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Printing checks without approval

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:47 am
by bbjarnson
I'm a new clerk and was recently submitting an expense request to get a check printed for paying a bill for a member in need. I was able to print the check out before the Bishop even approved it. He was concerned about this being a glitch. Is this normal? He is under the impression that two approves are required before 'print check' option is even available. Otherwise, someone could just start printing checks all day long.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:15 am
by russellhltn
I don't recall that approval was required to print a check. But the printed check needs two signatures.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:37 am
by eblood66
If you upload electronic documentation for a check, then you have to have two approvals (the uploader and one other) before you can print. But if you use paper documentation then you can print without approvals but (as russelhltn said) you need two signatures and both signers should review the documentation before signing.

The bishop does not have to give his approval electronically before printing or signing but he should give it at least verbally.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:41 pm
by bbjarnson
Okay. I appreciate the info from both of you.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:58 am
by davesudweeks
eblood66 wrote:If you upload electronic documentation for a check, then you have to have two approvals (the uploader and one other) before you can print. But if you use paper documentation then you can print without approvals but (as russelhltn said) you need two signatures and both signers should review the documentation before signing.

The bishop does not have to give his approval electronically before printing or signing but he should give it at least verbally.
If I'm going to print a paper check from digital documentation, I upload the documentation from home during the week when I receive it and make the first approval (I am ward clerk). That gives the bishopric members a few days for one to digitally approve the expense (also from home). Then on Sunday, the expense is ready for the check to be printed and signed. The check must be printed from the clerk computer at the church so this way I minimize wait times.

This may not be an ideal solution for everyone, but it works well for us. Most our reimbursements are now ACH deposits which the above method supports very well (except when the 2nd approval happens, it's done - no check needed).

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 3:03 pm
by chriswoodut
If you use MLS, you can print without any second person checking it but you need 2 signatures on the check. I hear that MLS expenses will go away in October for our stake.

Using expenses feature in LCR:

If you upload the receipts into LCR, a counselor can do the second approval (remotely, whenever they get to it). Once the counselor approval is done, then you can print a check by yourself on the ward's computer and then get two people to sign it.

From what I remember, if you enter the expense into LCR without receipts, e.g. the receipts are paper (not uploaded or digitized), you AND the counselor will have to be at the ward's computer to authorize the printing of the check because the counselor needs to see the paper receipts. Then, you are both already there and can sign the check after printing. Because of this requirement to have two people there at the same time when paper receipts are involved, it is always easier, in my opinion, to scan and upload the receipts as the other respondents have indicated and do it that way.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:21 pm
by eblood66
chriswoodut wrote:From what I remember, if you enter the expense into LCR without receipts, e.g. the receipts are paper (not uploaded or digitized), you AND the counselor will have to be at the ward's computer to authorize the printing of the check because the counselor needs to see the paper receipts.
That isn't correct. If you use paper receipts you don't need a second approver in LCR. You can print the check immediately.

Of course, both signers must review the paper documentation but the two signers can sign at different times as long as both review the documentation (and the checks is kept secure).

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:35 pm
by chriswoodut
eblood66 wrote:
chriswoodut wrote:From what I remember, if you enter the expense into LCR without receipts, e.g. the receipts are paper (not uploaded or digitized), you AND the counselor will have to be at the ward's computer to authorize the printing of the check because the counselor needs to see the paper receipts.
That isn't correct. If you use paper receipts you don't need a second approver in LCR. You can print the check immediately.

Of course, both signers must review the paper documentation but the two signers can sign at different times as long as both review the documentation (and the checks is kept secure).
So, you're saying if I use paper receipts I can enter an expense into LCR and print the check without a second person signing into LCR and reviewing it? (That's not been my experience.)

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 5:40 pm
by drepouille
You can print the check immediately if you wait to upload the receipts until after you have printed the check.

Re: Printing checks without approval

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 5:43 pm
by chriswoodut
drepouille wrote:You can print the check immediately if you wait to upload the receipts until after you have printed the check.
Do you think that behavior is intentional? It seems like an oversight if you can't print the check IF you do upload the receipts.