After receiving approval for a significant purchase, what must cardholders do?

The correct answer is that cardholders must record the purchase and retain receipts after receiving approval for a significant purchase. This is important because accurate record-keeping is essential for maintaining financial accountability and transparency. By documenting the purchase details and keeping the receipts, cardholders ensure that there is a clear record to justify the expenditure. This documentation is crucial for auditing purposes and helps prevent misuse of funds, as well as aiding in budget tracking and reconciliation processes.

In contrast, ignoring the approval and proceeding would not only bypass the necessary protocols but could also lead to financial discrepancies. Notifying a supervisor may be important in some cases, but it is not a requirement following an approved purchase. Submitting a new approval request would be redundant as the purchase has already been approved, and continuing to seek approval unnecessarily complicates the process. Therefore, maintaining records of purchases is the most critical step following approval.