Contents

• Introduction
• Add Transactions
  • Introduction
  • Add Income or Expense Transactions
  • Add Transfer Transactions
• Work with Your Account Transactions List
  • Edit Transactions
  • Copy Transactions
  • Delete Transactions
  • Add Or Remove Transaction List Columns
• Work With Transactions Across Accounts
• Export Transactions and Transaction Files
• What Does It Mean to Allocate Transactions to Categories and Funds

Introduction

The Transaction is an exchange (usually monetary) between your church and another party. Each Transaction can be allocated to one Account, Fund, and Category, respectively

There are three types of Transactions in ChMeetings Accounting: 

• Expense/Charge –  This means that you add such a transaction for situations when money goes out of your account, such as when you transfer money, make a payment or get charged for something automatically, including using a debit card attached to your account, as the case may be.
• Income/Deposit – This means that you add such a transaction when you receive money into your account, through any means including receiving transfers from contributors, receiving payments for any paid services you offer, money coming from grants, or cash you deposit into the church account.
• Transfers are used when you want to transfer money between Financial Accounts. 

This guide takes you through the process of working with Transactions within ChMeetings Accounting.
 

Add Transactions

To add a new Transaction, start by going to Accounting > Accounts, then clicking the Account to which you want to add the Transaction. 

Next, click Add Transaction

In the Add Transaction window, configure the following: 

1. Enter the Transaction Date.
2. Select the Type:
   • Expense/Charge –  This means that you add such a transaction for situations when money goes out of your account, such as when you transfer money, make a payment or get charged for something automatically, including using a debit card attached to your account, as the case may be.
   • Income/Deposit – This means that you add such a transaction when you receive money into your account, through any means including receiving transfers from contributors, receiving payments for any paid services you offer, money coming from grants, or cash you deposit into the church account.
   • Transfer Transactions are used when you want to transfer money between Financial Accounts.
   • Optionally, select the Payee: This is the person or organization to or from whom funds are directed. If the payee you’re looking for is not listed, click Add Payee Learn more about Managing Payees
     
     
     • If you have previously added transactions for the same Payee, you have the option to autofill details based on their last transaction, all except the date and check number. This is very useful for similar transactions or recurring payments.
       
       
       
       Here is an example of a multiple-item transaction for which you might find the autofill helpful: 
       
       

Add Income or Expense Transactions

The process is the same regardless of whether you add an Income or an Expense Transaction:

1. Select the Category. You must have previously created the Category to see it here. (Please see Add Categories, above in this guide.) If you add an Expense Transaction, you will only see Expense Categories. If you add an Income Transaction, you will only see Income Categories.
2. Select the Fund. If you have selected a Default Fund when creating the selected Category, then it will be preselected for you. If there is no Default Fund added to the Category, then the General Fund will be preselected. In any case, you must select a Fund to allocate each Category to.
3. Add a Note if required.
4. Enter the Amount corresponding to the selected Category. You can record $0 transactions; for instance to account for gifts in kind.
5. Add more items by clicking Add Item, and repeat the steps from a. to d..
6. Validate the total amount for the overall transaction. This should be the sum of all Category amounts. You can delete items by clicking the ⊖ icon next to it.
7. Attach a file (document, image, spreadsheet, etc.) This file should be a maximum of 5MB in size. This can be, for example, a bank statement or transaction file generated from a previous accounting system. You can add a memo to the attachment.
8. Save when ready or click Save & Add New to open a new Transaction window and add another transaction.

Note that you can select one or more Categories or Funds per Transaction and each amount will be allocated accordingly, to the selected Category and Fund.

Add Transfer Transactions

Transfer transactions allow you to move money between Accounts or Funds. Here are the steps to take in order to add a Transfer Transaction:

1. Add a Transaction, as explained above, under Add Transactions.
2. For the Transaction Type, select Transfer.
3. Optionally, select a Payee.
4. Select whether you want to transfer to or from a specific account:
   • Transfer To lets you transfer money to the destination account you select below (from the current account, to which you add the Transaction).
   • Transfer From lets you transfer money from the source account you select below (to the current account, to which you add the Transaction).
5. Select the Account. This acts as a destination account if you use Transfer To; or a source account if you use Transfer From.
6. Select the Fund to allocate the transaction to.
7. Add a Note if required.
8. Enter the Amount corresponding to the selected Category.
9. Add more items by clicking Add Item, and repeat the steps from a. to d..
10. Validate the total amount for the overall transaction. This should be the sum of all Category amounts. You can delete items by clicking the ⊖ icon next to it.
11. Attach a file (document, image, spreadsheet, etc.) This file should be a maximum of 5MB in size. This can be, for example, a bank statement or transaction file generated from a previous accounting system. You can add a memo to the attachment.
12. Save when ready or click Save & Add New to open a new Transaction window and add another transaction.

Work with Your Account Transactions List

Each of your Accounts displays its associated list of Transactions, whether imported or added manually. The list allows you to see all transactions, but also to filter them by type (income or expense), by Fund, Category, Date Range, or Payee. In addition, you can see the reconciliation status for all your transactions - either Reconciled or Unreconciled. 

You can navigate larger lists using the pagination at the bottom.

The total amount of all listed transactions is displayed at the top, next to the Account Name.

Edit Transactions

You can edit transactions using the corresponding Edit option. All fields can be edited, with one exception: For Transfer transactions, it is no longer possible to update the Transaction Type. Reconciled transactions cannot be edited unless you undo the reconciliation. 
 

Copy Transactions

By copying a transaction, you create a new entry with the same details of the original transaction you’re copying. You might use this for recurring charges, transactions with the same legal entity, etc. You can edit the transaction as usual and make changes to it. 

Delete Transactions

You can delete any transaction. Please keep in mind that this cannot be reversed. You must confirm your choice before completing the deletion. Reconciled transactions cannot be deleted unless you undo the reconciliation.  You can delete any transaction. Please keep in mind that this cannot be reversed. You must confirm your choice before completing the deletion. Reconciled transactions cannot be deleted unless you undo the reconciliation. If you select transactions using the checkboxes next to them, you can delete multiple transactions in one go. 

If you select transactions using the checkboxes next to them, you can delete multiple transactions in one go. 

Add Or Remove Transaction List Columns

The Transactions List provides a series of columns that display information for you to see at-a-glance. You can add or remove most of these columns, using the Columns button at the top right of the list, as follows: 

• Date: Shows the transaction date. It displays by default and cannot be added/removed.
• Payee: Shows the payee with whom the transaction is taking place. It displays by default and can be added/removed.
• Category: Shows the category within which the transaction belongs. It displays by default and can be added/removed.
• Fund: Shows the Fund within which the transaction belongs. It displays by default and can be added/removed.
• Check Number: Displays the check number associated with a transaction, if any.
• Amount: Shows the transaction amount. It displays by default and cannot be added/removed.
• Balance: Displays the account balance after the transaction has taken place. It displays by default, but you can remove it.
• Memo: Shows the transaction memo, if added. It does not display by default, but you can add or remove it anytime.
• Notes: Shows any notes added to the transaction. It does not display by default, but you can add or remove it anytime.

Work With Transactions Across Accounts

Under the Transaction section of your Accounting module, you can find a full list of transactions across all of your accounts. This list lets you View, Edit, or Delete Transactions, to adjust the columns in the list the same way as above, and to run advanced searches.

The Advanced Search area lets you set detailed filters for your transactions such as dates, funds, categories, accounts, and more. You can save your searches and use them later. Just click on Save Search and give it a name. Once saved, your search will be available to choose under the Use Saved Filter option within the Advanced Search area.

The Export option at the top allows you to generate a standard or detailed export of your transactions list. The standard option will export a list of main transaction records and amounts. The detailed option will also export transaction subitems (e.g. amounts per category or fund), along with their corresponding amounts. 

Export Transactions and Transaction Files

The Export option allows you to generate a standard or detailed export of your transactions list, as well as an export for transaction attachments, as follows: 

• Export will generate an Excel file containing Date,Account, Payee, Address, Category, Fund, Debit, Credit, Memo, Notes, and Check Number.
• Detailed Export generates an Excel file that lists each transaction line item on its own row. The export includes: Transaction ID, Date, Account, Payee, Category, Fund, Debit, Credit, Memo, Note, and Check Number.
• Export Files generates a .zip archive containing transaction attachment files. 

The export runs in accordance with your filtered list of transactions. 

Transaction Exports are available under the following sections:

• Accounting > Accounts, within the Account Transactions List. This exports transactions that belong to the selected account.
  
   
• Accounting > Transactions, where you can export transactions across accounts.