Corporate Charge Card

Policy Statement

Government’s corporate charge card is available to all employees who travel on government business. This card may be used for all business travel expenses including the purchase of airline tickets (or other commercial transportation), car rentals, commercial accommodations, food and other related business expenses.

Application

This policy applies to all employees. Bargaining unit employees should also consult their respective collective agreements.

Definitions

corporate charge card:
a charge card issued to employees to provide a means to pay for expenses incurred while on government business

corporate charge card cash advance:
an amount of money obtained by employees from their corporate charge card based on anticipated cash expenditures while traveling on government business

the corporate charge card cash advance is usually for a single trip and may be obtained when it is anticipated that the corporate charge card may not be accepted

subrogation agreement: an agreement between card holding employees and the Employer, allowing the Employer to recover monies for seriously delinquent accounts from employees’ travel claims and/or pay cheques

Responsibilities

Department

It is the responsibility of the Deputy Minister to:

ensure that employees who travel on government business are aware that they may apply for and use the corporate charge card;
notify the Charge Card Coordinator, Government Purchasing Agency, when employees terminate employment or transfer to another department; and
take the appropriate action to ensure that any employees' delinquent accounts are brought up to date (an account is considered delinquent if it is 30 days overdue and appears on the delinquent report provided to the Employer).

It is the responsibility of the Director of the Department’s Finance Division to monitor the use of corporate charge cards and to advise the Deputy Minister accordingly.

Employee

It is the responsibility of employees to:

complete a Corporate Account Supplementary Card Application and sign a Subrogation Agreement with the Employer;
be aware of and follow the terms of the Subrogation Agreement;
safeguard the corporate card by signing new cards immediately and destroying old cards;
notify American Express immediately if corporate charge cards are lost or stolen;
ensure that the card is paid in full upon receipt of the monthly statement;
use the card for intended business purposes and not personal expenses; and
notify American Express immediately if the billing address changes.

Using the Corporate Charge Card

Where tickets for travel by common carrier are purchased with the corporate charge card, American Express will provide employees with up to $500,000 in Travel Accident Insurance. Other benefits under the corporate charge card include flight and baggage delay insurance, hotel/motel burglary insurance and car rental theft insurance. These benefits are in addition to other personal or government-provided insurance that employees may have.

The corporate charge card is issued for a four year period. Renewal cards will not be issued to employees whose cards have not been paid to current status upon the renewal date.

Employees are encouraged to use corporate charge card cash advances rather than travel advances, where feasible (see the Travel Advances Policy). The fees associated with corporate charge card cash advances and interest fees can be claimed as a miscellaneous travel expense as per the Miscellaneous Expense Policy.

Corporate charge cards may be canceled without notice when payment is 75 days overdue. Employees who lose charge card privileges, through non-payment of account, may not be provided with an increase in travel advance to cover expenses which would normally be charged.

Employees whose corporate charge cards are lost or stolen should notify American Express immediately at the following toll free numbers: 1-800-268-9824 or 1-800-668-2639.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010
Reference: TBM 2000-073; TBM 2010-183

Public Service Secretariat