Record a payment by transfer

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Preview: Record a payment by transfer

Bank transfers often represent the most significant donations of an organization: they don't bear bank fees and allow the donor to pay very large sums in a single transaction. This page explains manual entry, donor identification, and complementarity with automatic bank reconciliation.

Two recording paths

Path	When to use	Advantage
Manual entry	You see the transfer immediately on your banking app	Tax receipt sent without waiting for the end of the month
Reconciliation	You periodically import your statements (CSV, OFX)	No double entry, everything is centralized

Many organizations use both: manual entry of large identified transfers, reconciliation for the rest.

Manual entry procedure

1. 1

   Check the credit on your bank account

   Bank application → pending operations or validated operations. Note the amount, date and complete label.

2. 2

   Identify the donor via the label

   The label usually contains the name of the issuer ("VIR SEPA FROM DAVID COHEN") and sometimes a reference ("REF DONATION CAMPAIGN 2026").

3. 3

   Open the Add a payment form

   Payments list → Add a payment button. Admin route /app/paiements/list.

4. 4

   Choose Method = Transfer

   The form displays the fields specific to the transfer.

5. 5

   Select the contact

   Type the name identified in the label. Create a contact if the person doesn't exist.

6. 6

   Enter the amount and reason

   Choose the type (campaign, donation pledge, fund, main cash register, booklet) and the linked entity.

7. 7

   Fill in the transfer reference

   Reference field in the Transfer details block. Copy the exact label to facilitate the audit.

8. 8

   Indicate the issuing bank (optional)

   If the label mentions it, or if you recognize the donor's IBAN.

9. 9

   Check Issue a tax receipt if applicable

   The receipt is sent by email to the donor.

10. 10

    Save

    Validated status, Manual source.

Identify the donor via the label

Transfer labels always contain the identity of the issuer, but in various forms:

Label format	Donor to record
VIR SEPA FROM DAVID COHEN — DON CAMPAIGN	David Cohen
TRANSFER FROM MR LEVY YOSSEF	Yossi Lévy
VIR EUR SARAH BENHAMOU PLEDGE	Sarah Benhamou
VIR FROM SCI IMMOBILIERE DU CHENE	Check the company (accounting association + Company ID)

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Free reference on donor side

During your campaigns, communicate to your donors a standardized transfer reference ("CAMP2026 — YourName"). The label will be much more readable, and identification almost automatic.

Coordination with bank reconciliation

If your organization uses the Bank reconciliation module:

Case	Unisoft behavior
Manual entry before statement import	When importing, Unisoft proposes to reconcile the bank line with the existing payment
Manual entry after import	The admin has already created the payment via the reconciliation suggestion
No manual entry	The import proposes to create a payment from the bank line

In all cases, you should never have two payments for a single transfer. The reconciliation module detects matches by amount + date + label.

Special cases

Anonymous or unidentified transfer

If the label is incomprehensible ("VIR SEPA RECEIVED" without name):

1. 1

   Enter with a generic contact

   Create or use a contact "Anonymous donor" so as not to lose the credit in Unisoft.

2. 2

   Document in comment

   Note the exact date, amount, issuing IBAN if visible, and any useful clue.

3. 3

   Investigate

   Compare with open pledges of the moment, look at registrants of recent campaigns.

4. 4

   Update if identified

   Once the donor is found, edit the payment to change the linked contact.

Transfer received multiple times by the same donor

This is the classic profile of a regular non-subscribed donor. Each transfer is an independent payment, to be entered separately. For easier tracking, encourage them to switch to automated SEPA direct debit (module Recurring payments).

Permanent transfer from the donor

If the donor has set up a permanent transfer from their bank (1st of the month for 12 months), each due date is an independent transfer. Think to propose a SEPA direct debit to automate on your side as well.

Transfer received in a foreign currency

If the transfer arrives in USD, ILS, GBP or other, enter it in the corresponding currency (currency field of the form). The attached accounting association manages its own balance in that currency. See Managing multi-currency payments.

Transfer from a company

If the donor is a company (SCI, SARL, corporate patronage), switch billing to Professional and fill in the company name + Company ID. See Payment on behalf of a company.

Bank fees

Transfers have no Unisoft fees. You therefore don't have a gross / fees / net breakdown: Gross = Net.

Warning: your bank may charge reception fees on international transfers (outside SEPA). These fees are directly charged by the bank and do not appear in Unisoft.

Operational best practices

Practice	Benefit
Enter on the day of bank reception	Tax receipt sent without delay
Always paste the bank label as reference	Total auditability
Communicate a reference format to donors	Facilitated automatic identification
Import a monthly statement for cross-check	Guarantees not to miss anything
Encourage switch to direct debit	Lightens manual entry over time

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Reasonable entry delay

To avoid accumulating delays, set yourself a maximum delay (for example 48 hours) between bank reception and entry. Beyond that, label identification becomes more laborious and donors become impatient for the tax receipt.

Go further

• Payment by check
• Payment in cash
• Understanding sources
• Edit a payment — if you need to correct after the fact
• Bank reconciliation