Section III: A/OPC Responsibilities

6. How do I deactivate an account?

Account deactivation is a method for you to temporarily block the cardholder's ability to make transactions on the account without canceling the account altogether. While the account is deactivated, any transaction that the cardholder attempts to make will be declined at the point of sale. You can deactivate and reactivate an account through the bank's EAS or by calling the bank. The bank's A/OPC guide and/or EAS will walk you through the deactivation and reactivation process.

7. Why should you deactivate an account?

It is one of the most effective ways to mitigate risk of misuse or fraud on the account. You are protecting the Government and the cardholder from unauthorized usage of the card. Here are some reasons why you might consider deactivating an account:

• The cardholder only uses the card on a periodic or seasonal basis. You can deactivate the account during those periods when the account is not needed. When the cardholder needs to make a transaction, he/she can contact you and the account can be reactivated for that transaction, then deactivated again as necessary.
• The cardholder is on an extended leave of absence. You can deactivate the account when the cardholder begins leave and reactivate it when he/she returns from leave.
• The cardholder is on temporary detail or assignment to another part of the agency/organization and will not need to use the account during that detail.
• You suspect misuse or fraudulent activity and you want to block usage while the situation is being investigated. (Your agency/organization's management or existing policies may provide specific requirements regarding this issue, so follow those requirements as applicable.)

The more you know about your cardholders, the more information you will have to consider deactivation as a tool to manage risk.

If you find that the card is deactivated for a very long period between uses (e.g., six months or more), or there are multiple accounts in the same office/organization that each have very low transaction activity, you might want to evaluate whether there is a need to maintain the account(s). You should discuss this situation with the cardholder, Approving Official, and other agency personnel as appropriate. Your agency/organization may have policies regarding closing accounts with extended periods of inactivity, so be sure to familiarize yourself with those policies and follow them as required.

Deactivation will also be discussed in Section V, Preventative Measures.