diff --git a/ci/travis_encrypt_gbq.sh b/ci/travis_encrypt_gbq.sh
index 719db67f384e0..e404ca73a405e 100755
--- a/ci/travis_encrypt_gbq.sh
+++ b/ci/travis_encrypt_gbq.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 GBQ_JSON_FILE=$1
-GBQ_PROJECT_ID=$2
 
-if [[ $# -ne 2 ]]; then
+if [[ $# -ne 1 ]]; then
     echo -e "Too few arguments.\nUsage: ./travis_encrypt_gbq.sh "\
-    "<gbq-json-credentials-file> <gbq-project-id>"
+    "<gbq-json-credentials-file>"
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -23,9 +22,9 @@ echo "Encrypting $GBQ_JSON_FILE..."
 read -d "\n" TRAVIS_KEY TRAVIS_IV <<<$(travis encrypt-file $GBQ_JSON_FILE \
 travis_gbq.json.enc -f | grep -o "\w*_iv\|\w*_key");
 
-echo "Adding your secure key and project id to travis_gbq_config.txt ..."
-echo -e "TRAVIS_IV_ENV=$TRAVIS_IV\nTRAVIS_KEY_ENV=$TRAVIS_KEY\n"\
-"GBQ_PROJECT_ID='$GBQ_PROJECT_ID'" > travis_gbq_config.txt
+echo "Adding your secure key to travis_gbq_config.txt ..."
+echo -e "TRAVIS_IV_ENV=$TRAVIS_IV\nTRAVIS_KEY_ENV=$TRAVIS_KEY"\
+> travis_gbq_config.txt
 
 echo "Done. Removing file $GBQ_JSON_FILE"
 rm $GBQ_JSON_FILE
diff --git a/ci/travis_gbq_config.txt b/ci/travis_gbq_config.txt
index 3b68d62f177cc..0b28cdedbd0d7 100644
--- a/ci/travis_gbq_config.txt
+++ b/ci/travis_gbq_config.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 TRAVIS_IV_ENV=encrypted_1d9d7b1f171b_iv
 TRAVIS_KEY_ENV=encrypted_1d9d7b1f171b_key
-GBQ_PROJECT_ID='pandas-travis'
diff --git a/ci/travis_process_gbq_encryption.sh b/ci/travis_process_gbq_encryption.sh
index 7ff4c08f78e37..9967d40e49f0a 100755
--- a/ci/travis_process_gbq_encryption.sh
+++ b/ci/travis_process_gbq_encryption.sh
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 
 source ci/travis_gbq_config.txt
 
-if [[ -n ${!TRAVIS_IV_ENV} ]]; then
+if [[ -n ${SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY} ]]; then
+    echo "${SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY}" > ci/travis_gbq.json;
+elif [[ -n ${!TRAVIS_IV_ENV} ]]; then
     openssl aes-256-cbc -K ${!TRAVIS_KEY_ENV} -iv ${!TRAVIS_IV_ENV} \
     -in ci/travis_gbq.json.enc -out ci/travis_gbq.json -d;
-    export GBQ_PROJECT_ID=$GBQ_PROJECT_ID;
+    export GBQ_PROJECT_ID='pandas-travis';
     echo 'Successfully decrypted gbq credentials'
 fi
 
diff --git a/doc/source/contributing.rst b/doc/source/contributing.rst
index a8a47a9d979c0..44ee6223d5ee1 100644
--- a/doc/source/contributing.rst
+++ b/doc/source/contributing.rst
@@ -643,20 +643,22 @@ on Travis-CI and are only accessible from the pandas-dev/pandas repository. The
 credentials won't be available on forks of pandas. Here are the steps to run
 gbq integration tests on a forked repository:
 
-#. First, complete all the steps in the `Encrypting Files Prerequisites
-   <https://docs.travis-ci.com/user/encrypting-files/>`__ section.
-#. Sign into `Travis <https://travis-ci.org/>`__ using your GitHub account.
-#. Enable your forked repository of pandas for testing in `Travis
-   <https://travis-ci.org/profile/>`__.
-#. Run the following command from terminal where the current working directory
-   is the ``ci`` folder::
-
-    ./travis_encrypt_gbq.sh <gbq-json-credentials-file> <gbq-project-id>
-
-#. Create a new branch from the branch used in your pull request. Commit the
-   encrypted file called ``travis_gbq.json.enc`` as well as the file
-   ``travis_gbq_config.txt``, in an otherwise empty commit. DO NOT commit the
-   ``*.json`` file which contains your unencrypted private key.
+#. Go to `Travis CI <https://travis-ci.org/>`__ and sign in with your GitHub
+   account.
+#. Click on the ``+`` icon next to the ``My Repositories`` list and enable
+   Travis builds for your fork.
+#. Click on the gear icon to edit your travis build, and add two environment
+   variables:
+
+   - ``GBQ_PROJECT_ID`` with the value being the ID of your BigQuery project.
+
+   - ``SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY`` with the value being the contents of the JSON key
+     that you downloaded for your service account. Use single quotes around
+     your JSON key to ensure that it is treated as a string.
+
+   For both environment variables, keep the "Display value in build log" option
+   DISABLED. These variables contain sensitive data and you do not want their
+   contents being exposed in build logs.
 #. Your branch should be tested automatically once it is pushed. You can check
    the status by visiting your Travis branches page which exists at the
    following location: https://travis-ci.org/your-user-name/pandas/branches .