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To: Pastors, principals and business managers
From: Brad Wilson, Chief Financial Officer, Office of Finance
The world has been moving (or has moved) to electronic payments over checks. Most of us use some type of bill pay services with our personal checking accounts. We have been reluctant to authorize our parishes and schools to move to electronic payments due to internal control concerns. The pandemic pushed us to look again at the services which are available, and I am happy to report that we have found a solution which allows for us to operate in a controlled fashion while making electronic payments via Bill.com.
Parishes and schools may continue to print, sign and mail checks, but we believe the efficiencies of the new processes in Bill.com will make the local decision to implement electronic payments easy.
The Chancery is making the change now. Starting with the invoices generated by the Chancery in July, each parish and school will receive its archdiocesan invoices electronically via the service of Bill.com. Each parish and school will pay these archdiocesan invoices electronically via Bill.com. This basic service is free to the parishes and schools.
As you interact with Bill.com, we are hopeful you will see how the system can be used for all of your payments. This next level of service has costs per location, per user and per transaction. For the next two fiscal years, the Chancery will reimburse each parish and school for its per location costs and for two users. Each location will pay its per transaction cost – electronic payments are $0.49 (less than the cost of a stamp) and $1.69 per check if necessary.
Shared Accounting Services is working with its 40 locations on their Bill.com set up. The Finance Office will work with the other parishes and schools on this endeavor over the next few months. I am excited that we can safely enter the 21st century.