1. What is a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO)?

Answer: It negotiates lower prices for products and services by representing a large group of members. See our Home page for more explanation.

2. Who can join?

Answer: Any Christian church, school, camp or radio station can join. The organization is not required to be non-profit. If your type of Christian organization is not listed, please contact us for consideration.

3. How do I join?

Answer: Go to Contact Us to send us an inquiry by email or find our telephone number to give us a call.

4. How does membership benefit me?

Answer: As a member you will receive discounted products and services. As the membership grows, the additional purchases generated will result in larger discounts.

5. How do I place an order?

Answer: You contact the supplier directly just as you do today. Although the supplier you use today may not be participating in our buying group, we will have a reputable supplier who will meet your needs. You can add our web page to your Favorites because we have all the supplier contact information available in Member Services area.

6. How do I know I'm getting the reduced price?

Answer: After you become a member you will receive a copy of the contracts. When your invoice arrives, you can reconcile it to your contract. In order to help avoid this issue, please be certain to identify yourself as a member of Crown Purchasing at the beginning of the purchase.

7. Where would I find a list of suppliers?

Answer: As a guest, you can see the list in the Guest Services area of our web page. As a member, you can find them in the Member Services area of our web page and you will receive a master list via email or regular mail.

8. What should I do if I pay too much?

Answer: If you find you have already paid more than the contract price, you can contact us and we will work with the supplier to obtain your credit or refund. If you are comfortable handling it yourself, you may contact the supplier to obtain your credit or refund.

9. What if I don't see the type of product or service I need?

Answer: In the Member Services area of our web page, we have a suggestion form you can use for recommending a product or service or a new supplier.

10. What can I do to make sure I take advantage of the membership discounts?

Answer: You may need to change your buying habits. If we have contracts with suppliers you are not currently using, you will need to use our suppliers. While individual purchases may be bought locally at a lower price (for example, sale items at the local office supply store), we recommend you still use our suppliers and contracts. Utilization of our contracts strengthens our negotiating power for future lowered contract prices.

11. Is there a penalty for not using the contracts?

Answer: Your participation is strictly voluntary; there are no direct penalties. The long-term effect of not using the contracts will result in reduced negotiating power with the suppliers resulting in diminishing discounts instead of increasing discounts.