Fiscal Year 2026 Risk Assessment of VA’s Charge Card Programs

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a risk assessment of VA’s three charge card programs, which cover purchase cards for supplies and services; travel cards for official travel expenses; and fleet cards for fuel, maintenance, and repair of government-owned and  operated vehicles. The assessment is mandated by the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 to identify significant governance risks of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and other conditions that could affect program integrity. During the assessment period (April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026), VA processed nearly $6.5 billion in purchase, travel, and fleet card transactions.

In FY 2026, the OIG assessed the Purchase Card Program and the Travel Card Program as medium risk for illegal or improper purchases. Data analysis of transactions completed during the assessment period, the volume and value of spending, and OIG investigations and reviews identified patterns of card transactions that deviate from the Federal Acquisition Regulation and VA policies and procedures. In contrast, the Fleet Card Program was assessed as low risk.

The assessment also identified governance and control weaknesses that may warrant future OIG oversight. These include the absence of an agencywide process to consolidate monitoring results and verify corrective actions, recurring control deficiencies, approving officials with excessive workloads, and elevated risks associated with selected travel card transactions.

The team discussed the most recent risk ratings with VA senior leaders in August 2026. VA acknowledged the results and offered clarifying information for underlying factors that may have affected the purchase card programs during the assessment period.