Purchasing cards for business expenses

Purchasing Cards

A purchasing card is a company credit or debit card that employees use to charge goods and services on behalf of their employers, without having to go through the traditional purchase request and approval process.

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Purchasing card benefits

P-cards give staff access to company cash in a safe, secure way that ensures businesses can trust them. By replacing traditional spending systems, P-cards help businesses cut operating costs, automate expense reconciliation, and gather valuable insights on company spending.

Custom control

P-cards give your team custom payment methods with individual rules and spending policies.

Real-time expense tracking

Finance and accounting teams can see all spending as it happens.

Operational velocity

Purchasing cards let cardholders move fast and make purchases on the go.

What our users say

When you’re a fast-scaling company, lots of people have requests, lots of people need funds, lots of people need to expense or need to spend. Suddenly, you lose efficiency, you lose control, and you have a lack of visibility. Spendesk keeps us in control of things.

4.7/5

4.8/5

4.4/5

Tom Libbrecht, Finance Manager, Silverfin

Centralized spending; decentralized ownership

Thanks to spending caps and custom spending policies, purchasing cards are a powerful way to maintain control over your company’s finances while giving ownership to your employees.

Purchasing cards improve the entire spending process

Martin Pannier Product @Iziwork

Aaron Townsend Financial Controller @ Habito

Gabrièle de Lamaze Head of Customer Success @Plezi

Employees

When you’re out of the office, traveling for work, visiting customers, or at a business lunch, you can pay easily and efficiently.

Finance & Accounting

Use spend data to improve bookkeeping processes, avoid manual tasks and stop chasing after people. Your month-end closing has never been so quick.

Managers

Track your team’s spending in real time and approve any top-up requests if needed. Consolidate online and offline spending to keep track of budgets, and avoid reviewing paper expense reports.

How P-cards work

When an employee needs to pay for a new work tool:

- If the purchase is less than $50, they can generate a virtual card without approval. If the amount is more than $50, their manager will have to validate the "purchase order" request.

- Once validated, a new card is generated with the specific amount needed. This can be a one-shot or recurring purchase.

- The cardholder uploads their proof-of-purchase digitally.

- The finance team can track and verify every payment easily.

Paid - 800pix - US - Spendesk platform, card & mobile app

Common questions about P-cards

It's always hard to choose new company tools. We're here to help you make the right decision.

What are P-cards used for?

A procurement card is a charge card that gives employees streamlined purchasing power, and finance (and management) teams full control of all spending in real time. It drastically removes purchasing friction and gives employees a feeling of trust & ownership, helping them to be more accountable and effective in their work.

What's the difference between a corporate credit card and a purchasing card?

Purchasing cards are very similar to corporate cards. They can be either physical or virtual, and they allow the holder to spend company money strictly according to pre-established spend policies (spending caps, monthly limits, restrictions for specific services & goods).

The key differences between these two tools is the level of flexibility and customization on one hand, and the level of control for companies on the other. Corporate cards offer little of either, while purchasing cards are designed to maximize both.

What are the benefits for suppliers using P-cards?

P-cards are widely accepted among vendors. They let suppliers benefit from faster receipt of payment, particularly where they would normally rely on invoices. Companies can buy more easily, which means suppliers get paid faster.

Accepting P-cards offers a competitive advantage over competing suppliers that rely on old fashioned payment methods.

What are the risks associated with purchase cards?

Any company payment carries potential risks. But compared with corporate cards or traditional purchase orders, P-cards offer far higher visibility over what’s spent by individuals and the company at large. Every transaction is clearly tracked and associated with the correct employee - unlike the company credit card. And because employees have the funds they need immediately, there’s a far lower risk of expense fraud.

Are Spendesk cards secure?

Spendesk Mastercards are protected against fraud by Mastercard’s Zero Liability Protection. Have peace of mind knowing Zero Liability applies to your purchases made in-store, over the phone, online, or via a mobile device, as well as all ATM transactions.

Learn more about Zero Liability Protection.

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