GTCC updates begin Published Jan. 27, 2015 By Senior Airman Holly Mansfield 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Starting this month, all Defense Department Government Travel Charge Card holders will start the transition to chip and personal identification number travel cards. The new cards contain a microprocessor that will require each cardholder to authenticate it with a four-digit PIN when purchasing items for their traveling. "This new change will impact the whole GTCC process," said 2nd Lt. Christian Torres, 81st Comptroller Squadron financial services officer. "The new technology the card has is like your common access card. So now each DOD member will have better security with their travel card." Each time cardholders inserts their card using the chip, they must put in a PIN number for purchases. This new feature will help ensure protection from someone else using it if it is lost or stolen. Another benefit of the new card is user convenience. The cards will be more readily used in regions of the world where chip technology is dominant. It is expected in the coming year for more U.S. merchants to adopt the chip technology in their businesses. The new cards will still have the magnetic strip on the back for members to use if chip technology is not available in their location. The following schedule has been set for the new card issue: · Cards that expire between February and December 2015: a new chip and PIN card will be issued approximately 30 days before the current cards expire. · Active accounts with cards that expire after 2015: accounts used at least once within the last 18 months will be issued a new chip and PIN card between July and October 2015. · Inactive accounts with cards that expire after 2015: accounts not used at least once within the last 18 months will be issued a new chip and PIN card approximately 30 days before the current card expires. Before receiving a new card, each member must log on to http://www.citimanager.com/login and update contact information to ensure the card is mailed to the correct location. If the information is correct, the new card will be automatically mailed to the member. Once the card is received, the cardholder must call the toll-free number on the activation sticker on the front of the card. The member will be able to select a PIN during this process. After the new card is activated, the cardholder should destroy the old card. "If you have any questions, you should contact your unit agency program coordinator," said Torres. "They will be your main point of contact for the GTCC process."