@Dervrak wrote:
I work for the federal government, and we have to use them for flights that we book through our tavel agency, but other than that it stays in the top drawer of my desk. When I first started working for the governemnt, I tried to use one at a convenience store. I was getting a cheap meal, but apparently, they thought I was trying to use it in an unathorized fashion. So annoying and embarassing to be declined at the cash register. It doesn't see the light of day now.
When I was in the military, some places wouldn't take a government card because of chargebacks. A charge would go through and then a few weeks later someone would decide it wasn't authorized use and charge it back. The businesses just said FICO it, we're not gonna take them. It was odd to me because my understanding was they had no choice. Apparently their right to refuse service included the government. 😆
Who can blame the businesses? So crazy that the government could even get away with that. Some agencies require that people do use the "GSA SmartPay" cards (Citi Visa), but I work for one that doesn't. I think it's kind of a grey area, but I'll take the rewards anyday.
Oh God! Don't even get me started on the the Government Travel Cards! Pretty much the only time I've ever been in serious trouble in any job I worked at was over a Government travel card. This was way back in the early 2000's (2002 I think). I was fresh out of college with an accounting degree, doing audit work for DoD at various defense contractors so I was on the road A LOT, sometimes as much as six weeks at a time. Well I had been on a 4 week stint to Fort Worth and Albequerque and had just gotten back to the DC area where I lived. I was worn out from the plane flight and it was late in the evening. Once I picked up my personal car and headed home I made a pit stop at a local gas station filled up my tank and bought some snacks ($28 total). Without even thinking I used my travel card, because it was the card I had been using for the last four weeks straight. Didn't even realize I had done so I was so exhausted....
A month and a half later I get called into my bosses office. He was an old ex-military guy and fit the profile to the "T" and loved to use the "colorful" language (I'll keep it PG rated for the forum). He says, "The agency security cordinator keeps riding my -backside- about some $28 charge you made outside of travel, will you take a look at this -stuff- so I can tell her something. I look at it, recognize the gas station near my home, recognize the date and time as 1:00am the day after I got back from travel. So I tell him pretty much what I said in the first paragraph, "Yeah, I was worn out, it was late at night, I probably shouldn't have done it. Tell her my bad." My boss shrugs, says "Sounds fine to me, I might have done the same thing." So I figure that is that.
A couple days latter I get called up to the Security Coordinator's office myself. Now this lady is the spitting image and has all the charm of Rosa Klebb from "From Russia with Love" (or Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers for you younger folks). She literally begins shaking her finger and yelling at me about violating travel card regulations and that I could be punished up to termination (not sure at that point if she meant firing or execution). Today, now that I'm 45, I realize she was putting on the tough act for a young kid and the "proper response" would have been to act scared and humble and say I made a mistake and would be much more careful from now on, and the entire matter would have likely been dropped right there. However, at that point in my life I was a smart alecky brat in my early 20's, who thought I was hot stuff because I had a college degree and a good paying job. So I freely admit I responded to her like an arrogant -posterior-. I was smirking and rolling my eyes, I think I told her to "chill out" a couple times and eventually just told her if she thought she could fire me for $28 go right ahead, but until then I had work to do, and got up and walked out on her mid sentence.
So the next day I come into work, as soon as I walk through the door my boss pulls me into his office. He shoves me into a chair and yells, "What the -heck- did you do?!?" So I told him, "Well Rosa Klebb called me to her office started yelling at me, so I told her to go pound sand and walked out!" At that point his eyes got wide, he said, "-Frack- that women even scares me! You really, really shouldn't have done that, she IS the agency Security Coordinator and her recommendations have a lot of pull, she has sent a formal letter to personnel accusing you of blatantly disregarding regulations, and insubordination and asking them to consider revoking your Security Clearance." (which would have been tantamount to firing).
To make a long, long story, short. This dragged on for over three months, with various meetings and higher ups getting involved (because that's the Federal Government for you). Thankfully my boss was the type that would fight tooth and nail for his people. He eventually got the insubordination claim dropped totally and negotiated to have the travel card issue dropped if he would give me a written reprimand stressing the importance of proper use of the travel card. Personnel accepted that and dropped the Security Clearance review. Then my boss never actually gave me the written reprimand so my file remained clean to the day I left....
But all this over $28 on a government travel card....
Gotta love the government. 😆 Will chargeback a $12 hammer and rip you for not going through the proper channels to order it from a contractor for $28 and wait 3 months to get it. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
@NRB525 wrote:Wow, lots of trouble with these cards. My company issues AMEX Green Corp cards. It doesn’t reflect on my personal report, and ties in with Concur expense reporting.
I use it only for the large value costs, airfare and hotel. Rental cars I put on a personal card because Hertz let’s you set up only one default payment method and we rent cars on personal vacations. Dining and other costs go on my cards for later receipt reimbursement.
I am glad I don’t have to deal with Citi and USB Corp cards.
Much like you, I have a Green card and book hotel/flights/auto and reconcile expenses via the Concur portal.
I don't have restrictions on the card itself e.g. the card wouldn't be declined for an unconventional use but I would be contacted and have to justify the expense even if my boss (he owns the cost center) approved the purchase. If I clearly violated policy without adequately explaining the expense I'd be subject to disciplinary action.
We can use personal cards for one-offs if it's a reasonable expense and the vendor does not accept AMEX. That does occasionally happen to me mostly at mom-and-pop sandwich shops when getting lunch.
I don't agree with every nuance of my employer's travel policies and how they handle corporate cards but they are consistent and the requirements are well thought out and documented. I've dealt with far worse. 
WOW! I feel extremely lucky and privileged after reading about all these corporate card issues.
I have a US Bank Corporate Travel card, however it's not on my CR and there was no HP done. We use an internal internet expense system, in which i just state what the transaction was for and they pay it after my manager's approval. We also use Concur for travel, but they just book our flights and i still have to submit the receipt to our expense system. I have no restrictions on what i can use my card for, as long as it's business related, and I've had no issues.
However, i use it 3-5 times per week and it kills me how many points i'm missing out on by not being able to use my personal card and being reimbursed.
OP, i would definitely reach out to your HR department or the plan's administrator. There is no way i would carry a corporate card if your outcome were the results. As Brian_Earl_Spilner mentioned, i would absolutely press the issue of using my personal card and being reimbursed.
At that point, you could even apply for a new card for your work only expenses and earn points based upon your spending.
@MyFault wrote:WOW! I feel extremely lucky and privileged after reading about all these corporate card issues.
I have a US Bank Corporate Travel card, however it's not on my CR and there was no HP done. We use an internal internet expense system, in which i just state what the transaction was for and they pay it after my manager's approval. We also use Concur for travel, but they just book our flights and i still have to submit the receipt to our expense system. I have no restrictions on what i can use my card for, as long as it's business related, and I've had no issues.
However, i use it 3-5 times per week and it kills me how many points i'm missing out on by not being able to use my personal card and being reimbursed.
OP, i would definitely reach out to your HR department or the plan's administrator. There is no way i would carry a corporate card if your outcome were the results. As Brian_Earl_Spilner mentioned, i would absolutely press the issue of using my personal card and being reimbursed.
At that point, you could even apply for a new card for your work only expenses and earn points based upon your spending.
We use the exact same system....
