Charge Accounts with different vendors

A question came up recently regarding charge accounts for goods and services charged by church members. If a vendor like a grocery store for example, has created a charge account for the wards and stakes of the region, is this something that was negotiated by the church? If so, do we have a list of approved or recognized vendors? I know one of the local grocery stores has some kind of arrangement, because I receive the statement, bills, and receipts from them on a regular basis. It sure makes the finance process easier, and I would like to encourage members to use vendors who have such arrangements more regularly, but I don't have any idea how to find out who they all are.

My understanding is that such accounts are improper - particularly if they allow members to charge things without the bishops/stake president's approval. See Handbook 1: 14.6.7 last two paragraphs. Also 14.7.1, second paragraph.

This sounds like a financial auditor's nightmare.

latviankid wrote:If a vendor like a grocery store for example, has created a charge account for the wards and stakes of the region, is this something that was negotiated by the church?

The Church does not set up these types of accounts. Any local accounts probably would have been set up by one of the bishops in the area. As others have mentioned, though, these can be problematic if they are not properly controlled and should not be accessed by the general membership.