The current micropurchase threshold
For most federal civilian and DoD acquisitions, the micropurchase threshold sits at $10,000 per transaction (higher for certain categories like emergency response or research at qualifying institutions). State and local thresholds vary; many sit between $5,000 and $25,000.
Below the threshold, a contracting officer or warranted cardholder can buy directly from a vendor whose price is fair and reasonable, without a competitive solicitation.
What this means for vendors
If your price is competitive and your turnaround is real, you can start a vendor relationship on a single phone call or email. That is what makes micropurchases such a useful on-ramp.
- You quote, the buyer places a PO or charges a card, you ship.
- Past performance is built one micropurchase at a time, which positions you for larger task orders later.
- Documentation is light, but you still need a clean invoice, SAM registration, and the ability to deliver on what you quoted.
How AXA South responds
We treat micropurchase quotes with the same priority as larger buys. Same-day for in-stock items, one to two business days for configured product. We do not bury small buyers behind a sales process.
Common questions
Do micropurchases need to be competed?
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Generally no. The contracting officer must believe the price is fair and reasonable, and they will often check two or three quotes, but a formal competitive solicitation is not required below the threshold.
Can a micropurchase be split to stay under the threshold?
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No. Splitting a requirement to avoid the threshold is a violation. The threshold applies to the actual requirement, not to artificially divided pieces of it.
Do vendors need to be SAM-registered for micropurchases?
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Federal: yes, as a practical matter, because the agency needs to pay you and many cardholders will not transact with unregistered vendors. State and local: it depends on the jurisdiction.