§ 301-15.45 - Centrally billed accounts.

(a) Establishment. Participating agencies may establish centrally billed accounts with the contractor for one or more designated offices within the agency primarily to purchase transportation services for groups or for infrequent travelers; i.e., employees not designated to receive individual cards. Agencies shall ensure that only authorized personnel use the accounts and that all tickets purchased are authorized. Charge cards are not issued for centrally billed accounts.

(b) Use of centrally billed accounts. Centrally billed accounts may be used only if agencies use a TMC or agency travel office. They are intended principally to supplement the individual card, rather than as the sole means of purchasing transportation tickets for all agency employees.

(c) Contractor billing and payment. Consolidated contractor airline ticket charges accrued through use of centrally billed accounts shall be billed monthly to the agency's finance and paying office. Expenses billed monthly against centrally billed accounts are paid to the contractor. Monthly payment of charges incurred through the use of centrally billed accounts is subject to the provisions of the Prompt Payment Act, as amended (31 U.S.C. 3901), and charges billed to agency offices are due in full within 30 calendar days of the billing date.

(d) Travel voucher claims—(1) Preparation and submission of travel vouchers. Upon completing official travel, the employee shall prepare and submit a travel voucher in the usual manner, together with any required receipts, to the finance and paying office, to be reimbursed.

(2) Unused transportation tickets. The employee shall submit to the appropriate agency office all unused transportation tickets (wholly or partially unused) purchased under a centrally billed account. In turn, the agency shall return the unused tickets to the TMC through use of the SF 1170, Redemption of Unused Tickets, and maintain a copy of the SF 1170 on file until the credit appears as an adjustment to the agency's bill from the TMC. Policies and procedures regarding the use of the SF 1170 are provided in 41 CFR subpart 101-41.2.

(e) Financial obligations/liability. The Government is liable only for authorized charges incurred in conjunction with official travel on centrally billed accounts.