Just thought I'd mention something from my depth of experience with regards to claims (TD etc):
1. If you have an AMEX ITC, you
are not entitled to advances off TD claims. The AMEX is intended to provide that "pay now claim later" buffer. While I understand and appreciate difficulties in paying up-front for a hotel which the AMEX may or may not be able to cover in full whereas a claim advance would be able to, that should be the exception, not the rule.
If clerks in the past have issued advances to a holder of the AMEX ITC, they're "doin it rong" (to borrow a popular web phrase). There should be a note on the member's file that they are an AMEX holder.
Don't forget, the AMEX issued by DND for TD purposes is for
TD purposes only. That means it's not authorized to be used for personal purchases either between or during TD trips. A lot of people I know say "Yeah, but I'll pay it off on my very next paycheck, what's the big deal?" The big deal is that even though it's approved against an individual's credit rating, it's
issued by DND for
DND purposes only. You want a person credit card for "fun", go get your own
It's comparable to taking the staff car to go grocery shopping, or booking a civvie-pattern DND minivan to go to you'r kid's soccer match. Just not done.
2. Most TD claims are done with ESTIMATED itineraries, costs, etc. For example, in Claims-X, the predetermined hotel rates are often a bit out to lunch (usually in the member's favour, but you never know). in addition, the itineraries, the specific dates and times of departure and arrival for each leg of the trip, have a very direct effect on meal and incidental entitlements. I cannot tell you how many times I've collected a claim from a member upon his return from TD, and once we've updated his itinerary to match reality and input his receipts, the amount owing back to the member was
different than the estimate! In some cases, off by greater than $100. If the member had taken an advance on the entire estimated amount, he'd have to pay that back...
There is a statute of limitations of a sort on a claim for which an advance has been issued. The member has only
30 days from the last date of travel for that TD to bring in the claim and finalize it (providing updated itinerary, additional receipts, etc). If the cashier does not receive the finalized claim within that time frame, they can, will and
do initiate recovery proceedings against the member. This can result in the member suddenly finding he has no paycheck for one or more pay periods (depending on the amount of the claim - in a claim recovery scenario, the ENTIRE amount of the advance is recovered, and only reimbursed to the member once he finalizes his claim properly)
In some bases on which I've worked, the Finance Offcicer's hard-and-fast rule is that the cashier SHALL NOT issue any advance for more than 80% (or in some cases 90%) of the claim's estimated value. This provides a buffer against accidental overestimates.
Because the claim contains the incidental daily rate AS WELL AS reimbursement for meals/travel/lodging rates, there should never be an occasion in which the member
NEEDS to have more than 50-60% of the total claim value "in hand" in order to make the trip! Think about it - you could get an advance for all your gas money, all your meals-in-transit, your lodging, and leave the incidentals (that $17.30/day) alone, and STILL have enough money to make the trip unless something like the lodging cost was GROSSLY underestimated.
3. One more point about claims. While it's fairly straightforward to pursue a claims recovery against a Reg F member if necessary, it is NOT SO for Reservists. Claims-X, Cashier-X and RPSR are NOT linked. Furthermore, if the recovery is against a Class A member (i.e. not on continuous contract), the unit may end up waiting months to get the money back! If the recovery is processed through cashier and the member has been contacted to come in and settle it (and fails to do so), and the Finance Officer orders the recovery off the member's pay, it can be entered on RPSR and if the member has had no attendance earnings, it will sit as a negative balance against the member's pay guide until such time as the member actually signs in and parades, thereby earning offsetting attendance.
I've seen it happen where a Class A guy gets RTU'd off a course, of course he took an advance on his claim, and once the unit stands up again after the summer break they realize buddy is NES (non-effective status, basically means the guy never came back in to the unit). By this time the cashier has processed the recovery, submitted the paperwork to the unit, they input it against his pay, but still no one has been able to get ahold of buddy and get him to come in so release proceedings are initiated. Well this unresolved claim advance is just one more thing the AJAG will have to write up as "still owing to Her Majesty" along with all buddy's kit... yes it eventually goes to the Receiver General and YEARS down the road buddy will suddenly have the amount owing come off a future tax return...