Some cities such as ours are now using credit cards as "purchasing cards".
If your museum is going to use some, here are some comments from a museum
that is using them.

In our case the city automatically pays the bills in full monthly, and staff
who are issued cards  fill out monthly reports, and assign the account
numbers where each item is to be 'posted' to.

Staff are NOT allowed to make any personal purchases with the idea of
reimbursing the city. There is no way to reimburse the system.

Shopping by phone, or sending a co-worker who has no card to pick up some
items and then phone the museum for the credit card number, is becoming
problematic. Due to fraud cases, the credit card companies have introduced
some safeguards for phoning in card numbers, BUT we also hear that the
seller is liable for the cost in case there is a fraud. Sellers don't want
to take chances and we have had several large firms such as a lumberyard,
refuse to accept the credit card (aka 'purchasing card') or say they will
make an exception in this case - reluctantly.

Do credit cards save work? Yes, in terms of not having to go through so many
purchase requisitions/purchase orders/cheque requisitions which take time
and labour in the purchasing department, though there are the monthly
reports for each cardholder and reconcilliations.

Ironically cities/museums want to issue such cards to senior staff, but send
junior staff on many of the shopping errands. Staff tend to view as a bit of
a status thing. Credit cards do make Department Heads and Managers nervous
as giving staff a credit card is kind of like giving staff Internet access
or loaded guns.

Colin Macgregor Stevens
Curator
Burnaby Village Museum
City of Burnaby, British Columbia, CANADA

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