Seeking Affordable Receipt Tracking Solutions for Small Churches

As churches modernize their administrative processes, many are on the lookout for efficient and affordable software solutions tailored to their unique needs. One common challenge faced by small to mid-sized congregations is tracking receipts from employee expenses. If this resonates with you, read on to explore potential options.

Current Receipts Management Process

In our church, we have a team of 5-10 payroll employees, each with credit cards linked to a master account, specifically through Chase’s Ink for Business. At the end of each month, these employees log into their Chase accounts and manually complete a worksheet detailing their expenses. This process requires them to print and attach receipts, which are submitted to the Accounting department for approval. Following the first approval, a second review is conducted, forcing the entire process to be paper-based.

While the primary goal of this procedure seems to be monitoring for potential internal or external fraud, the heavy reliance on manual entries and paper trails raises the question of whether there’s a more efficient way to manage these receipts.

The Search for a Streamlined Solution

I am exploring affordable options that would allow employees to link their credit cards to a software platform that facilitates effortless receipt input directly from their mobile devices. Ideally, a system similar to how American Express manages receipts would streamline the entire process, reducing the need for physical paperwork.

Our church currently uses QuickBooks for its Accounting needs. They are subscribed to the QuickBooks Online Plus plan, which, while effective for managing bank accounts, does not support direct linking of credit cards and has some limitations with user accounts. Specifically, the Plus plan accommodates only three users. I am curious to know if it’s possible to restrict access, allowing users to simply add receipts to existing transactions without seeing or altering other financial data.

Why a New System Matters

Implementing a user-friendly software solution would not only simplify our current expense tracking process but also enhance our ability to monitor financial transactions more effectively. Streamlining this task can help ensure accountability and transparency within our financial practices, ultimately fostering trust among our congregation.

If anyone has suggestions for budget-friendly receipt tracking software that integrates well with credit cards and can enhance our current system with QuickBooks, I would greatly appreciate your insights! Your recommendations could help small churches like ours move towards a more efficient and digital age. Thank you!