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Set up expense reimbursements for your church

Expense reimbursements let a member submit a receipt and get paid back for something they bought for the church. Churchday keeps the paperwork organized, but it does not move any money. You still pay people the way you already do, whether that is Venmo, Zelle, a check, or cash.

Before you begin

  • You need the Manage expense settings permission (admin-only). If you can open Expenses but do not see the settings gear, ask an admin for access.
  • Decide which payment methods your church actually uses to pay people back, so you can offer only those.

Step-by-step

  1. Open Expenses. In the left sidebar, click Expenses (the receipt icon). This opens your expense queue.
  2. Open the settings. Click the gear icon in the top corner of the queue to reach the Expense settings page. The subtitle reminds you of the model: members submit a receipt, and you review and pay them manually.
  3. Choose the payment methods you offer. In the Payment methods you offer section, check the ones your church uses: Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Check, Cash, or Other. Members pick one when they submit and fill in their handle, like their Venmo username. New churches start with Venmo and Zelle checked. Keep at least one checked. If you try to uncheck the last one, Churchday keeps it on.
  4. Set a submission limit (optional). In the Submission limit section, type the most a single expense can be, in dollars. Leave it blank for no limit. The highest cap you can set is $100,000.
  5. Add your church's policy (optional). In the Your church's policy box, type the rules you want members to follow, up to 4,000 characters. This text appears right on the member's submission form. Many churches note something like requiring a receipt over $25 and submitting within 60 days.
  6. Decide on AI receipt reading. In the AI receipt reading section, use the switch to choose how members enter their details:
    • On ("Auto-fill from receipt"): when a member uploads a receipt, Churchday reads it and fills in the amount, date, merchant, a suggested category, and a short purpose. The member can edit anything before submitting.
    • Off ("Manual entry only"): the member types every field themselves.
  7. Save your changes. Click Save changes at the bottom. You'll see a "Settings saved" confirmation.

Good to know

  • Churchday never touches money. It records the request, the receipt, and who you paid, but the actual payment happens in your own Venmo, Zelle, or bank. You mark each one paid after you send it.
  • The submission limit is a soft guardrail. It stops members from submitting an amount larger than your cap. Leaving it blank is fine if you'd rather review large amounts case by case.
  • Your policy text sets expectations early. Because it shows on the submission form, a clear note about receipts and deadlines saves you back-and-forth later.
  • AI receipt reading is a convenience, not the final word. Members always see and can correct what it fills in, so a blurry receipt won't lock in a wrong amount.

What's next?

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