Electronic reimbursements

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russellhltn
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Re: Electronic reimbursements

#51

Post by russellhltn »

davesudweeks wrote:The biggest problem I have with going digital on the front end and then printing a paper check is it adds workload
Exactly. Your're likely to find that it's more work to scan all the paperwork then it is to process it as paper.
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Arkansas
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Re: Electronic reimbursements

#52

Post by Arkansas »

Using for the first time today and so far so good. The member requesting the reimbursement must log on to their LDS.org account, go to donations and then select settings (the three horizontal bars near the top left of the screen). Scroll down (if on a cell phone) until they see a section called 'Expense Reimbursement Account'. Select the only option which is 'Add Reimbursement Account'. They then will agree to allow funds transfers to the account they have on file for pay tithing. If they do not have a bank account already on file they will need to add one. Once they save the option to allow funds transfers it becomes available when processing their reimbursement.

A couple of things to note that I did not see in the initial letter.
1. The option to do a reimbursement using EFT is available both through LCR (online) and MLS but the member's checking account number initially only showed up in MLS. This could just be because I need to do a send and receive changes to be able to process through MLS.
2. Uploading receipts is optional. Which is a good thing as many of our members would struggle with how to get them to me electronically. If the paper version is selected, two authorized members have to be present and verify the paper receipts by signing with their LDS account name and password.
chriswoodut
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Location: Utah

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#53

Post by chriswoodut »

Today after doing 2 ACH reimbursements with paper receipts and then 2 other ACH reimbursements as scanned receipts, I think we're going to scan all docs and push everything through the scanned receipts process as much as possible. This allows us to not be tied to the PC in the clerk's office. Approvals can happen no matter where people are and no two people have to be in the same place at the same time (for the most part).

Microsoft Office Lens app scanned/pictured/imaged well. I just took the image with my phone and then "shared" it via gmail app but never actually sent the email. This creates a draft with only attachments that is automatically synchronized to gmail on the web. Then on my laptop where I'm logged in to gmail in a browser, I can go to my drafts folder and grab the attachments and upload them into LCR.

With these changes, I'm not sure what to do with the papers afterwards. In the past it was all put in an envelope for that batch of reimbursements so we had it for an audit. There is no longer the idea of a "batch". There's just individual digitized reimbursements. Our previous method of putting them all in the same envelope that were processed on the same day no longer makes sense (because they may not be processed on the same day once it's gone through all the approvals). Also, there isn't any paperwork needing signatures or initials anymore afterwards (yeah!).

Does anyone know at what point the ACH is released? Does it wait for the bishop's final approval or does it go when the two reviews have been completed?
drepouille
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Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#54

Post by drepouille »

I had an old Canon LiDE 200 scanner that I was going to donate to Goodwill. I brought it into the clerk's office last week, and just used the default Windows Fax & Scan app. The question remains as to whether we need to use a reimbursement request form to satisfy the auditors.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
andy.reese
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Re: Electronic reimbursements

#55

Post by andy.reese »

chriswoodut wrote:This is 75% of what I would love to see. Thank you! However, I would love to see a workflow where the payee submits the request electronically with a digitized version of the receipts (like via LDS tools app using the phone camera). Then it would go to a clerk for review then the bishop and then payment. However, I'm doing a happy dance about the ACH. I'll take what I can get and figure out a way to digitize the receipts. Our clerks office only has a b&w lazer printer with no scanner so Office Lens sounds like a useful tool if I can transfer from my phone to the PC in an easy way.
Ah! I had assumed that our auxillary leaders could already do this. No wonder they were having so much trouble. It makes too much sense for them to fill out their own online expense form and attach their own digital reciepts. I will have to let them know this is not available yet.
eblood66
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Location: Cumming, GA, USA

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#56

Post by eblood66 »

chriswoodut wrote:Does anyone know at what point the ACH is released? Does it wait for the bishop's final approval or does it go when the two reviews have been completed?
It starts the process as soon as the documentation has been review and approved by the 2nd reviewer. But it still takes a few days before the ACH completes.
jdlessley
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Re: Electronic reimbursements

#57

Post by jdlessley »

Arkansas wrote: The option to do a reimbursement using EFT is available both through LCR (online) and MLS but the member's checking account number initially only showed up in MLS. This could just be because I need to do a send and receive changes to be able to process through MLS.
I think Arkansas meant to type LCR when he wrote "the member's checking account number initially only showed up in MLS."

The notice stated "This notice is to inform you that the Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) application now has the option to reimburse a member with an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Checks may also be used if preferred." The notice didn't say that EFT expense reimbursements are available when processed through MLS. As I expected after receiving the 15 March notice I have found that EFT reimbursements are not possible through MLS. Reimbursements by EFT are only available through LCR.
JD Lessley
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scgallafent
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Re: Electronic reimbursements

#58

Post by scgallafent »

chriswoodut wrote:This is 75% of what I would love to see. Thank you! However, I would love to see a workflow where the payee submits the request electronically with a digitized version of the receipts (like via LDS tools app using the phone camera). Then it would go to a clerk for review then the bishop and then payment. However, I'm doing a happy dance about the ACH. I'll take what I can get and figure out a way to digitize the receipts. Our clerks office only has a b&w lazer printer with no scanner so Office Lens sounds like a useful tool if I can transfer from my phone to the PC in an easy way.
We have been using a workflow like that for several months. The payee creates an electronic request (an email message) and attaches a digitized version of the receipts (using the phone's camera). That electronic request gets submitted to the auxiliary president (by sending the email). The auxiliary president reviews it and approves it (by forwarding the email to the finance clerk with any additional information needed). The finance clerk reviews it and then creates an expense record in LCR Finance to initiate the disbursement, attaching the digitized receipts from the original request.

Pro tip: Download the images from the email message using the browser and don't view them. Once the expense record is created, drag the downloaded images from the download history and drop them in the receipt area. That will attach the receipt to the expense record. Once you have attached all receipts and completed the expense record, clear the list of downloaded files and move to the next expense. This works in both Chrome and Firefox.
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chriswoodut
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Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#59

Post by chriswoodut »

scgallafent wrote:
chriswoodut wrote:This is 75% of what I would love to see. Thank you! However, I would love to see a workflow where the payee submits the request electronically with a digitized version of the receipts (like via LDS tools app using the phone camera). Then it would go to a clerk for review then the bishop and then payment. However, I'm doing a happy dance about the ACH. I'll take what I can get and figure out a way to digitize the receipts. Our clerks office only has a b&w lazer printer with no scanner so Office Lens sounds like a useful tool if I can transfer from my phone to the PC in an easy way.
We have been using a workflow like that for several months. The payee creates an electronic request (an email message) and attaches a digitized version of the receipts (using the phone's camera). That electronic request gets submitted to the auxiliary president (by sending the email). The auxiliary president reviews it and approves it (by forwarding the email to the finance clerk with any additional information needed). The finance clerk reviews it and then creates an expense record in LCR Finance to initiate the disbursement, attaching the digitized receipts from the original request.
I'm contemplating do this as well. However, there's no form to indicate to the person requesting the reimbursement that there are a couple bits of info I do need.

I want to get away from our paper reimbursement request form but I see it does clarify a couple things:
1. Which budget category they think this should come out of (sometimes I override)
2. How much they think should be reimbursed. This is helpful if their receipt included items purchased for personal use and ward use. (sometimes we tweak it)
3. A description of the expense
4. We also have the organization head sign it before it comes to a clerk

How often to you get requests that are missing info and you have to go back for clarification?
chriswoodut
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Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#60

Post by chriswoodut »

jdlessley wrote:
Arkansas wrote: The option to do a reimbursement using EFT is available both through LCR (online) and MLS but the member's checking account number initially only showed up in MLS. This could just be because I need to do a send and receive changes to be able to process through MLS.
I think Arkansas meant to type LCR when he wrote "the member's checking account number initially only showed up in MLS."

The notice stated "This notice is to inform you that the Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) application now has the option to reimburse a member with an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Checks may also be used if preferred." The notice didn't say that EFT expense reimbursements are available when processed through MLS. As I expected after receiving the 15 March notice I have found that EFT reimbursements are not possible through MLS. Reimbursements by EFT are only available through LCR.
I'm pretty sure the other day I saw the EFT info pop up on MLS when entering an expense in MLS (I was messing around). I can't double check that without being at the clerk pc but I'm pretty sure I saw it. I'm 70% sure..... maybe 65%. :)
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