About the Role

First, do you clearly define the manager-approver role? As a best practice, this person should be at least one functional job level higher than the cardholders they oversee. In the case of executive cardholders, the board of directors or similar group should provide oversight, as executive-level cardholders must be held accountable like anyone else.

Overall, manager-approvers serve as a key control. Communicate that their sign off on a cardholder’s transactions represents that:

• Transactions are for legitimate business purchases

• The cardholder complied with applicable policies and procedures

• There is appropriate supporting documentation for each transaction

Training Tips

Specifically design training for managers; make it relevant. While they need to understand the cardholder’s role, too, they do not need to learn the same details. To expand on this tip, they do not necessarily need to know details about declined transactions, initiating a dispute, placing an order, etc. (but cardholder training, as well as the program policies and procedures manual, should cover these topics). Examples of content relevant to managers include:

• Why the organization has a card program and the benefits gained; this is important for obtaining their buy-in

• What their role entails

• How to review/approve transactions

• What cards should be used for

• Prohibited purchases

• Prohibited practices (e.g., splitting transactions to circumvent single purchase limits)

• Supporting documentation requirements

• Red flag behaviors that could indicate cardholder fraud; learn more

• What to do if they spot or suspect fraud/misuse

In addition, consider the format and duration. To prevent scheduling challenges associated with classroom-style training, offer an online option that managers can pursue at their convenience. Avoid making it too long. They should be able to complete it within an hour.

Even though making separate, initial P-Card training for managers is extra work (hopefully a one-time effort that only requires minimal updates on a go-forward basis), it can pay off. Envision increased manager satisfaction and improved compliance.

What can you do to improve manager training?