Government travelers need new card Published Aug. 13, 2008 By Lois Walsh 96th ABW Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Citibank officials will mail out new government travel charge cards Aug. 13 through Sept. 19. Initial distribution will begin with cardholders at overseas locations and migrate from the west to the east coast. Cards will be distributed in Florida the week of Sep. 15. According to Angie Blackwell, Chief of Financial Services, the contract with Bank of America expired and Citibank was awarded the government contract when it was recompeted. Even though the Bank of America cards are being phased out, travelers are still responsible for any charges to that card. "Travelers still have to pay in the billing cycle each month," Ms. Blackwell said. "Disciplinary action can be taken against the cardholder if payment isn't made." The new cards will be sent to addresses on file with Bank of America, so all cardholders must ensure their information is current. Any mail sent to an incorrect address will be returned to Citibank. ""It is very important for cardholders to make sure their address is up to date, as this is where their Citibank card will go," Ms. Blackwell said. "If travelers aren't traveling between now and the end of the year, I suggest they wait until Citibank comes on line to apply for a card. After Nov. 1,new applications will only be accepted on an as needed/emergency basis." Those who do not receive a new card by Oct. 1, should contact their local agency program coordinator. The new cards will not be active until Nov. 30, so cardholders will continue to use the Bank of America cards until then. Upon receiving the new card, all cardholders will need to verify receipt by following the instructions affixed to the card. Ms. Blackwell said there may be some inconvenience for travelers if they take a trip that would carry over the timeframe for activation of the Citibank card. "I recommend people travel with both cards in hand if you plan to be in the middle of travel when the card switches over," she said. Travel Card Mailing Schedule Aug. 13-25: Overseas bases, U.S. territories, Alabama, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico Aug. 22: Centrally billed accounts Aug. 22-Sep. 2: Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Michigan Aug. 29-Sep. 9: Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana Sep. 8-16: District of Columbia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois Sep. 15-23: Virginia and Florida (AF News Service contributed to this article)