FPDS Query Library
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Purchase Card as Payment Method

Boolean or coded flag indicating whether the contract record uses a purchase card as the payment method. An "N" value means purchase card is not used; other observed values, if present, should be treated according to the FPDS code set for this field.

Family: Award
Category: Contract Data
Data Type: boolean_or_code_flag
Semantic Type: flag
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod
Title
Purchase Card as Payment Method
FPDS Path
award/contractData/purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod
Description
Boolean or coded flag indicating whether the contract record uses a purchase card as the payment method. An "N" value means purchase card is not used; other observed values, if present, should be treated according to the FPDS code set for this field.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts identify awards paid through purchase card processes, which often reflect micro-purchase activity, simplified acquisition handling, or different payment controls than standard invoice-based payments. It is useful for compliance review, spend segmentation, and understanding how procurement dollars are processed operationally.
Example Value
N
Observed Non-Null Count
111,351,580

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod
FPDS XML Path
award/contractData/purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/contractData/purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building

Common Usage

  • Filter awards paid with a purchase card
  • Segment spend by payment method
  • Support compliance and control analysis

Common Mistakes

  • Treating "N" as missing instead of a valid negative response
  • Using the field as a proxy for obligation type or vendor category

Query Guidance

Use the field in WHERE clauses to isolate purchase-card-funded records, typically by checking for the affirmative code in your dataset and treating "N" as false. If the extract contains mixed code forms, standardize values with CASE logic before aggregating or joining.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod AS purchase_card_as_payment_method
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Flag distribution

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod AS flag_value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__purchaseCardAsPaymentMethod IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY flag_value
ORDER BY record_count DESC

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.