The Impact of Changing Patterns of Commercial Card Use by the US Government on Governmental Efficiency and Cost Savings

Abstract

The US Government has used bank commercial card technology since the 1980s to simplify and reduce the cost of the process to acquire goods and services. The term “commercial cards” includes purchase, travel, and fleet cards. Generally, purchase cards are used to acquire non-travel-related goods and services of lower dollar value; travel cards are used to facilitate employee travel on government business and primarily used to purchase airline tickets, hotels, and auto rentals; and fleet cards support employee purchases of fuel and other automotive services for government vehicles.