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WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 10, 2008) - For Defense Department
travelers, the more things change, the more they stay the same when
it comes to the travel charge cards switch coming in November.
For 10 years, Defense travelers have used a Bank of America card
while on official travel. As of Nov. 30, the card in everyone's
pocket will be issued by Citibank, though that should be the only
change travelers notice, the Defense Travel Management Office's
chief of special programs and outreach said during an interview
today.
"The way the new Citi card will be used is exactly the same as
the current Bank of America card," said Nina Richman-Loo. "The
cardholder agreement is the same cardholder agreement that our
travelers read and signed when they got their Bank of America
card."
Citibank will offer some of the same features Bank of America
cardholders are accustomed to, including an online payment option.
In fact, aside from a different look, one of the only ways
cardholders will realize a change is occurring is when the new card
arrives in August or September.
"The most important thing ... is, when travelers get the new
card they need to call and verify receipt of it, because we're
going to be tracking delivery of the cards," Richman-Loo said.
"Then they should put the card away."
Don't get rid of the old card just yet, though. The Citibank
cards aren't officially active until midnight Nov. 30. They should
be put in a safe place, and travelers should continue using their
Bank of America cards until 11:59 p.m. Nov. 29, she said. Personal
identification numbers for the new Citbank cards will arrive on or
around Nov. 1.
Current Bank of America cardholders who have a balance on their
account have a bit more work to do than other cardholders. They'll
have to pay the full amount by Nov. 29. Any refunds also should be
requested ahead of that date.
The only other possible snag would involve those on official
travel when the switch from Bank of America to Citibank takes
place. In that case, Richman-Loo suggests carrying both cards. "We
are going to be providing much information and specific
instructions over the next several months to cover all the
contingencies involved with that [situation]," she said.
Questions are sure to arise, so tens of thousands of agency
program managers throughout the Defense Department who oversee the
travel card program on the local level will have the answers,
Richman-Loo said. Travelers who can't identify their local program
manager should look to their agency's Web site or the Defense
Travel Management Office's Web site for answers to frequently
asked questions, she said
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