
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 7, 1995                   TAG: 9506070100
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STATE TO USE AMEX PURCHASING CARD

State employees will soon use the American Express corporate purchasing card to buy items costing less than $1,000.

American Express Co. on Tuesday announced the deal with 200 Virginia agencies. The credit card company estimated that Virginia government will save nearly $500,000 a year in check issuance costs, with additional savings from reducing overhead, setting transaction limits, controlling spending and authorizing spending exclusively with preferred suppliers.

With monthly billing of many small purchases, American Express said, the state will be able to replace the labor- and paper-intensive purchase-order process with a low-cost system of managing purchases.

Virginia, the first state to sign with the corporate program, conducted a six-month test in eight agencies before implementing it statewide.

by CNB