Help

Index (common tasks)

1. Accessibility tools
2. Introduction – RBAC and roles
3. Dashboard
4. Getting started (first time)
5. Choosing the correct church

Transactions — money in and out

6. Adding money in (receipts)
7. Adding money out (payments)
8. Finding a transaction
9. Attaching and viewing receipts / documents
10. Fixing mistakes (voiding a transaction)
11. Duplicate transaction warning
12. Audit trail (transaction history)
13. Recurring transactions (standing orders / direct debits)
14. Importing transactions from CSV

Reporting

15. Monthly summary
16. Budgets (annual)
17. Budget chart
18. Year-end pack
19. Independent examiner checklist

Settings and administration

20. Church settings
21. Your profile
22. Managing viewer accounts (Treasurers only)
23. Categories (reference)

Other

24. Activity and audit logging
25. Gift Aid
26. Contact us (support)

Accessibility tools (Contrast, A+, A-, Reset)

There is more detailed help on accessibility for this website here.

• Contrast – switches to a high-contrast mode.
• A+ – increases text size.
• A- – decreases text size.
• Reset – returns to normal settings.
• ? – opens the accessibility help page.

Tip: Your settings are remembered on your device.

Intro to the user interface

Access and permissions (RBAC)

The system uses role-based access control (RBAC). This means what you can see and do depends on your role.

• You may only see the churches you have permission for.
• You may be able to view but not edit some areas.
• Some users can enter transactions, others can only view reports.

Tip: If you think you should be able to access something but cannot, contact your administrator.

Dashboard

The Dashboard is the home screen. Use the panels to jump quickly to common tasks.

• Transactions: view and enter money in/out.
• Monthly Summary: monthly totals and running balance for the financial year.
• Year-End Pack: printable reports for your selected financial year.

Getting started

This system helps you record church finances in a simple way:

• Money in (receipts): donations, collections, grants, fees.
• Money out (payments): bills, repairs, supplies, expenses.

You do not need accounting knowledge. Just record what happened, with a clear description.

First time checklist

1. Open Profile from the top bar and check your name and email are correct.
2. Take a quick look around the Dashboard panels.
3. Try opening the Transactions list to see existing entries.
4. Select the correct church from the selector (if you have access to more than one church).
5. When ready, add your first transaction.

Tip: Taking one minute to check your profile helps administrators contact you if needed.

Choosing the correct church

1. Use the church selector near the top of the page.
2. Select the church you are working on.
3. Check the church name (and location) shown under the page title.

Always make sure you are in the correct church before adding or editing anything.

Adding money in (receipts)

Use this when money comes into the church bank account.

Examples: Sunday collection, donations, grants, wedding/funeral fees.

Steps

1. Go to Transactions.
2. Click Add transaction.
3. Select Money in (Receipt).
4. Enter the date, amount, category, and a clear description.
5. If you have one, attach a receipt/document.
6. Click Save.

Tip: Write a description that will still make sense in 6 months’ time.

Adding money out (payments)

Use this when the church pays money out.

Examples: utilities, insurance, repairs, supplies.

Steps

1. Go to Transactions.
2. Click Add transaction.
3. Select Money out (Payment).
4. Enter the date, amount, category, and a clear description.
5. If you have one, attach an invoice/receipt.
6. Click Save.

Tip: If you paid online, upload the invoice PDF or confirmation if available.

Finding a transaction (search and filters)

• Date range: show only transactions between two dates.
• Search: type a word from the description (e.g. “insurance”).
• Money in / money out: narrow down the list.
• Voided: choose whether to show voided entries.

At the bottom of the Transactions list you will see totals for the current filters. Voided items do not affect totals.

Attaching and viewing receipts/documents

You can attach a document to help explain or evidence a transaction. This is optional, but it is very helpful for payments and for larger or unusual items.

What to attach

• Payments: invoices, receipts, online confirmations, contractor paperwork.
• Income (selective): grant award letters, settlement statements, one-off large donations (where appropriate).

What you do not need to attach

• Routine plate collections or weekly banking (a clear description is usually enough).
• Every small item — use common sense and focus on payments and larger items.

If a transaction shows a Receipt button, click it to view the attached file.

Fixing mistakes (voiding a transaction)

1. Open the transaction.
2. Choose Void.
3. Enter a reason (e.g. “Entered twice”).
4. Save.
5. If needed, add the corrected transaction separately.

Voided transactions are kept for transparency, but they do not affect totals.

Duplicate transaction warning

When you add or edit a transaction, the system automatically checks whether another transaction already exists on the same date with the same amount. If it finds one, an amber warning appears below the amount field.

• The warning shows the description of the existing transaction so you can check whether it is genuinely a duplicate.
• The warning is advisory only — you can still save your transaction.
• On the edit page, the check runs automatically when the page loads.

Tip: Regular payments on the same date and amount (such as a monthly standing order) will trigger this warning each month. Check briefly and proceed if the entry is correct.

Audit trail (transaction history)

Every transaction keeps a full history of changes. To see it, open any transaction for editing and scroll to the bottom of the page.

The Audit trail card shows:

• When the transaction was created and by whom.
• Every edit made, with date and user name.
• Any receipt additions or removals.
• Any void or unvoid actions.

This record cannot be altered. It is there to protect both users and the church by providing a clear history of what happened and when.

Recurring transactions (standing orders / direct debits)

A recurring instruction lets you record a standing order or direct debit once and have the system remind you each time it falls due — so you never have to re-enter the same details every month.

Important: the system does not post transactions automatically. Each time an instruction falls due, you will see a banner at the top of every page and a prompt on the Recurring transactions page. You review the details, adjust the amount or date if needed, and click Post transaction. This keeps you in control and matches how you reconcile against your bank statement.

What can be recurring?

Money in and Money out transactions only. Journal entries cannot be recurring. Typical uses: monthly standing orders, annual subscriptions, utility direct debits, regular grant income, insurance premiums, and parish share payments.

Setting up a recurring instruction

There are two ways:

1. From the Add transaction page — fill in the transaction as normal, then tick Repeat this transaction at the bottom of the form. Choose the frequency (monthly or annual), and set either a number of occurrences or an end date. Today's transaction is saved as the first occurrence, and the recurring schedule starts from the next period.
2. From the Recurring transactions page — click Add recurring instruction to create a template without posting a transaction today. Use this when the instruction starts in a future period.

Frequency and limits

• Monthly — maximum 12 occurrences.
• Annual — maximum 3 occurrences.
• You must set an end date, a number of occurrences, or both. Open-ended recurring instructions are not permitted — this encourages regular review as amounts and arrangements change.

When a transaction falls due

A yellow banner will appear at the top of every page showing how many transactions are due. Click Review and post to go to the Recurring transactions page. There you can:

• Post transaction — confirm (and optionally adjust) the date and amount, then post it as a real transaction. The next due date advances automatically.
• Skip this occurrence — advance the due date without posting a transaction. The occurrence does not count against your total. Use this if a payment did not come out this period.
• Cancel instruction — permanently stop the recurring instruction. Use this if a standing order has been cancelled at the bank.

Variable amounts (e.g. direct debits)

When you post a due item, the amount field is pre-filled from the template but you can change it before posting. This covers direct debits where the amount varies — for example a water or electricity bill. The template amount is not updated — just the amount on that specific transaction.

Cancelling a standing order

If a standing order or direct debit is cancelled at the bank, go to the Recurring transactions page and click Cancel instruction on the relevant entry. This stops future due items appearing. Any transactions already posted are not affected — void them individually if needed via the normal Fixing mistakes process.

Completed instructions

When all occurrences have been posted or the end date is reached, the instruction is automatically marked as completed. Completed and cancelled instructions are visible in a collapsed section at the bottom of the Recurring transactions page as a read-only history.

Reconciling against your bank statement

Recurring transactions are posted exactly like any other transaction. When you reconcile against your bank statement, check each posted recurring transaction as normal. If the amount differs, void the posted transaction and re-enter it with the correct amount, or use the amount override at the time of posting.

Importing transactions from CSV

Use Import transactions (from the Dashboard) to upload multiple transactions at once from a spreadsheet saved as a CSV file. This is particularly useful when starting mid-year with existing records.

Steps

1. Prepare your CSV file with one transaction per row. The import page shows the full list of required and optional columns.
2. Go to Dashboard → Import transactions.
3. Select the bank account the transactions relate to.
4. Choose your CSV file and click Upload and preview.
5. Review the preview table — valid rows show in green, rows with errors show in red.
6. Click Import to insert the valid rows. Rows with errors are skipped.

CSV format (quick reference)

• Date — DD/MM/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD
• Description — free text
• Amount — positive number (e.g. 150.00)
• Direction — in or out
• Category — optional, use the code (e.g. INC-PG) or full name
• Fund — optional, unrestricted / restricted / designated
• Cleared — optional, yes or no

Tip: A header row starting with "Date" is automatically detected and skipped. Maximum 500 rows per file.

Running a monthly report (Monthly summary)

• Total money in
• Total money out
• Net (in minus out)
• Cumulative (running balance, starting from the opening balance)

Steps

1. Go to Monthly summary.
2. Choose: Financial year to date or Full financial year.
3. Select the FY start year if needed.
4. Click Update.
5. Click View transactions next to a month to see details.

Budgets (annual)

The Budgets page helps you compare actual spending/income against an annual budget for the selected church and financial year.

What budgets are (and are not)

• Annual and category-level: budgets are entered per category for the whole financial year.
• Reporting tool: budgets do not change transactions and do not affect balances.
• Simple by design: most churches only need an annual budget, not monthly cashflow forecasting.

How to view the budget report

1. Go to Budgets.
2. Select the FY start year (if required).
3. Review each category line showing Budget, Actual, and Variance.

Tip: A negative variance usually means “over budget” for expenses. The report shows budget vs actual for clarity.

Who can edit budgets

Budgets can be created/edited by authorised Treasurers for that church. Admins and superadmins do not edit budgets (governance rule).

How to edit budgets (Treasurers only)

1. Open Budgets and select the church and financial year.
2. Click Edit budgets.
3. Enter an amount for each category you want to budget for.
4. Leave an amount blank to remove that budget line.
5. Click Save budgets.

Changes to budgets are recorded in the system’s activity and audit logs for transparency.

Budget chart

The Budget chart (accessible from the Dashboard or from the Budgets page via View chart) shows two visual charts for the selected financial year.

Budget vs actual

A horizontal bar chart showing the budgeted amount (grey) alongside the actual amount for each category. Colours indicate status:

• Green — within budget.
• Amber — over 75% of budget used.
• Red — over budget.
• Grey — no budget has been set for this category.

A summary banner at the top flags immediately if any category is over budget or approaching the limit.

Monthly totals

A grouped bar chart showing money in (green) and money out (red) for each month of the financial year. Use the Monthly / Cumulative toggle to switch between monthly figures and a running year-to-date total.

Tip: If no budgets have been set, the budget chart will prompt you to set them. Go to Budgets → Edit budgets to enter amounts.

Producing year-end reports (Year-end pack)

The Year-end pack produces a printable pack for a selected financial year.

• Receipts & Payments Account (cash basis)
• Statement of Balances (opening + movement = closing)
• Notes and sign-off section
• Appendix A: full transaction listing
• Appendix B: account codes used

Steps

1. Go to Year-end pack.
2. Select the FY start year.
3. Click View pack.
4. Click Export PDF.
5. Choose Save as PDF (or print to paper).

Independent examiner checklist

This provides a structured checklist and a sign-off area for the independent examiner.

Steps

1. Open Independent examiner checklist from Reports or from the Year-end pack.
2. Select the FY start year.
3. Click Print / Save PDF.

Church Settings

Church Settings controls key information used in reports.

• Financial year: start/end dates used by Monthly Summary and Year-End Pack.
• Opening balance: the starting balance for the selected financial year.
• Location: stored as a reference address.

Opening balance: this is the amount already in the bank at the start of the financial year. It isn’t income or spending — it’s just the starting point. The system records this using a special “Opening Balances (Equity)” account so that income and expenditure reports are not distorted.

Your profile

Your profile stores your name and email address.

• You can update these yourself.
• Your username cannot be changed.
• Your access permissions are managed by an administrator.

Keeping your email address up to date helps administrators contact you about account or support matters.

Managing viewer accounts (Treasurers only)

As Treasurer, you can give someone read-only access to your church's accounts without needing to involve an administrator.

Creating a viewer account

1. Go to Dashboard → Manage viewers.
2. Enter a username, display name (optional), and email address for the new viewer.
3. Click Create account.
4. A first-login link is displayed — copy it and share it with the viewer by email or in person.

The link is valid for 7 days. The viewer clicks it to set their own password, then logs in normally. The account has no password until they complete this step.

What viewers can do

Viewers can see transactions, reports, monthly summary, year-end pack, cash reserves statement, and the budget chart. They cannot add, edit, or delete anything, and cannot access Gift Aid data.

Revoking access

On the Manage viewers page, click Revoke next to any active account. Access is removed immediately.

Tip: You can only see and revoke accounts you created. Accounts set up by an administrator are managed separately.

Categories (reference)

The Categories page lists all income and expenditure categories used across the system. It is a read-only reference — categories are defined at the diocese level and cannot be added or changed by individual church users.

If you need a category that does not exist, contact your administrator.

Activity and audit logging

The system keeps a secure record of important actions. This helps ensure transparency and allows administrators to investigate problems if needed.

• Activity log: records normal actions such as adding or editing transactions.
• Audit log: records administrative or system-level events.
• Logs cannot be edited by normal users.

These records exist to protect both users and the organisation by providing a clear history of what happened and when.

Gift Aid

Gift Aid reporting includes declaration-linked donations, GASDS small donations, and an exceptions list. Access is restricted by role; personal details are masked unless you have permission to view them.

• Declaration-linked donations: only transactions explicitly linked to a declaration are included.
• GASDS: anonymous small cash/contactless donations recorded separately.
• Note: GASDS entries are kept as a separate claim register and may be banked in aggregate (for example, recorded as one or more banking transactions).
• Evidence / paperwork: for Gift Aid you should keep enough evidence to explain the donation (for example, a counterfoil or event sheet). The system supports attaching documents to transactions, but your church may also keep some evidence offline.
• Exports: HMRC CSV exports are available to Gift Aid Admins and Treasurers only.
• Sign-off: the Treasurer signs off the claim before submission.

Contact us (support)

If you need help, use Contact us in the menu. This sends a message to the system administrator.

Tip: Include the church name and what you were trying to do.