Finance and PayPal

Finance keeps track of what families owe the pack, what they've paid, and the money the pack takes in and spends. This guide is for leaders whose role includes Manage finances, such as a treasurer. Finance appears only if your pack uses it.

To open it, choose Manage Pack at the top of the portal, then Finance. The top of the page shows four totals: Outstanding (what families still owe), Cash in, Cash out, and Net cash.

Set up the fee schedule

Every charge starts from a fee, such as annual dues or a campout fee. Set these up first.

1. On the Finance page, select More, then Fee schedule.
2. Select Add fee.
3. Enter a Title and choose whether it Applies to a Family or a Scout.
4. Choose an Amount setting:
   • Same amount each time always charges the amount you enter.
   • Suggested amount fills in an amount you can change when you add the charge.
   • Enter amount when added leaves the amount blank until you add the charge.
5. Optionally add a Deadline (shown once in upcoming deadlines for this fee) and Details.
6. Select Save fee.

To change a fee later, select Edit next to it.

Add a charge

1. On the Finance page, select Add a charge.
2. Choose a Fee.
3. Search for the family or Scout it's for and choose their name.
4. If the fee doesn't have a fixed amount, enter the Amount.
5. Select Add charge.

The charge appears on the Charges page and on the family's statement. You can also add a charge from a family's record under Families. There you can set a Due date for it too.

See every charge

The Charges panel on the Finance page sums up what families still owe:

• Open charges: how many charges still have money due, and the total.
• Past due: charges whose due date has passed with money still due.
• Families owing: how many families have at least one charge still due.
• Upcoming due dates: the next charges due, with how many have been paid, such as "3 of 8 paid".

Select View all charges to open the Charges page, which lists every charge with its amount, what's been paid, and what's still due.

• Search charges finds a family, a Scout, or a charge by name.
• Status shows charges that are Still due (the default), Unpaid, Partly paid, Past due, Paid, or Voided, or All charges.
• Fee shows the charges for one fee from the fee schedule, so you can see who has and hasn't paid it.

Selecting an upcoming due date shows only the charges that were added together for it. Select Show all charges to go back to the full list.

Record a payment

When a family pays by cash, check, or another way outside ScoutKeep:

1. On the Charges page, find the charge and select More, then Record payment.
2. Check the Payment amount. It starts at the full amount due. Lower it for a partial payment.
3. Select the button that reads Record followed by the amount, such as Record $20.00.

ScoutKeep records exactly the amount on the button. The payment can't be more than the amount still due, because ScoutKeep doesn't keep extra money as a credit. If you enter more than is owed, an amount of $0, or something that isn't a dollar amount, a message under the field explains what to fix and the button stays off until you do.

From a family's record, you can also record a payment with a Payment date and a Note, and select View history to see everything the family has paid and been refunded.

Change a charge

1. On the Charges page, find the charge and select More, then Edit charge.
2. Change the Amount or the Due date.
3. Select Save charge.

Charges added together share one due date. When a charge shares its due date, the dialog says how many charges it applies to, and changing it moves the due date for all of them.

Refund part of a charge

Sometimes a family has paid and then gets money back, like when part of a shirt order can't be filled. Lower the charge's Amount below what's been paid. The dialog shows the refund and asks for:

• Refund date: when the money went back. Leave it blank for today.
• How it was refunded: optional, such as "Check 1042" or "PayPal".

Select Save and record followed by the refund amount. ScoutKeep records the refund on the charge and adds it to the ledger as money out, so the charge ends paid in full at its new amount. Give the family the money back yourself; ScoutKeep only records it.

Void or delete a charge

• Delete charge removes a charge that has no payments, such as one added by mistake. If an event registration required it, the registration no longer has that charge. Deleting can't be undone.
• Void charge is for a charge that already has payments. It waives what's still due, and the charge and its payments stay on record. The Charges page shows how much was waived. A voided charge can't be changed again, and it counts as paid for any event registration that required it.

While a family's PayPal payment for a charge is waiting for you to confirm, the charge can't be changed, voided, or deleted. Its menu links to Review reported payments instead.

Record income or an expense

For money that isn't a family charge, such as a fundraiser deposit or a supply run:

1. Select Record income or expense.
2. Enter a Description and the amount, and choose Income or Expense as the Type.
3. Optionally attach a Receipt (a photo or PDF, up to 5 MB).
4. Select Save entry.

Use the ledger

Recent ledger entries on the Finance page shows the latest activity. Select View ledger to see every family payment, income, and expense. You can search by description, category, family, or type, and filter by Year. To add or swap a receipt on an entry, select Attach receipt or Replace.

Link charges to event registrations

Some events require registration and payment. To connect a family's existing charges to an event they registered for, select More, then Required event charges, choose the family, then pick the event. See Running events for how event registration works.

Set up PayPal

ScoutKeep can let families pay the pack's own PayPal account. The money goes straight to the pack. ScoutKeep never holds it.

1. Choose Settings in the menu, then Payment methods.
2. Under PayPal, enter your PayPal username, the name after paypal.me/.
3. Check the link shown under Families will pay at, then select Save PayPal account.

To turn PayPal off, clear the username and save.

Tip: PayPal asks each sender whether the payment is for friends and family or for goods and services, and goods-and-services payments carry a fee. Let families know which your pack prefers.

Confirm reported PayPal payments

After paying in PayPal, a family selects I've paid on their statement to tell you. When payments are waiting, the Finance page shows a notice. Select Review reported payments.

1. Check your PayPal account for each payment. Search by family, Scout, charge, or transaction ID if needed.
2. Select Confirm to record a payment, or select several and confirm them together.
3. Select Dismiss if the money never arrived.

If a charge's amount changed after the family reported it, the payment can't be confirmed. Dismiss it, or record the right amount from the Charges page instead.

Families see their side of this in Your statement and payments.