Purchase Cards for Small Dollar Value Purchases

Provide managers with the ability to authorize employees who have a bona
fide need to buy smalldollar items directly using a purchase card.

By May 1994, the heads of all federal agencies should ensure that
managers are able to make small purchases directly through the IMPAC
program. In addition, they should:

-- direct their respective comptrollers and procurement executives to
adopt internal procedures to govern the use of IMPAC; such procedures
should provide for dealing with fraud or misuse swiftly and sternly and
provide assurance that small and small disadvantaged businesses and
mandated sources of supply are accorded all statutorily required
considerations in use of the purchase card;

-- ensure that anyone authorized to use the purchase card has
appropriate training in simplified acquisition procedures and in small
business and small disadvantaged business programs;

-- encourage vendors who do not accept IMPAC to make arrangements to do
so and provide information on how they can register for the program;

-- direct contracting activities to review IMPAC purchases to identify
highdollar aggregate purchases from individual merchants so they can
negotiate discounts with these vendors;

-- limit internal procedures to those necessary to ensure the maximum
effective use of IMPAC; and

-- reduce the number and use of imprest funds in favor of IMPAC to save
money through improved cash management.