Purchase Card Holders

Purchase cards make it easy for you to buy the things you need for your agency. All Schedule contractors are required to accept the government purchase card for purchases up to the micro-purchase threshold and encouraged to do so for purchases over it.

GSA makes buying with the purchase card easy and efficient, utilizing modern tools to help facilitate market research and connect you instantly with contractors that can meet your need.

Ordering from Schedule

Purchases Below the Micro-purchase Threshold Purchases Between the Micro-purchase Threshold and the Simplified Acquisition Threshold Purchases Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold
  • Buyers may place orders at, or below, the micro-purchase threshold with any Schedule contractor that can meet your agency’s needs. Although not required to solicit from a specific number of schedule contractors, buyers should attempt to distribute orders among contractors.
  • You may place orders directly with the supplier via email, phone, or GSA Advantage.

Minimum Order Quantity - Purchases on Schedule, in general, are free on board (FOB) destination. In order to support FOB destination and include shipping prices in the prices of the goods, some products do have a set minimum order quantity. This quantity varies by Schedule and is noted in GSA Advantage.

While most orders issued using the purchase card will be under the micro-purchase level, purchase card holders may have a spending limit above the micro-purchase threshold. In fact, FAR 13.301 states that purchase cards shouldn’t be limited to micro-purchases.

Streamlined ordering procedures let you reasonably consider available information about the supply or service offered under MAS contracts and execute a purchase. Reasonable review of items means:

  • Survey at least three schedule contractors through the GSA Advantage website, or
  • Review the price-lists of at least three schedule contractors, or
  • Request quotations from at least three schedule contractors , and
  • Place the order with the schedule contractor that can provide the supply or service that represents best value.
  • Document your decision.

As always, you are encouraged to ask for additional discounts.
  • Place orders on a competitive basis (and if you can’t, justify why in accordance with FAR 8.405-6).
  • Follow ordering procedures in FAR 8.405 by sending a Request for Quote (RFQ) through eBuy or providing your RFQ to as many suppliers as practicable to ensure you receive quotes from 3 Schedule contractors.
  • Make a best-value determination based on the selection criteria described in the RFQ.
  • Document your decision.

Resources and Tools

Use these acquisition eTools to help simplify ordering under MAS:

Last Reviewed: 2021-03-02