The General Services Administration has paused use of payment cards issued to employee and certain contractors after the Department of Government Efficiency (raised concerns over government “credit cards.”

GSA confirmed the change, saying the agency is working to strengthen its GSA SmartPay program by “reducing admin costs, streamlining processes and improving oversight.” GSA SmartPay is the world’s largest government charge card program, according to the agency’s website.

“This morning we directed an immediate pause on all GSA SmartPay Travel and Purchase Charge Cards issued to GSA employees and applicable contractors,” GSA said. “The cards are still available for use in limited circumstances with continued proper oversight.”

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, had announcedon X Tuesday it was working with federal agencies to reduce administrative costs, including in the post a link to a web page about the GSA SmartPay program. The government has 4.6 million active credit cards, according to the White House unit, which said it would report back in a week.

The number of federal credit cards could not be independently verified.

Workers using cards in the SmartPay program within GSA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Agency for International Development currently have a $1 spending limit, according to a report by Wired.

Wired looked at a memo that GSA, which has a stated purpose of managing federal property and providing contracting options for government agencies, sent to its employees Thursday discussing the restriction. GSA reportedly said that at most .1% of its workforce can request an increase to the spending limit for purchase cards, which are used to order and pay for supplies and services.

The agency asked those employees to explain any requests, Wired reported.

Supervisors must authorize employees who want to make a payment on behalf of the agency.

Employees who are returning from a trip paid for by GSA reportedly have to submit a voucher that matches expenses approved by the agency. Expenses are scrupulously tracked, according to a worker the magazine quoted.

Using purchase cards and spending more than 10% of the approved amount needs another written authorization, Wired reported.

Employees at the affected agencies reportedly told the magazine the spending limit will result in enormous complications for existing workflows. Workers who have already received approval for travel expenses have to request a temporary spending limit increase.

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