Streamlining Receipt Tracking for Small Churches: Seeking Affordable Solutions

Managing finances in a small church can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to tracking receipts and expenses. One church is exploring ways to simplify its financial processes, particularly for its employees—about five to ten individuals—who use company credit cards linked to a master account with Chase, specifically through their Ink for Business program.

Currently, at the end of each month, employees must log into their Chase accounts and manually compile a worksheet detailing all expenditures. This involves printing and attaching receipts, which are then submitted to an Accounting staff member for approval. The process culminates in a second layer of approval from another team member, all handled on paper. While the primary aim seems to be monitoring for potential internal and external fraud, the existing method’s inefficiencies likely prompt a desire for a more streamlined approach.

The goal is to find an affordable solution that allows employees to link their expenses directly to their credit cards and facilitate receipt submissions via their smartphones—similar to features offered by American Express cards. This would significantly reduce the administrative burden and improve efficiency.

Currently, the church utilizes QuickBooks for Accounting purposes, subscribing to the Online Plus plan. However, there is a limitation since the credit cards are not directly connected, only bank accounts are linked in the system. This leads to questions about whether it would be feasible to implement a solution within QuickBooks that allows each employee to have an account dedicated to adding receipts, particularly since the Plus plan restricts access to only three users. Furthermore, it raises the question of whether it’s possible to configure accounts in such a way that users can only submit receipts to transactions.

If you have experience with receipt tracking systems that would be suitable for small organizations, especially in faith-based settings, your insights would be invaluable. Are there any established software solutions that integrate well with credit accounts and allow for mobile receipt uploads? Your recommendations could help foster a more dynamic and effective financial process within the church community.