American Express^® Corporate Purchasing Card

Simplify spending and negotiate preferred rates

Keep business payments in one place so you can track your spending, simplify reconciliation and negotiate better rates with suppliers.

An easy way to streamline your purchasing process

An American Express^® Corporate Purchasing Card lets you consolidate regular payments to vendors and suppliers within a single account, set limits on how and with whom your employees can spend, and gain insight into your spending patterns so you can negotiate rates with preferred suppliers.

Help drive savings and efficiency with a Corporate Purchasing Card

Control spending

Assign parameters for where and how Cards are used, and how much can be spent.

Gain insights

Receive detailed transaction information and data analysis to help inform decision-making.

Streamline operations

Assign physical or virtual Cards to help simplify payment and reconciliation and ensure compliance.

Manage cash flow

Take advantage of your payment terms to extend Days Payable Outstanding (DPO)

How does an American Express Corporate Purchasing Card work?

1 Set up your programme

Determine which of your expenses to convert to a Corporate Purchasing Card and which controls can offer the most value. Your dedicated Account Manager will work with you every step of the way.

2 Spend on your Card

Employees can spend within the limits you’ve set, including preferred suppliers, transaction and account limits, and purchase types.

3 Review and reconcile

Use the American Express @ Work^® programme to oversee policy compliance, identify opportunities to drive savings, and promptly pay your vendors.

4 Analyse and save

Take advantage of rich data from the Amex Insights platform to leverage purchasing volume with preferred suppliers so you can maximise rebates and drive meaningful savings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A Corporate Purchasing Card complements your company’s Corporate Card programme by allowing you to consolidate regular payments to vendors within a single account, set limits on how and with whom your employees can spend, and gain insight into your spending so you can negotiate rates with preferred merchants.

When you sign up for an American Express Corporate Purchasing Card, you can choose to issue physical Cards or virtual Cards (in the form of Virtual Account Numbers) to your employees. Physical Cards are designed for staff who work away from the office and ideal for all business-related expenses, and virtual Cards are helpful to lodge with a preferred supplier or in a procurement platform, or for central use by a department within a company that does not want to issue physical Cards to multiple employees. From the American Express @ Work digital platform, you can set and enforce limits on which companies your employees can spend with, as well as how much they can spend.

While Purchasing Cards and Corporate Cards can be used similarly, there are a few key differences. The American Express Corporate Purchasing Card acts as a Charge Card, but with several additional advantages. You can have a virtual account option available for use with online suppliers. Rather than assigning each Card to a single person, you can assign your Corporate Purchasing Card to a department within your company for use by multiple team members. You can also issue an Account in a supplier’s name for use with a key supplier who has recurring invoicing requirements for ease of reconciliation.

Most companies use a Purchasing Card programme to supplement their Corporate Card programme. If you make large or frequent business purchases, or have multiple employees making purchases on behalf of your business, you may be able to take advantage of a Purchasing Card to set spending limits, track companywide spend and negotiate with preferred suppliers.