Small credit card purchases by government employees are on the rise, according to statistics released Friday by Amtower & Company, Ashton, MD, a government marketing resource.
Spending in the Federal SmartPay credit card program was $17.43 billion despite fewer cardholders and fewer overall purchases than in previous years. Total spending in 2004 was $17.08 billion, and in 2003 it was $16.2 billion. The average purchase rose to $672.15 from $644.53 in the previous year.
The figures were for fiscal year 2005, ended Sept. 30.
SmartPay lets government employees buy products and services needed for their jobs quickly while avoiding the paperwork involved with purchase orders. Most federal cards have a per-purchase limit of $2,500. The program is administered by the U.S. General Services Administration. Most states and many local governments have similar programs, Amtower said.
