For example, government travel cards have been used to pay for medical operations, vacations and gambling debts. Earn stressed that the Visa cards are to be used for official government travel expenses only and should not be used for personal purchases. Not all misuse results from improper purchases. Some people use the card correctly but just fail to pay their bills, Earn said. Overall, misuse is not that great, Weber said.
Most people use the cards the way they re supposed to.
For those reservists who do misuse the card, the consequences can be serious. Each case is evaluated on the facts, then a punishment is handed down, said Lt. Col. John Pellet, AFRC director of military justice. The punishment could be a letter of reprimand from the unit commander or as severe as a court-martial hearing. A traveler can possibly misuse the card and not be aware of it. Unlike most regular credit cards, the entire balance on the Visa travel card must be paid in full at the end of each billing cycle.