Virtual Payment and Virtual Card Number (VCN)

1. What are VCN accounts?

VCN’s are a 16-digit card number issued under the terms of the TPS contract that will be used to pay for hotel room charges, taxes, resort fees (if applicable), and hotel parking (if applicable). Just like a traditional credit card number, but without the physical card, VCN’s are transaction specific. VCN’s are authorized for a specified transaction amount (typically room and tax), a specific merchant, and a range of dates. The unique number is generated digitally during the reservation process and passed to the hotel through a virtual process, issuing a credit card authorization form via fax or email to the hotel. This "alias" number is indistinguishable from an ordinary credit card number and once the transaction is complete, the VCN is inactive for new charges.

2. When should I use a VCN?

When booking your hotel through Concur or the contracted travel agency, and you find a hotel at the state rate or when you find a hotel at a higher rate that has been approved in advance (You have an approved STD255C).

3. When shouldn’t I use a VCN?

You make your hotel reservation at a higher rate, do not have advanced approval, and plan to pay the difference out-of-pocket;

You are attending a conference with a room block that requires you to book directly with the hotel;

You booked your hotel out of policy and not through the approved channels.

4. Is there a mobile app for using a VCN?

Yes, there is a mobile application you can use to help make the payment process easier.  The application is called ConfermaPay and is available for most smartphones.  It will allow you to manage the VCN process for your hotel reservations. It will show the unique, 16-digit credit card number in the mobile app 24 hours prior to check-in and 24 hours after check-out (in the event you need to provide this card number to the front desk). Additionally, ConfermaPay allows you to refax the credit card authorization form if needed, and the ability to upload your hotel folio/invoice after check-out, which transmits to a reporting system for the accounting unit to reconcile the monthly bank statement.

5. How do I make a reservation using a VCN?

Make your hotel reservation using Concur or by calling the TMS provider and speaking to one of the travel agents. If you book on Concur, you may be presented with a drop-down menu to select the form of payment. Select Virtual Payment and continue your booking on Concur as you would normally.

If you are calling to book with a travel agent, let the agent know you would like the hotel to be virtually paid.

That’s all there is to it.

6. What do I do when I check in to the hotel?

Upon check-in, the hotel front desk should indicate that the hotel room/tax has already been authorized and paid. If the front desk does not have the authorization form on file, open the ConfermaPay app and resend the authorization form. For travelers who choose not to use the ConfermaPay app, please call the travel agency at (877) 454-8785 for assistance.

Travelers are still required to present a personal credit card for incidentals.

7. What if the hotel requests to see a physical copy of the VCN?

A VCN is not a physical, plastic card. Instead, it is a set of sixteen digits similar to a credit card number, together with an expiration date and CVV code that is randomly generated using Conferma’s software. Virtual cards can be either credit or debit cards.

When the reservation was booked, the hotel should have received a copy of the credit card authorization form via fax/email or through the Sertifi system (i.e., Marriott properties). Therefore, please ask the hotel front desk to look for the credit card authorization form in their internal system(s).

8. What if the hotel does not have a record of the credit card authorization form?

If they do not have a record of the VCN, you have 3 options:

Option 1 - Launch the ConfermaPay app and follow the steps to refax the Credit Card Authorization form to the hotel.

Option 2 - For those travelers without a smartphone or the ConfermaPay app, please call at (877) 454-8785 and speak with an agent.  For after-hours, please call the regular toll-free number and follow the prompts to speak with an agent. The agent will refax the form to the hotel.

Option 3 – Use your personal credit card to pay for the hotel and submit as usual for reimbursement via the Travel Expense Claim process.  Please report any issues to the Statewide Travel Program (STP) upon your return to the office at StatewideTravelProgram@dgs.ca.gov.  

9. What do I do when I check out of the hotel?

Please do not use express check-out or the folio that is delivered under your door. Make sure to allow enough time to check out in person at the front desk and double-check the last 4 digits of the card they have charged the room and tax to, to ensure it wasn’t the same card you provided upon check-in for your incidentals. If the hotel has charged the wrong card, please ask them to correct it and charge the room and tax to the VCN and any other incidental charges to your personal credit card.

Please request 2 folios, one for the VCN paid room and tax, and one for any personal/incidental expenses charged to your personal credit card.

10. What if the hotel refuses to provide a hotel receipt/folio?

This scenario may occur because the initial credit card authorization form sent to the hotel comes directly from the state’s contracted travel agency. Some hotel staff will not relinquish the hotel folio to the traveler because they were not the paying party, regardless of the traveler’s name being on the folio. In the unusual chance the hotel front desk will not provide you with the folio, please try the options below:

• Attempt to educate the front desk staff. The hotel may indicate that the travel agency is a third party. Explain to them, that the travel agency is the sole contracted travel agency for the State of California, and the reservation was made on your behalf and is being paid for by your employer.
• Speak to a front desk supervisor. Explain the above and inform the supervisor that the folio is required by your department to reconcile the payment.
• Leave the hotel and contact the hotel’s accounting office to obtain the folio.
• If you are a rewards member with the hotel, typically you will receive an email with the folio. Additionally, if you have the respective hotel’s mobile app, you will be able to access the folio directly and email it to yourself or your accounting office.
• As a last resort, contact your designated travel administration staff for support so they can refer the incident to STP. STP will reach out to the hotel to educate the hotel staff on the VCN process.

11. What if I have to cancel my hotel reservation?

Please cancel in Concur or call the travel agency at (877) 454-8785 to cancel your hotel reservation. Please make sure to note the cancellation number for future reference if needed.  Keep in mind that the VCN does not change the requirement to comply with the hotel’s cancellation policy.   

12. What if I have to change my reservation?

Changes can be made to an existing hotel reservation in Concur or by calling (877) 454-8785.

If a change is made to the check-in / check-out dates, room rate, etc., the booking is updated and sent to Conferma using the same virtual card.

If a change is made to the hotel supplier, the existing virtual card is cancelled, and a new one is generated for the new hotel supplier, since the virtual card is supplier specific.

13. What are the hours of operation for the travel agency?

Normal business hours are Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. with after-hours services available.

You can reach the travel agency at (916) 376-3989 or toll-free at (877) 454-8785.

14. What do I do when I submit my Travel Expense Claim (TEC) if I have used a VCN?

Attach the hotel folio to your TEC making sure that the room rate, taxes, applicable fees, and hotel parking. You should note the expense as “department paid”. You must also submit your CalTravelStore/Concur itinerary with your TEC.

You will also be required to submit your hotel folio via the ConfermaPay app or email the hotel folio directly to your department’s accounting unit. A copy of the folio will be included in the monthly bank report to assist your accounting with the reconciliation process, as well as to ensure there are no duplicate payments made for any virtually paid hotel charges.

15. Who do I contact if I have questions related to VCN?

Contact your department or agency-assigned Travel Coordinator or Travel Manager. If you do not know who your assigned Travel Coordinator or Travel Manager is, please email STP at StatewideTravelProgram@dgs.ca.gov. 

16. Who do I contact if I have an issue with the ConfermaPay app?

If you have any issues with the Conferma Pay app, please email support@conferma.zendesk.com and a Conferma representative will assist you within 24-48 hours.

1.  What are VCN accounts?

VCN accounts are a 16-digit card number issued under the terms of our contract with U.S. Bank that will be used to pay for hotel room and tax charges. Just like a traditional credit card number, but without the physical card, VCN accounts are transaction specific. VCN accounts are authorized for a specified transaction amount (typically room and tax), a specific merchant, and a range of dates. The unique number is generated digitally during the reservation process and passed to the hotel through a virtual process, issuing a credit card authorization form via fax or email to the hotel. This "alias" number is indistinguishable from an ordinary credit card number and once the transaction is complete, the VCN account is inactive for new charges. It is a similar direct bill process as to what the state is currently doing for airline and rental car bookings.

2.  When will this be available to my department?

On 01/01/2019, STP began a phased implementation of VCNs for all state agencies and departments. Departments will be notified in advance of the implementation schedule and STP will work closely with department liaisons to ensure a smooth rollout from beginning to end. If your department would like to implement VCN as soon as possible, please have your travel unit contact us directly at StatewideTravelProgram@dgs.ca.gov to set up an intake meeting.

3.  Does my department have to adhere to certain user requirements to use VCN?

Travelers and Travel Coordinators must go through VCN training before it is rolled out to the department. Accounting Administrators must also receive training on the new reconciliation process for VCN accounts. Your department must socialize the VCN requirements in order for your travelers to be eligible to use VCN.  

Travelers must include a copy of their itinerary with their TEC, and a shared email box should be set up so travelers can send a copy of their hotel folio to accounting.

4.  Is VCN mandatory?

VCNs are not elective for state agencies and departments, but they are elective for travelers to use. Please note that by the end of 2020, VCN will be activated for all state agencies and departments in Concur as an “option” for travelers to directly bill their hotel stays to the department while traveling on state business. State agencies and departments cannot choose to exclude employees from using VCN, as travelers are entitled to this program to minimize their financial burden while traveling on state business. Please contact Nhan Cao at Nhan.Cao@dgs.ca.gov if you need any further information.

5.  Is there a transaction or service fee charged to our department to use VCN?

There is a $5.00 fee to deploy a VCN for each hotel reservation, however, DGS will be paying the fee on behalf of your department due to increased program compliance. If, at any time, your department is not compliant with the STP user requirements, your department will be responsible for the $5.00 deployment fee. 

6.  Is there a system for Accounting Administrators and/or Travel Coordinators for VCN?

Yes, there is a web-based online reporting tool called SNAP for Accounting Administrators and Travel Coordinators to view all VCN deployments and transactions. SNAP will also allow you to download all hotel folios from those VCN transactions. Specific traveler data is collected which allows for easy reconciliation. Training on SNAP will be provided to Accounting Administrators.

7.  How will the VCN transactions be reconciled?

A new U.S. Bank centrally billed account and a centrally billed card will be established in Access Online under the Virtual Card Account (VCA) program. All VCN transactions will be charged to this account, generating its own statement for hotel transactions charged with a VCN. Similar to the U.S. Bank reconciliation process for your Central Travel Account (CTA) or MTG card account, you will have a VCN account reconciliation report to assist you, and all VCN transaction details in Access Online for auditing purposes. The VCA reconciliation report will provide a traveler name for each hotel transaction, and even accounting/billing code data if it is hard-coded in the traveler’s Concur profile. For training guides and video tutorials, please visit the Travel Payment Services Training page.

8.  Is there a system or mobile app for my travelers using VCN?

Yes, there is a mobile application that travelers can use to help make this new payment process easier. The application is called ConfermaPay and is available for most smartphones.  ConfermaPay allows the traveler to manage the VCN process for their hotel reservations. It will show the unique, 16-digit credit card number in the mobile app to the traveler 24 hours prior to check-in and 24 hours after check-out (in the event the traveler needs to provide this card number to the front desk). Additionally, ConfermaPay allows the traveler to refax the credit card authorization form if needed, and the ability to upload their hotel folio/invoice after check-out, which transmits to the SNAP reporting tool for easy download. 

9.    When should my travelers use VCN?

•  The traveler finds a hotel at the state rate or when the traveler finds a hotel at a higher rate that has been approved in advance (They have an approved STD255C);
• The traveler does not want to go through the hassle of getting a travel advance;
• The traveler doesn’t want to float the state’s travel on their personal credit card.

10.  Can I use VCN for conference rates and room blocks?

No. Conference rates and room blocks are generally arranged by a third party who works with the hotel hosting the event. These conference room rates are not loaded into Concur and require attendees to pay and register through a specific website.

11.  When shouldn’t my travelers use VCN?

When the traveler makes a hotel reservation at a higher rate, does not have advanced approval, and/or plans to pay the difference out-of-pocket; When the traveler is attending a conference with a room block that requires them to book directly with the hotel;

When the traveler books the hotel outside of policy and not through the two approved booking channels.

12.  How do my travelers make a reservation using VCN?

Your travelers can make their hotel reservations using Concur or by calling and speaking with one of the travel agents.  If they book on Concur, they will be presented with a drop-down menu to select the form of payment.  They would select Virtual Payment and continue with their booking on Concur as they would normally. 

If the traveler is calling to book with a CalTravelStore agent, they would let the agent know that they would like the hotel to be virtually paid.

13.  Can we use VCN to book for guests?

Guest booking with VCN is currently only available by calling CalTravelStore, (916) 376-3989 or toll-free (877) 454-8785. There is currently no functionality to use VCN for guest booking in Concur.

14.  What does the traveler do when they check in to the hotel?

Upon check-in, the hotel front desk should indicate that the hotel room/tax has already been authorized and paid. If the front desk does not have the authorization form on file, the traveler can open the ConfermaPay app and resend the authorization form. For those travelers who choose not to use the ConfermaPay app, they can call (877) 454-8785 for assistance.

Travelers are still required to present a personal credit card for incidentals.

15.  What if the hotel does not have a record of the VCN?

If they do not have a record of the VCN, the traveler has 3 options:
Option 1 - Launch the ConfermaPay app and follow the steps to refax the Credit Card Authorization form to the hotel. 
Option 2 - For those travelers without a smartphone or the ConfermaPay app, call (877) 454-8785 and speak with an agent.  For after hours, call the regular toll-free number and follow the prompts to speak with an agent. The agent will refax the form to the hotel.

Option 3 – Use a personal credit card to pay for the hotel and submit as usual for reimbursement via the Travel Expense Claim process.  Any issues should be reported to the Statewide Travel Program at StatewideTravelProgram@dgs.ca.gov or (916) 376-3974. 

16.  What does the traveler do when they check out of the hotel?

The traveler should not use express check-out or the folio that is delivered under their door. They should make sure to allow enough time to check out in person at the front desk and double-check the last 4 digits of the card they have charged the room and tax to, to ensure it wasn’t the same card they provided upon check-in for their incidentals. If the hotel has charged the wrong card, the traveler should ask them to correct it and charge the room and tax to the VCN and any other incidental charges to their personal credit card. 

The traveler should request 2 folios, one for the VCN paid room and tax, and one for any personal/incidental expenses charged to their personal credit card. 

17.  What if the traveler has to cancel their hotel reservation?

The traveler can cancel in Concur or by calling CalTravelStore at (877) 454-8785 to cancel their hotel reservation. The traveler should make a note of the cancellation number for future reference if needed.  Keep in mind that the VCN does not change the requirement to comply with the hotel’s cancellation policy.    

18.  What if the traveler has to change their hotel reservation?

Changes can be made to an existing hotel reservation in Concur or by calling CalTravelStore.

19.  What does the traveler do when they submit their Travel Expense Claim (TEC)?

The traveler must indicate “Virtually Paid” on the hotel folio for room and tax.  The traveler will attach the folio (as usual) to their TEC, making sure that room and tax are not included as a reimbursable expense.  The traveler must include a copy of the itinerary with their TEC as the itinerary will note “A virtual payment for the hotel was deployed”.

A copy of the folio must be included in the U.S. Bank report to ensure there are no duplicate payments made for any virtually paid hotel charges. 

20.  Who do I contact if I have questions related to VCN?

Contact the Statewide Travel Program at StatewideTravelProgram@dgs.ca.gov or (916) 376-3974.