The current SmartPay program enables many Federal organizations to obtain purchase, travel, fleet, and integrated charge card products and services through what’s known as Master Contracts. GSA has established these contracts with Citibank, Chase, Bank of America, US Bank, and Mellon Bank. At the higher level, government agencies issue task orders against these existing contracts to obtain credit card products and services. Due to the current existing contracts expiring in November 2008, the new credit card contracts, which are known as GSA SmartPay 2 were awarded during the summer of 2007.
Within my office we offer and manage many different credit card programs for the many customers whom we provide travel services for. Lately we have been heavily involved with preparing for our internal transition to the new contract/vendor. With current master contracts expiring on November 29, 2008, organizations are never permitted to extend their task orders beyond the current expiration date. Furthermore, agencies cannot begin processing transactions under the new program until November 30, 2008.
My office services a very diverse customer base, and with that each customer’s needs are very different. With the award of a new Master Contract, agencies must make a final determination of the task order type that best suits their needs. Currently there are four types of task orders offered. There is the ‘Standard’ which contains the same requirements as the Master Contract; the ‘Tailored’ which includes agency specific requirements; the ‘Tag-along’, which “piggybacks” or uses another agency’s task order; or the ‘Pooling’ arrangement where two or more agencies collaborate to develop and issue one task order which will meet the pooled agencies’ needs.
Dedicated staff within our office has been working closely with our customer agencies to ensure and facilitate a smooth transaction to the new SmartPay 2 system.
by Brian Shears