The Waitaki District Council has only one credit card and "it lives in the council safe", chief executive Michael Ross says.
Councillors this week asked Mr Ross about council credit cards after controversy erupted over how some members of Parliament and northern mayors used theirs.
Mayor Alex Familton and councillors do not have council credit cards.
Mr Ross told a council meeting on Wednesday the BNZ business Visa card had been used eight times in the past six months.
That was for buying books for the library from overseas and for booking travel and accommodation on the internet. Expenditure totalled $2921.
The council has a policy, implemented in 2002 and reviewed in 2004, which sets strict limitations on how the card can be used.
It has a credit limit of $5000, is in the name of the chief executive who, along with the financial services manager, authorises any use of it.
The card can only be used for small purchases when economically efficient to do so and is not to be used for personal or day-to-day expenses.
It has to be paid monthly and not used for loans or cash advances.
