Question 1

What are purchase cards?

Accepted Answer

A purchase card is a special-use credit card that a company can give to its employees, vendors, teams, and departments to make high-urgency operational purchases when a lengthy PO process is not warranted or too slow. Purchase cards are an easy and fast way to enable operational spending while still enforcing your AP controls that matter. P-cards also go by other names, including corporate purchase cards, procurement cards, p-cards,  vendor cards, department cards, event cards, and virtual cards.

Question 2

Does Brex offer ghost cards?

Accepted Answer

Ghost cards are another way of referring to shared departmental or team credit cards, where the identity of the purchaser is obscured. For accounting teams, this anonymity makes it impossible to know who on the team executed which transaction, whether it was approved, and what business purpose it served. Expenses are difficult to reconcile and code to the appropriate GL category.

Brex purchasing cards are different from ghost cards because the cards themselves are not shared. Brex lets you create shared spend limits for a department or team with built-in controls, while giving each employee their own unique card. Each purchase is tracked to a specific user’s card, so there are no anonymous or “ghost” transactions.

Question 3

Can purchase cards be shared or transferred?

Accepted Answer

With Brex cards, there is no need to share a card among an entire department or multiple individuals. Instead, you can easily assign unique purchase card numbers to every employee and track all employees’ spend from your Brex dashboard. A team can share a spend limit and when they spend from their own cards, it will pull from the shared spend limit. This gives you more visibility and control over spend. .

If you need to transfer card ownership between employees — such as after an employee leaves the company — you can do so without changing card numbers that may be on file with vendors for recurring payments.

Question 4

When should a purchase card be used?

Accepted Answer

In many companies, purchase cards can be issued quickly for operational purchases that aren’t well-suited to the PO (purchase order) process, such as when:

The total spend amount falls below the PO minimum threshold (typically around $3,000)

A purchase might be time-sensitive and can’t be delayed while you wait for a PO to be submitted and approved (typically five business days)

A company or team may not follow the PO process

Whatever the reason, purchase cards can make it easier to control, track, and report on vendor payments alongside T&E expenses. Learn more about building an employee-centric way to manage procurement spending.

Question 5

What is the difference between a corporate credit card and a purchase card?

Accepted Answer

A corporate credit card is mainly designed for general business expenses, allowing employees to make purchases for things like travel, dining, or office supplies. These cards typically have higher credit limits, and they offer a grace period for payments, allowing businesses to avoid interest charges if balances are paid in full each month. The best corporate credit cards also come with rewards programs (like Brex has here), where points can be redeemed on things like billboards or cash back.

In comparison, a purchase card (or P-card) is specifically tailored for acquiring goods and services, such as consulting services, shipping and packaging, and technology. P-cards generally have lower spending limits and are subject to stricter controls and approval flows to prevent misuse. Purchases made with P-cards typically require fast payment, and the organization holds primary responsibility for these expenses, minimizing employee liability.

Question 6

What are the benefits of using a purchase card?

Accepted Answer

Using a purchase card (P-card) helps simplify the procurement process. P-cards allow employees to make direct purchases for goods and services without navigating lengthy approval processes, enabling quicker access to essential items. For example, with Brex you can instantly issue purchase cards with per-transaction limits and PO-like approval flows that streamline every part of the purchasing process. This efficiency not only saves time but also enhances productivity, as employees can focus on their core tasks rather than getting bogged down by administrative hurdles.

Purchase cards also make it easier to manage finances with better tracking and financial reporting capabilities. Many P-cards are equipped with tools that simplify expense monitoring and reconciliation, making it easier for finance teams to oversee spending and ensure compliance with company policies. This real-time visibility into purchasing patterns allows businesses to analyze expenses, identify cost-saving opportunities, and strengthen supplier relationships through faster payments.

Question 7

How do purchase cards work?

Accepted Answer

Purchase cards (P-cards) allow employees to make direct purchases for goods and services without the need for traditional purchase orders or lengthy approval processes. On Brex, when an employee needs to buy something, they can use the P-card to complete the transaction, with predefined spending controls. You can also cap individual purchase amounts, approve or block vendors and categories, set custom limits, and set cards to expire or limits to recur.

The transaction details are then automatically recorded, and synced to your ERP. This allows finance teams to monitor spending in real time and ensures compliance with company policies.

Question 8

Do purchase cards have limits?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can easily set and control spend limits on Brex. These help control spend and prevent unauthorized purchases. These limits can be defined in several ways, including overall spending caps for individual cards, per-transaction limits, and category-specific or vendor restrictions.

By establishing these parameters, businesses can manage spend and budgets more effectively. And these limits can always be adjusted, allowing you to respond to changes in spending needs or changing financial conditions.

Question 9

How is Brex’s purchase card different from other competitors?

Accepted Answer

With Brex cards, you can issue purchase cards for procurement use cases like operational spend — with preset, auto-enforced controls. These limits and controls can be set on a per-transaction basis, in 40+ currencies, ensuring that every purchase stays in budget and in policy. Brex’s purchase cards offer the controls and multi-currency support needed for a robust global expense management strategy. Managing procurement spend with invoices and purchase cards all in one place also ensures you can make meaningful AP automation gains for your business without adding additional solutions.

Smart corporate purchasing cards for procurement spend.

Instantly issue purchase cards with per-transaction limits and PO-like approval flows.

Smart corporate purchasing cards for procurement spend.

Instantly issue purchase cards with per-transaction limits and PO-like approval flows.

Enable purchases, eliminate surprises.

With Brex corporate cards, you can issue purchase cards for procurement use cases like operational spend — with preset, auto-enforced controls.

Set controls and limits per transaction.

Create ultra-specific policies and spend limits for cards — in 40+ currencies. Brex ensures that every purchase stays in budget and in policy.

Cap individual purchase amounts

Approve or block vendors and categories

Set daily, monthly, or custom limits

Set cards to expire or limits to recur

Customize approval thresholds and approvers.

You decide which transactions require approval and by whom. Tailor transaction-level thresholds and approvers — by amount, vendor, role, and more. For example, alert the VP of Finance to charges over $1,000.

Controller-endorsed convenience.

Brex p-cards unburden teams from manual work via automation and ensure business continuity with flexible ownership.

Sync expenses with your ERP.

Automate recurring payments.

Easily transfer card ownership.

“We’ve seen a huge shift in accounts payable from being a back-office data entry function to a powerhouse of information that creates a decision maker and stakeholder.”

Control all spend, invoiced or otherwise, with Brex.

FAQ

Purchase cards that work for you.

From high-urgency purchases to recurring SaaS bills, Brex purchase cards unblock spending with unmatched control.