Online Payments & Accountancy Tools

Streamline Payments: Go Cashless with OSM

Collecting payments from parents is a common and time-consuming task for leaders.
To simplify this process, improve transparency, and save valuable volunteer time, Portsmouth Scouts requires all Groups to transition to a cashless payment system.
While Groups can choose their preferred cashless solution, we strongly recommend OSM (Online Scout Manager). OSM's integrated features offer significant benefits for managing payments, making it the most efficient option for our volunteers.

Online Payments

OSM notes that the Online Payments function is a quick, easy and secure way to collect payments from parents. The system will automatically remind those that don't pay. Experience from users in Portsmouth shows a significant increase in the timeliness and collection of due payments - in almost all cases without any Leader intervention.

The following highlights are given by OSM for Online Payments:

Collect payments via direct debit or credit/debit card.
Parents always kept informed
Integrates with the Gift Aid system
System can also track cheques/cash
Integrates with Parent Portal events

Accountancy Tools

OSM says that the Accountancy Tools provide cashbook accounting with artificial intelligence to streamline your treasurer's job. A relatively new feature, Accountancy Tools is proving valuable for several Groups in Portsmouth.

The following highlights are given by OSM for Accountancy Tools:

Cashbook accounting
Automatically generated annual report
Upload receipts for easy audits
Integrated with GoCardless for easy reconciliation of payouts
Increases transparency across the group

A simplified visualisation of how groups can use Online Payment and Accountancy Tools to integrate and dramatically simplify collection of monies from parents.

Membership Subscriptions
(Subs)

Simplify Subs Collection with OSM's Online Payments

Collecting weekly subs in cash is a common challenge for all Groups. It's time-consuming, error-prone, leads to missed payments, and complicates Gift Aid claims.

OSM's online payments eliminate these issues. By connecting to GoCardless, you can:

Automate Subs Collection: Create a "Membership Subscription Schedule" to automatically collect payments and track Gift Aid.
Stabilise Income: Predict and ensure consistent subs payments.
Save Volunteer Time: Eliminate cash handling and manual tracking.

Flexible Payment Options:

Your Group Executive can choose the payment frequency: weekly, monthly, quarterly, termly, semi-annually, or annually.
You can decide whether to include transaction charges in the subs amount.
Recommendation: We strongly recommend absorbing transaction charges to maximize volunteer time savings, increase collection rates, and simplify Gift Aid processing.

OSM's online payments streamline subs collection, saving your Group time and money.

Payments for events
(ie Camps, expeditions, outings)

Reclaim Volunteer Time: OSM Event Payments

Ditch the hassle of cash payments for events. OSM's Online Payments automate the entire process. Once GoCardless is set up, leaders can easily create payment requests linked to events. OSM handles reminders and tracking, freeing up volunteers from time-consuming tasks.

Regarding Transaction Fees: The Group Executive will decide whether to include transaction fees in event pricing.

Case study

One Portsmouth Group shared their experience deploying OSM/GoCardless for Subs.

BEFORE: £3 subs collected in cash every week. Payments manually tracked in a ledger by a Leader and reconciled at the end of the evening. Some parents preferred to pay by cheque. Cheques could be for almost any amount - depending on when in the term the cheque was presented, how many meetings had been paid in cash, the number of outstanding weeks etc etc. Missed payments were due at the next meeting - often accumulating week to week. Members who left mid-term without notice stopped paying their subs often some weeks in advance of stopping, potentially leaving the Group out of pocket.

LAUNCH: Parents were given half a term's notice of the move to a cashless model. In the final weeks of term parents were invited (via OSM) to register with GoCardless. Parents found this a simple and easy process, with no issues being raised to Leaders.

EXPERIENCE: The Group found the set-up quick and easy. Parents had no problems understanding or registering for GoCardless. They had 100% subs payment within 4 weeks of the start of term. With no cash handling, meeting arrival sped up and massively simplified. Subs are automatically paid-out by GoCardless into the Group bank account - there is no cash handling or banking required. The Group chose to roll out one Section at a time. The cashless system proved so popular that parents in other sections actively asked to use it immediately. As a result, the Group deployed online payments to all sections at the half-term.

PREPARATION: A Leader completed the Section registration to GoCardless, following the instructions given in OSM. A leader created a new schedule called 'Membership Subscription'. They chose: Require all Payments = ON; 'Pay Now' Buttons = 'Allowed at all times'; Eligible for Gift Aid = ON. Each Section needs to complete registration and set-up.

A Leader created Payments for the year ahead. This Group spreads the cost of membership equally across the (academic) year, requesting payment by the 2nd week of each term. The Group requests £36 per term per young person per section.

AFTER: OSM automatically notifies parents of the due subscription in advance. Parents have the option to 'Pay Now' or create a Payment Subscription that automatically takes the payment when required. At all times parents have control and can cancel payments at any time.

Page updated

Report abuse