The new spending restrictions apply to both SmartPay travel and purchase cards. Travel cards are widely used across the government (for example, most army reservists have these cards). The government tracks travel expenses, like hotel and airline fees, through software tools like Concur. The GSA already requires receipts for any purchase that its employees make over $75. “The system is a pain in the ass and requires authorization from a supervisor before any money can be spent,” says a current GSA employee.
Once a trip is done, employees have to submit a voucher that matches the approved expenses. Expenses are scrupulously tracked—employees are told to minimize ATM withdrawals to avoid unnecessary fees, according to a current GSA employee, who like the others in this story, spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They say misusing a card is already grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.
Purchase cards are more rare and are used for work expenses under $10,000; anything above this amount requires a formal government contract. They’re used for office supplies, IT equipment, and trainings, among other things. If employees want to spend money on a purchase card, they have to submit a form, which then needs to be approved and signed by a supervisor. When that’s done, the form is submitted for approval to the approving office, with the name of the person who wants to make the purchase, a description of the item, the estimated price, an accounting code, and the date when the goods or services are needed.
Once the payment is approved, it’s assigned a purchase request number. Only then can the employee actually spend money. If they spend 10 percent more than the approved amount, they need written approval again. At the GSA, each purchase is tracked through a program called Pegasys, which requires a separate form to access. Pegasys has two sides: The purchase side, which shows the money that was spent, and the reconciliation side. The card holder has to match these two sides, cent for cent, using the request number.
“To commit fraud, you’d have to have the employee, supervisor, and likely someone in finance in on it,” says another current GSA employee. “It’s not as easy as [DOGE is] claiming.”
