Purchasing cards let local government employees buy everyday goods and services without a purchase order, and give the finance office one monthly bill, spending controls and a rebate. When a city, county, school district or authority sets up or changes a card program, it can run its own RFP, join a cooperative contract or join a state program. This guide explains what these solicitations are called, what they ask for, and how cooperative contracts and state programs work. It's written for commercial card and P-card sales teams.
What governments call these solicitations
The same program can appear under several names:
- Purchasing card program or P-card program. The most common terms.
- Procurement card. Used interchangeably with purchasing card.
- Commercial card services. Usually broader: purchasing, travel and sometimes fleet cards under one contract.
- One card or integrated card program. A single card used for purchasing and travel.
- ePayables, virtual card or single-use account programs. Card-based payment of vendor invoices, often bid alongside or added to a P-card program.
A team watching only for "P-card RFP" will miss solicitations titled "commercial card services" or "electronic payables," and will miss the many governments that never issue a solicitation at all.
What the RFP typically asks for
Rebates
Rebates are usually the most visible scoring factor. RFPs ask for the rebate schedule by annual spend tier, how quickly the government must pay its statement to earn the full rebate, whether large-ticket transactions earn a lower rate, whether ePayables spend counts toward tiers, and when rebates are paid. Some ask for a sample calculation on stated spend volumes ([PLACEHOLDER: typical sample spend volume]).
Card types
Expect requests for purchasing cards, travel cards, one cards, virtual or single-use accounts for vendor payments, and sometimes declining-balance, emergency or "ghost" cards assigned to a vendor or department rather than a person.
Controls
Governments want to limit risk: per-transaction and monthly limits, merchant category blocks, approval workflows, real-time alerts, fraud monitoring and dispute handling, and a fast way to suspend cards.
Reporting and integration
RFPs ask about the online program management platform, receipt capture, transaction coding and approval, exports to the government's accounting or ERP system, and standard reports for auditors.
Program support and implementation
Finally: the dedicated relationship manager, cardholder and administrator training, vendor enrollment support for ePayables, implementation timeline and references from similar governments.
Cooperative contracts and piggybacking
A cooperative contract is competitively solicited once by a lead agency and then made available to other public entities. "Piggybacking" means a government uses a contract another agency already awarded, where its own procurement rules allow. For card programs, this means many local governments can set up or switch programs without their own RFP. Whether a given government can use a cooperative contract depends on its state and local procurement rules.
NASPO ValuePoint Commercial Card Services
NASPO ValuePoint's Commercial Card Services contract was awarded to U.S. Bank National Association, with the State of Washington as lead state (Master Agreement #00719). Card services began January 1, 2021, and the contract runs through December 31, 2027. Card types listed include purchase cards, travel cards, one card/integrated cards, ePayables/virtual cards, declining balance, emergency, event planner and ghost cards.
Eligible users can include state agencies, higher education and political subdivisions such as cities, counties and school districts, but use depends on a participating addendum for the state and on the state procurement director's approval. Each state's addendum defines who may buy under it. With the contract's end date approaching, states and local governments using it will be deciding what comes next.
Sourcewell Commercial Card Programs
Sourcewell, a government cooperative purchasing agency, ran a Commercial Card Programs solicitation (#11399) that closed September 10, 2026. As of this writing it is listed as pending, with awards awaiting the review committee's recommendation and board approval. Once awarded, participating agencies will be able to use the resulting contracts.
State programs local governments can join
Some states let local governments join the state's own card program and share in its rebate. Two examples from different parts of the country:
- North Dakota: the state says all political subdivisions are eligible to participate in its P-card program, administered by the Office of Management and Budget with JPMorgan Chase as issuer. The annual rebate is based on combined spend and prorated to participants.
- Washington: the Department of Enterprise Services runs a purchase card program under contract #00719 with U.S. Bank. Local governments with a statewide contract usage agreement can request to participate, and agencies earn rebates based on their spend.
Other states have their own arrangements. Check each state's procurement or finance office for current rules.
Why this matters for card sellers
A government that joins a cooperative or state program may not revisit its card provider for years. The moments that matter are the ones before that decision: when a program is nearing renewal, when a cooperative contract is ending or being re-awarded, or when a finance office starts asking whether it is getting the best rebate. Being in the conversation then is the difference between competing and reading about the decision afterward.
Typical timing
- A reason to change. Rebate falls behind peers, the platform is dated, controls or audit findings need fixing, the government wants to pay more vendors by card, or a cooperative contract is ending.
- Options review. The finance office compares running its own RFP, joining a cooperative contract, or joining a state program.
- Decision and approval. Either an RFP is issued, with response windows typically [PLACEHOLDER: typical response window], or the government signs on to an existing contract.
- Implementation. New cards, training and vendor enrollment, typically [PLACEHOLDER: typical implementation period].
Stages one and two are where the outcome is shaped. If the government chooses a cooperative path at stage three, there may be no public RFP to respond to at all.
How to prepare
- Know which cooperative contracts and state programs apply in each state you sell into, and when they end.
- Have a rebate model ready that shows the effect of moving vendor payments to virtual card, not just current P-card spend.
- Lead with controls and reporting. Finance officers worry about misuse and audit findings more than features.
- Bring a vendor enrollment plan for ePayables. It's where rebate growth usually comes from.
How Public Funds Signal helps
Public Funds Signal tracks local governments in the territories our customers sell into for early signs they'll start, expand or change a card program, including when a cooperative or state program is in play. Each alert names the entity, the expected change, the estimated timing and the incumbent where known, with supporting documentation.
See how Public Funds Signal works for commercial card teams →
This guide is general information, not legal or procurement advice. Contract terms and program rules change; confirm current details with the contracting agency before relying on them. Facts checked October 2026.