Twenty-eight years ago, a groundbreaking article in the Harvard BusinessReview articulated a novel idea for how organizationscould “re-engineer” their business processes by using “bank creditcards” to make procurement of low-value goods work better, faster,and cheaper. Since that time, the use of purchasing cards (p-cards)has grown so rapidly that the cards now represent a new normal inthe way North American businesses pay for low-value goods andservices. Market estimates indicate that spending on p-cards hasgrown from near zero in 1990 to more than $350 billionannually.

Accordingly, commercial issuers have continuously upgraded cardtechnology, including significant improvements in controls tosupport increasing demands for enforcement of spending policies.More recently, issuers and technology providers have promoted theconcept of transforming accounts payable (A/P) from a costcenter to a profit center, principally by improving liquidity,reducing manpower, and obtaining card-issuer incentive cash.