# Agencies Route Small Buys Through Purchase Cards

Federal agencies may make many small supply purchases—often below the micro-purchase threshold—using government purchase cards rather than public SAM.gov solicitations. The signal cites a general threshold of $15,000 under FAC 2026-01, with lower thresholds for some construction and Service Contract Labor Standards work. For suppliers, this means that searching posted solicitations or relying on prime-contractor subcontracting may miss relevant buying activity; documented delivery performance and direct outreach to agency small-business offices and an APEX Accelerator are suggested routes to build visibility.

- Smaller suppliers can strengthen their prospects by documenting successful commercial or local-government deliveries and presenting that history in a capability statement.
- Companies pursuing federal supply sales should not treat the absence of a SAM.gov notice as evidence that agencies have no small-purchase demand; purchase-card transactions may not be posted as solicitations.
- The signal recommends contacting relevant agency small-business offices and an APEX Accelerator with evidence of reliable fulfillment. It does not identify specific agencies, purchase opportunities, or deadlines.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** November 15, 2026

### Key Quotes
> A lot of $2k / $5k / $10k supply buys never show up as solicitations on SAM.gov. Under the current FAR (FAC 2026-01), the general micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, with lower figures for some construction and Service Contract Labor Standards work.
> — Community commenter

> The ones in Sam am unable to fulfill without past history of successful fulfilling. I have not found a prime willing to sub.
> — Original poster

### Sources
- [Micropurchases networks](https://www.reddit.com/r/GovernmentContracting/comments/1xwou3i/micropurchases_networks) - reddit-governmentcontracting