We use purchasing cards as the preferred payment method for goods and services. This reduces administrative effort on the part of both buyers and suppliers.

For the buyer it removes the requirement to raise a purchase order, match an invoice and enter payment details in the councils' financial system.

For the supplier it removes the need to raise an invoice and operate payment-chasing departments. It also gives the supplier payment for the goods or services within three days.

Details of our purchasing card payments will be published online routinely in ‘pdf’ format for general viewing and in a machine readable ‘csv’ format. This information is made available for use under the Open Government Licence.

The ‘Transaction Level’ information within the data relates to the card issuers merchant status, which determines the level of transaction information that can be made available.

The use of our purchasing cards is subject to strict terms of use, and they are used for approved legitimate payments only.