GSA Eases Transition to New GSA SmartPay 2 Charge Cards
GSA # 10534
July 23, 2008
Contact: Viki Reath (202) 501-1231
viki.reath@gsa.gov
WASHINGTON -- A record 6,500 government charge card program coordinators, billing/approving officials and other attendees traveled to Denver this week for expert advice on the current and new GSA SmartPay® government charge card program.
The 10th Annual U.S. General Services Administration GSASmartPay® Training Conference was held from July 22-24 to train agency program coordinators on the largest charge-card program in the world, and to prepare users for upcoming changes. The current government-wide purchase, travel, fleet and integrated charge cards will be transitioned to the new GSA SmartPay® 2 charge cards on November 30.
In addition to charge cards, GSA SmartPay® 2 will offer prepaid, contactless cards and foreign currency cards to support federal employees. In addition, the new cards will provide agencies with improved data security and oversight, along with increased data analysis to support strategic sourcing.
“SmartPay may be one of the most aptly named programs in all of government,” said Acting Administrator David Bibb. “Smartpay has produced almost $1 billion in agency refunds. And if we assume a conservative $50 per transaction versus conventional procurement methods, the purchase card alone has helped federal agencies avoid more than $37 billion in administrative processing costs.”
GSA awarded GSA SmartPay®2 contracts to Citibank N.A. of Sioux Falls, S.D., JPMorgan Chase N.A. of New York and U.S. Bancorp of Minneapolis in June 2007. The contracts have an estimated value of $260 billion over 10 years.
The GSA SmartPay® Program was created in the late 1990s to establish strategic direction, set policy and manage governmentwide card services. GSA SmartPay® 2 information is available at the GSA SmartPay® Web site.
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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.
• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles.
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 420 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.
Did You Know? More than 350 federal agencies and tribal organizations participate in the GSA SmartPay® program.
