A purchasing card (pcard) allows low-value goods and services to be procured at a significantly lower cost than traditional methods. They are usually issued to employees with the expectation that they will follow their organisation’s policies and procedures, including reviewing and approving transactions according to a set schedule but a variety of factors can contribute to its success or conversely, its stagnation.

SUMS have researched and identified the common issues and examples of good practice across the sector regarding Purchasing Card use. In the briefing paper below we’ve outlined these in more detail and provided our key recommendations for Universities looking to improve their Purchasing Card processes.

Purchasing Card Use in Universities – Briefing Paper.