Originally Posted by
addicoe
I mean a contractor that works for a private company under contract to provide a good/service to the government. It is the second one. However what you say about not paid by the government is untrue. It depends on the terms of the contract. Some T&M contracts require receipts sent to the gov't for reimbursement. Assume in this case that I am referring to the second one where the government per diem rates are the maximum amount reimbursed from the gov't
It can also depend on what kind of badge you have. If you have a federal agency PIV-II badge it's generally indistinguishable for someone who doesn't know the agency and various color codes. I've been working for a contractor for a few decades and we have to stay within the GSA rate, with exceptions possible if it's just not available at all. Way back before the standardized badging I had to carry a letter that very few places asked for, and only one ever didn't accept. With an agency issued PIV-II badge I just show that and it's got the agency on it and I've never had an issue.