Hi all,
We’re contemplating offering an online payment system at our Sqn. What with cheque books becoming less commonly issued and to lower the amount of cash our treasurer has to take to the bank. I wondered if anyone has implemented anything similar at their Sqn they could recommend?
Thanks
Just give your sqn banks details for BACS transfers?
We rarely use cheques now. Everything is done electronically if possible.
If only WHQ did the same… the ACO is the only thing I ever write out cheques for these days!
That’s the exact problem we’re having. We did consider BACS but in keen for an intermediary so on a parade night I can easily check who has paid without having access to the money or troubling the treasurer constantly
We have a very active treasurer so that’s not a problem, however it’s an interesting idea.
It did briefly cross my mind to get one of those card terminals you can plug into an iPad.
It could make things easier but only if you have online banking on your units account, so you can see who has paid. Otherwise you will be constantly phoning the bank to check or getting statements. We have our account with HSBC which is a two signatory account. A good idea in theory but when it comes to actually buying things is a PITA as no one uses cheques anymore.
our Sqn subs are paid in by Standing Order each month…it works well.
the charge is £8/month but this is reduced to £6/month if paying by standing order, it is a worthwhile incentive as the treasurer only needs check the statement to see who is up to date on subs.
as for other payments, yes this is typically cheques.
we use a mixed of systems depending on the event. sometimes money (cash or cheque) is collected in the organising Staff member will pay one cheque on mass, others that cash goes to the Sqn account and a “one mass” cheque is handed in.
rarely do individual cheques go up the chain unless of course only one Cadet is attending.
although a quicker payment method does require a bit more work for the CFAV to see proof of payment rather than the cold hard cash/cheque in the hand…swings and roundabouts i guess!
Why bother with an incentive? Make it the norm and offer the facility to pay by other methods if absolutely necessary. Seems to me you are doing yourself out of a load of money there.
because it works…??
99.9% of the Sqn pay it and is more a penalty for not using Standing Order than incentive to do so.
as a Sqn with £25K in the bank we’re not short on cash
[quote=“steve679” post=21960]our Sqn subs are paid in by Standing Order each month…it works well.
the charge is £8/month but this is reduced to £6/month if paying by standing order, it is a worthwhile incentive as the treasurer only needs check the statement to see who is up to date on subs.
as for other payments, yes this is typically cheques.
we use a mixed of systems depending on the event. sometimes money (cash or cheque) is collected in the organising Staff member will pay one cheque on mass, others that cash goes to the Sqn account and a “one mass” cheque is handed in.
rarely do individual cheques go up the chain unless of course only one Cadet is attending.
although a quicker payment method does require a bit more work for the CFAV to see proof of payment rather than the cold hard cash/cheque in the hand…swings and roundabouts i guess![/quote]
Seems very cheap! Just my thoughts. Surely almost £4 of that goes off to region?
We charge £8pm, or a discount if they pay 1/2 yearly or yearly. Standing orders are the preferred option but we will take other methods if for example a parent doesn’t have an account which can have a standing order.
It still causes us trouble but no where near as much as before with the old cash system.
Now as BF says, why can’t we move to a modern form of banking with online payments. The only problems I can see arising are where we bulk send in cheques and consent forms for bidding for places (like for a camp), and those that don’t get places get the cheques and forms returned. More difficult to do that with online banking (but not insurmountable).
You haven’t got someone who works for one the utility firms on your CWC have you? Because this is the same crap system they use so they can lay people off. So what’s your sqn’s excuse?
As for paying for things, whatever suits the parents as far as we’re concerned. The only thing we push is STO for subs, but it’s not compulsory. But if they want to pay for things by transfer, cash or cheque, that’s for them to decide not us. What I do know from my treasurer role with a couple of groups is give people a reference so you can track transfers and know who they’re from and what they’re for. We give parents a reference for subs.
[quote=“Leeroy” post=21963]
Seems very cheap! Just my thoughts. Surely almost £4 of that goes off to region?[/quote]
is it?? i dont know what the going rate is…as i say as a Squadron we’re not short on cash to need subs to subsidise our funding
its all above my pay grade guv’nor!!
You haven’t got someone who works for one the utility firms on your CWC have you? Because this is the same crap system they use so they can lay people off. So what’s your sqn’s excuse?[/quote]
A banker for international banking firm
an Ex-Group Captain
A RAF Reservist (parent)
and about half a dozen parents from what i understand
i’m not sure how offering a “discount” by electronic payment leads to laying people off…or why the Sqn needs and excuse for making everyone’s life a little simpler…
You haven’t got someone who works for one the utility firms on your CWC have you? Because this is the same crap system they use so they can lay people off. So what’s your sqn’s excuse?[/quote]
A banker for international banking firm
an Ex-Group Captain
A RAF Reservist (parent)
and about half a dozen parents from what i understand
i’m not sure how offering a “discount” by electronic payment leads to laying people off…or why the Sqn needs and excuse for making everyone’s life a little simpler…[/quote]
Penalising people who might not choose to play along is wrong on about as many levels as you care to take it. I couldn’t subscribe to a system at the squadron where not paying by STO meant paying more. It might not be much but it’s the principle. Just because it’s more convenient / preferred method doesn’t mean you have differentiated payments, something I think the utility firms should be reminded of and enacted in law. The group I’m currently a treasurer for don’t get a discount because we pay things by transfer and nor should we.
As for having £25K in the bank, my understanding is the new CWC rules will mean someone having a close look at sqns holding amounts greater than annual turn over, unless there is a specific reason. The rationale is we should be spending the money to the benefice of the cadets and not just saving it for a rainy day.
The ACO is not a utility company = commercial gain & business incentives to use discounts for “dual fuel,” direct debit, etc.
However, collecting in cash subs + writing out receipts = valuable admin time (normally the Adjt). I don’t have any great issue with an incentive to use electronic payment (such as standing order), by specifying a slightly “discounted” price. Checking an on-line bank account for multiple payments is quicker than the cash option - & having to chase up parents for missing subs.
In this day & age, we should be encouraging e-everything! 
[size=2][Wouldn’t it be nice for all the “normal use” sqn + parent proformae could be on one central e-portal, so that they were always in date, easy to locate & no need for multiple downloads at sqn level…][/size]
Slightly off topic, but related.
I noticed recently that cadet records on SMS have a subs tab.
Does anyone use this to record subs payments?
Can the treasure access it to record payments or is it just the uniform staff(that have the right SMS permissions)?
It’s always been there except last couple of months. At the moment only Sqn staff.
It was a unit subs section a while ago but hasn’t been available for some time. This may be the alternative to be able to annotate you wish that they have paid?
[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=21972]
As for having £25K in the bank, my understanding is the new CWC rules will mean someone having a close look at sqns holding amounts greater than annual turn over, unless there is a specific reason. The rationale is we should be spending the money to the benefice of the cadets and not just saving it for a rainy day.[/quote]
I couldnt agree more but will people listen?
i’m told our Chairman wants to start a fund raising campaign to replace our existing minibus…which is fine.
what frustrates me is o the £25k £10k is “setaside” as a “minibus” fund…should anything happen we have the funds to get back on the road…so why they consider a fund raising campaign?