The use of commercial cards has been growing steadily, and adoption has become widespread across healthcare and higher education institutions. Commercial cards can provide numerous benefits, including greater operational efficiencies in procurement processes, cash savings through card issuer rebate programs, increased visibility in spending patterns, and potential vendor discounts where purchases can be consolidated.

The benefits of a commercial card program do not materialize automatically; institutions must put appropriate policies and processes into place and make use of the information available from commercial card utilization to realize the full benefits of the program. Successful programs will have finance, treasury, accounts payable, and supply chain functions all on the same page to maximize the value to individuals and the organization.

Health systems, colleges, and universities are among the institutions that have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and are more cognizant than ever of the value of each dollar. An effective commercial card program is a key component of an optimal treasury infrastructure and can help these institutions become better stewards of the funds entrusted to them to pursue their missions.


For more information, please contact Charles Kim through email (ckim@kaufmanhall.com) or by phone at 224-724-3115.

Meet the Authors
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Charles Kim

Charles Kim

Managing Director
Charles directs Kaufman Hall’s Higher Education Management Consulting practice. He has been providing expert counsel to health systems, academic medical centers, and higher education institutions nationwide for more than 25 years.
Learn More About Charles
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Geoff Stenger

Geoff Stenger

Senior Vice President
Geoff Stenger is a Senior Vice President with Kaufman Hall’s Treasury and Capital Markets practice, specializing in bond issuance, private placements, and treasury management. His expertise includes bank credit financing solutions and treasury operations consulting.
Learn More About Geoff
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Mahendra R. Gupta

Mahendra R. Gupta

Washington University
Former Dean & Professor of Accounting and Management
Gupta was appointed dean of the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis in July 2005. He has served on the Olin faculty since 1990 and in 2004 was named the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management. Students have given him the Reid Teaching Award eight times since 2001.
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Richard Palmer

Richard Palmer

Washington University
Senior Lecturer in Accounting
Professor Palmer joined the Olin faculty in 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Lumpkin Distinguished Professor of Business at Eastern Illinois University, as a Copper Dome Faculty Research Fellow at Southeast Missouri State University, and as a Visiting Professor at Washington University.