Don’t confuse these purchase cards with travel cards that probably 60 percent or more federal employees have been issued. Travel cards enable the government to put the financial responsiblity for travel expenses and any mis use of the card onto the employee named on the card. There are no expense accounts. Employees are personally liable for paying the bills, and the government reimburses the employee for claimed expenses when the claims are covered in the travel regs. Again, the cards are supposed to save the govt money — there are rebates pd by the credit card companies for every transaction where the travel card is used. Empoyees are required to use them when they travel for govt business.

Purchase cards that were audited by GAO are completely different. Most have a limit of $2500. Some of the purchase cards have higher limits for use by agencies who have special circumstance programs, e.g., Dept of Homeland Security has higher limit purchase cards to use in the early days following emergencies so that they can get needed equipment and supplies in place quickly to set up up recovery operations. Some DoD programs may have cards with higher limits.
Most all of the purchase cards are provided to Contracting personnel who are supposed to know the rules and follow them. Those who are not contracting officers receive training. 99 percent of the contracting officers and others who have cards do follow the rules and use the cards only for bona fide government program requirements. A small number are stupid and lack integrity. Just like in the private sector — the universe of employees covers the full range of personality types.