his or her supervisor.
The supervisor does the following:
- Makes a copy of the cut card, signs and dates the copy, has the employee sign and date the copy, and files the copy in the employee’s personnel file.
- Disposes of the cut card and sends a written cancellation request to the DFPS Travel Section, at mail code 1215, or via email DFPS STCC.
If an employee does not return the state travel charge card or is terminated for cause, the supervisor sends a written notification to request cancellation of the credit card account to the DFPS Travel Section, at mail code 1215 or via email DFPS STCC.
If an employee’s job duties change or he or she accepts another position within DFPS and no longer meets the requirements for state travel charge card, the employee should cut the card up and notify DFPS Travel Section via email DFPS STCC.