Set a PIN with your Government Travel Card

Military members with a Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) are often requested to enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when making a purchase. However, military members often can’t remember setting up a PIN or have forgotten the number entirely.

Typically PINs are used for ATM withdrawals.  However, many vendors utilize Chip and PINs due to more secure transaction handling that prevents unauthorized use of credit cards. In addition, many travel transactions such as hotel and rental car agencies are increasingly ask travelers to input a PIN when arriving at destinations.

DTMO Recommendations

The Defense Travel Management Office firmly recommends travelers establish or verify a PIN before travel. Military members who received a government travel card before March 2021 may need to create a new PIN. To set up or change a Travel Card PIN, you can use the CitiManager tool online or call Citibank at the phone number located on the back of your government travel card.

Additionally, the DTMO recommends that military members ensure that the government travel card is active before travel. Ensuring the government is ready to use before a TDY significantly reduces the chances of declined transactions on the card when attempting to use it
on official travel orders.

Verify the account is active via the Citibank online portal or confirm that the travel card account is open with your Travel Coordinator. There is sufficient credit for the TDY trip, and keep the contact information up to date.  These actions should be done prior to a potential TDY trip using the Defense Travel System or the soon to be MyTravel system.

Bottom Line

Earning airline and hotel points is an excellent way to build your points and miles balance on official travel orders. All the better if the government is paying the bill and you collect the rewards. Be sure to sign up for all the airline, hotel and rental car loyalty programs you could potentially use and save them for future reference. Request any missing miles, if you are new to the points and miles game, that you may have taken in the past year.