In Africa as in small churches, much of the income arrives as cash. The counting sheet applies the four-eyes principle: two people count the cash independently, the discrepancy is tracked, and nothing enters the books until the amount is validated.
Note: Sanctumel only records the movement. The money stays physical until it is deposited in the church's account - no custody of funds.
Create a sheet
- Open Finance → Cash counting.
- Click New sheet (date + label, e.g. "Sunday service collection").
The two counts
Two counters independently enter their total, each in their own field. They must be two different people: if the same name is entered in both fields, the count is rejected. A double count where one person supplies both figures is not a control, it is a formality.
- Counter 1 enters their name and the amount counted.
- Counter 2 does the same, without being shown the other's figure.
As soon as both have counted, the cash discrepancy appears:
- Match (green) if both totals agree;
- Discrepancy: X (red) otherwise.
Tip: a discrepancy is not necessarily a counting error - it is a signal. Recount together before validating.
The two counting QR codes
This is where four-eyes control becomes real. As long as both amounts are entered on the same screen, held by the same person, nothing stops anyone from looking at the first figure before typing the second - and a count that knows it is watched is no longer an independent count.
On a pending sheet, click Show the counting QR codes. Two QR codes appear, one per counter, each carrying your church's logo.
- Put the screen on the counting table.
- Each counter scans their own with their own phone.
- They enter their name, their amount, and the note breakdown if they wish.
Two devices, two people, two separate timestamps.
Important: the counter's page never shows the other's amount. It gives their name - so nobody thinks they are taking over their slot - but not their figure. Showing it would turn the second count into a copy, and double counting into a formality.
No account is needed: counters are volunteers, and asking them to create one for ten minutes of counting would guarantee the control is never done. An internal control only holds if it is easier to respect than to bypass.
Each QR dies on use. As soon as a counter sends their amount, their QR disappears and leaves a "Count received": you see at a glance who is left. Both also expire after twelve hours - a collection QR photographed on Sunday must not still work on Thursday.
Tip: you can still enter both amounts by hand from the screen, for instance if a counter has no phone. The QR replaces nothing; it simply makes the control verifiable.
Who does what
Separation of duties is the whole point of the sheet: whoever counts is not whoever settles the amount.
| Action | Who can do it |
|---|---|
| Create a sheet, enter a count | Anyone allowed to record in finance (deacon, treasurer, pastor, administrator) |
| Validate (create the entry) | Only those allowed to validate in finance (treasurer, pastor, administrator) |
| Cancel a sheet, record the deposit | Only those allowed to edit in finance |
| View | Anyone with access to finance |
Note: a deacon therefore keeps counting the collection as before. What he can no longer do is settle the amount he has just counted himself.
Validate and deposit
- Validate: freeze the final amount. This automatically creates the entry in the ledger (cash offering).
- Mark deposited: record the date and reference of the bank deposit.
The deposit lets you reconcile the physical cash with the account: you know what was counted, validated, then actually deposited.
Every step is timestamped: the time of the first count, of the second, and of the validation. That is the timeline an audit will ask for.
Important: validation is irreversible. It creates the ledger entry; once done, the sheet can no longer be cancelled and a mistake is fixed with a correcting entry, not a deletion. Check the final amount before validating.