FAQs for Agencies/ Organizations

What policies exist regarding use of charge cards?

There are a number of policies that govern the use of Government charge cards, depending on the type of card. The GSA SmartPay2 training courses outline many of the regulations that apply to each type of charge card. Policies include:

• Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR);
• Federal Travel Regulations (FTR);
• Federal Management Regulations (FMR);
• OMB Circular A-123 Appendix B;
• Treasury Financial Manual for Guidance of Departments and Agencies.

Additionally, many agencies have regulations that are specific to their card program and tailored to the agency's mission and operating procedures. Contact your agency program management office for more information regarding agency-specific card policies.

What can agencies do at the policy level to improve performance of their program?

Most agencies have comprehensive policies regarding the administration of their card programs. This includes policies for card use as well as for card program management. Agency program management offices should ensure that the policies are communicated to cardholders and easily accessible (e.g., post the regulations on the agency's Intranet website). It is important for agencies to follow through with the implementation of their policies, including distribution and compliance monitoring.

I took the training and need to reprint a copy of my certificate. How can I get a copy of my training certificate?

Training certificates are required by many agencies as proof that an Agency/Organization Point of Contact (A/OPC) has taken the appropriate GSA SmartPay® training course. A/OPCs have two options for obtaining their training certificate:

• Reprinting the original certificate: If the A/OPC has previously taken the course and passed the quiz, they may reprint the certificate with the original course completion date by going to the training home page and clicking on the training course quiz section.
• Taking the refresher quiz and getting an updated certificate: If an A/OPC wishes to print an updated training certificate, they may take the refresher quiz. A passing score will enable the cardholder to reprint the certificate with a refreshed date.

What can agencies/organizations do to help prevent misuse of cards?

Agencies can significantly benefit by mandating training that meets governmentwide standards for cardholders and A/OPCs. Currently, training varies widely among the agencies, with many agencies relying on the training provided at the annual GSA SmartPay® conference and the online training courses on the GSA SmartPay® website.

These training courses provide the necessary governmentwide rules and regulations but do not reflect agency-specific requirements.

What tools does the GSA SmartPay2 Master Contract provide to assist agencies in detecting fraud and misuse?

The master contract requires a number of tools that support the Government in controlling and monitoring card spend to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Examples of these tools are:

• Credit limits – Credit limits restrict single purchase, daily, weekly, or monthly expenditures by the cardholders. In accordance with agency policy, limits are set to meet the agency needs.
• Merchant Category Code (MCC) Blocks – MCCs are established by the bankcard associations to classify different types of businesses. Merchants are assigned codes that describe their primary line of business. Agencies can limit the types of businesses where cardholders can make purchases by limiting the MCCs available to the cardholder.
• Reports – Agencies have access to management reports via the Internet. The banks provide standard reports and ad hoc reports. These include Account Activity reports, Dispute reports, Unusual Spending Activity reports, Lost/Stolen Cards reports, and miscellaneous Ad Hoc reports.
• Guides – The banks are required to provide written guides for A/OPCs that include best practices for account setup and maintenance, account suspension/cancellation, disputes, reports, and invoicing procedures. Agencies also have access to cardholder guides from banks, which outline authorized uses of the card, disputes, and billing.

What resources does the GSA SmartPay program office provide to assist the agencies with program management?

The GSA SmartPay program office provides a number of tools and other types of assistance to support effective card program management in agencies across the Government. These include:

• Training – The GSASmartPay program office provides cardholder and A/OPC training courses for the purchase and travel programs on its website. Training courses cover basic Government-wide regulations and best practices to improve program management.
• Materials – The GSA SmartPay program office provides a number of materials to cardholders and A/OPCs to support purchase, travel, and fleet card program management. These include program management guides for A/OPCs and card use brochures for cardholders. See the Publications and Presentations page for more information.
• Annual GSA SmartPay Conference – Each year, the GSA SmartPay program office hosts a three-day conference to train agency card program managers in policies and procedures under the GSA SmartPay contracts and to provide a forum where the agency representatives can receive additional training from the GSA SmartPay contractors.
• Workgroups – The GSA SmartPay program office sponsors periodic workgroups to facilitate the sharing of information between agencies, and to collect feedback on the performance of the GSA SmartPay program office and its contractor banks.

Is a merchant allowed to photocopy a GSA SmartPay charge card?

Both VISA and MasterCard clearly state in their guidelines that a merchant is not allowed to make/store a photocopy of a any charge card.

VISA guidelines state:  A merchant must not require a cardholder to provide any supplementary cardholder information as a condition of honoring the card including photocopying the card, unless it is required or permitted elsewhere in the US Regional Operating Regulations.

MasterCard guidelines state:  The merchant must absolutely not copy the back of the card because the merchant is not allowed to record the CVC data.  Although there is no rule prohibiting making a copy of the card front, there are standards regarding storing and destroying account data, which would include a copy of the card front.