APC Guide May 2022
Defense Travel Management Office 8 defensetravel.dod.mil
Chapter 4. Charge Card Accounts
Citi is DoD’s GTCC vendor under the GSA SmartPay3 master contract (effective November 30, 2018 to November
29, 2031). Citi’s portfolio of travel card products offers a wide-variety of options, but DoD primarily uses two
types of individually billed accounts (IBAs) – standard travel accounts and restricted travel accounts; and, two
types of centrally billed accounts (CBAs) - transportation only accounts and unit travel accounts.
4.1 Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs)
IBA initial spending limits are established based on the DoD’s requirements. However, the APC may
(temporarily) adjust the spending limits based on mission needs; permanent increases are not authorized. Any
individual that may travel as part of their official duties should obtain a GTCC card. Qualifications, credit limits,
and the types of IBAs for DoD were established in the DoD task order and are specified in the GTCC Regulations.
The IBA is a liability of the cardholder, and they are responsible for payment of all undisputed transactions on
the account.
There are two types of IBAs: 1) Standard, and 2) Restricted. Standard Accounts are issued to individuals who
authorize a credit score check and have a credit score of 660 or higher. The credit score check is a soft pull that
does not impact an applicant’s credit score. An applicant with a credit score below 660 will receive a restricted
account. If the applicant does not authorize a credit score check, they must complete the alternate
creditworthiness assessment form DD 2883.
Applicants not authorizing the bank to pull a credit score and who provide any false responses to any of
the true and false questions on the DD 2883 are not eligible for a travel card.
Note: Applicants who were not successful in applying for a travel card because they did not authorize a credit
score check and provided any false response on the DD 2883 can reapply and authorize a credit score check and
still receive a travel card based on their credit score criteria. There is no longer an APC restricted card option. If
an applicant is not successful in applying for a travel card for having a false response on the DD 2883 and will not
authorize a credit score check, they are ineligible to receive the IBA travel card.
4.2 Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs)
A CBA is an account that has been issued to a DoD organization to pay for official travel transportation charges
such as air, rail, bus, and for other official government travel related expenses. The CBA is the sole liability of the
government and requires monthly reconciliation of the invoice. The APC and/or CBA Manager have the
responsibility to ensure that the CBA invoice is reconciled in a timely manner and by the statement due date to
avoid delinquency and/or suspension of the CBA. The account has a net 30-day payment term, and is subject to
the Prompt Payment Act of 1982. These accounts contain a unique prefix that identifies the account as a CBA for
official federal government travel. Transportation-only CBAs are typically used to purchase transportation (air,
bus, and rail) for individuals that do not have and/or are otherwise not eligible to be issued a GTCC IBA. An
additional, separate CBA called a Unit Card can be established to support groups of travelers, such as escort
teams, military bands, etc., needing the flexibility of charging directly to a CBA. Unit cards (which require CPM
approval) may be used to charge all authorized travel expenses, such as transportation, lodging, meals, etc.
There are five different kinds of CBAs, and the reason for the use of the CBA for your organization will determine
which type the APC would apply for on the CBA application. These accounts contain a unique prefix (Bank
Identification Number – BIN) that identifies the account as a CBA for official federal government travel. This