Innovation at Work

Increase program efficiency, control and convenience with two Citi alternative card products, and the enhanced features in a new Landing Page release.

Buyer Initiated Purchasing Card

A file-based payment process, the Buyer Initiated Purchasing Card utilizes the payment network between the buyer, Citi Commercial Cards, the supplier and the supplier’s acquiring bank. An extension of the P-Card offering, this solution expands electronic payment capabilities to include P-Cards in a process and format consistent with ACH and EFT.

Key advantages:

  • Maintains existing processes
  • Increases purchase and payment efficiency
  • Enables efficient reconciliation, reporting and control for buyers and suppliers
  • Provides revenue share/cost recovery opportunity
Applications and uses:
  • Centralized accounts payable and disbursement operations produce file-based payments
  • Purchases where current purchase order and invoice process needs to stay intact
  • Used to maximize card spend/rebates
  • Strategic initiatives to reduce check payments

Stored Value/Declining Balance Cards

Stored value cards are an excellent replacement for cash, checks and EFT, and are ideal for specific purposes or time periods. Accounts are established with a set credit limit and can be reloaded. Agencies can specify MCC inclusions and authorize the cardholder to spend only an approved amount over the pre-determined life of the card.

Citi offers declining balance as well as enhanced stored value cards. Agencies can choose either solution based on need and intended use:

  • If the cardholder has an unrestricted right to spend the full amount on the card, a stored value card may be the best solution
  • If the cardholder must account for what is spent on the card—which may differ from the initial amount that was established—then a declining balance card may be the best solution
Applications and uses:
  • Entitlements
  • Grants
  • Restricted spending card
  • One-time use or low-frequency refresh
    • Restricted travelers or temporary duty
  • Uniform allowances
  • Relocation payments

New VRU PIN set/reset functionality coming in October:

Enhanced PIN maintenance will be available as a feature of the Citi Voice Response Unit (VRU) in October 2009. Cardholders with cash-access privileges can now easily and quickly set and reset their PIN using the VRU. This replaces the previous method of cardholders receiving a new PIN by mail.

New Landing Page release:

Links tab is renamed "Links/Help" and allows document posting
Using the renamed Links/Help tab, you can create a link where documentation (such as the User Guide and/or QRG) is hosted by Citi. This can be segmented by company, and there is no limit on how many documents can be stored. Program Managers can contact their Account Manager or CAS to have documents posted.


Payment name changed to "Pay from Checking Account"
To help cardholders not enter their Citi Commercial Card account number as a payment from account, the verbiage "Payment Account Number" will be replaced by "Pay from Checking Account".

Lost/Stolen statement history is viewable by cardholder
Lost/Stolen statements will now be supported in Card Statements and Payments. When a card is Lost/Stolen the new card will appear in the drop down list, and the cardholder will need to choose which card they wish to view. Lost/Stolen statements will be viewable up to the month the card was lost or stolen (or prior month if in midcycle). The new card will have transactions and statements to view going forward. This implementation would handle prior Lost/Stolen cards up to the point that the Landing Page initially received the Delta DEF for that company.