Advantages of Participating in the State P-Card Program
The Purchasing Card (P-Card) is a MasterCard through JPMorgan Chase and is administered by the Office of Management and Budget that simply saves time and money. It eliminates unnecessary paper work and costs associated with requisitions, purchase orders, invoices and checks. The P-Card can be used with any vendor that accepts MasterCard as a form of payment.
One of the advantages to enlisting in our program is the rebate you will receive for using the P-Card. Annually, the state receives a rebate based on the combined total P-Card spend of all state agencies, the University System and political subdivisions. The rebate is prorated and distributed amongst the program participants each contract year (February-January). In 2025-2026, the total rebate was $3,759,497 based on $209.3 million of spend. In 2024-2025, the total rebate was $3,549,346 based on $195.5 million of spend.
The P-Card Program is a corporate liability program which means the state agency, the University System or political subdivision is liable for charges made in accordance with policies and procedures by an authorized cardholder. There is no annual fee associated with the P-Card.
Other Program Advantages
- Lower Transaction Processing Costs
- Improve Cash Float (Additional 30 Days)
- Rebate Based on Combined Spend of all Entities
- Reduction in Paperwork
- Faster Delivery of Goods
- Personalized Training and Customer Service from the State Program Administrators
- Detailed 3-Year History of Cardholder Purchases
How the Program Works
After the participating agreement and other necessary documents have been completed, JPMorgan Chase will create the accounts and issue the P-Cards to the card administrator. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires each entity to designate at least one card administrator within their entity. The card administrator may not be a cardholder.
The program operates on a monthly billing cycle. The cycle ends on the last business day of the month. The day after the billing cycle ends, card administrators are able to view and print their entity statement. Individual cardholder statements are also available to view and print by cardholders and/or card administrators. The total amount due will be withdrawn from the entity’s bank account by auto debit.
Enrollment Process
All political subdivisions are eligible to participate in the state’s P-Card Program. The initial step to enroll in the program is to complete a participation agreement, W-9 and provide three years of financial records/audits.
Current Program Enrollment (as of April 2025)
- 77 State Government Agencies
- 13 Colleges/Universities (includes University System and CTS)
- 86 School Districts
- 28 Counties
- 14 Cities
- 9 Boards/Commissions
Contact Renae Heller at 701-328-4936 or omb@nd.gov to start this process. OMB will then discuss the benefits of participating in the program along with the additional steps required to get started.