Account numbers and prefixes
The account number a member types on a paybill decides where the money goes. Most are the church's own collection accounts; a few prefixes have a fixed meaning across every MyChurch church.
Collection account numbers
Each collection account has an account number chosen by the church: TITHE, OFFERING, BUILDING, MISSIONS. MyChurch compares what the member typed with these numbers without regard to case, within the paybill the money was paid to: tithe, Tithe and TITHE all credit the Tithe account. Two churches can use the same account numbers on their own paybills.
A collection account always wins over a prefix: if a church creates an account numbered EV-1, payments to EV-1 credit that account. Avoid this; keep the prefixes below free.
Reserved prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR- | Fundraiser | FR-10452 | The fundraiser's number, shown in the portal and on its poster. Credits the fundraiser and the giver's fundraiser pledge. |
| OP- | Other person payment | OP-482913 | Generated when a member pays on behalf of someone else in the app. Credits the person it was meant for. |
| MP- | Multiple accounts | MP-771204 | Generated when a member splits one payment across several accounts in the app or on USSD. Each part is credited to its account. |
| CLS- | Class fee | CLS-20431 | The class's number. Pays the member's class fee. |
| CAR- | Parking | CAR-KDA123A | CAR- followed by the number plate. Settles that car's parking. |
| EV- | Event fee | EV-55210 | The event's number. Pays the member's attendance fee; part payments are held until the fee is covered. |
| EVS- | Event support | EVS-55210 | The event's support number. A contribution towards the event rather than a fee. |
| MERCH- | Merchandise order | MERCH-90317 | The order number issued when a member orders merchandise. Settles the order. |
| CH- | Church subscription | CH-10234 | Paid to the MyChurch subscription paybill 4010963, not to a church paybill. Extends the church's MyChurch subscription. |
| QR- | Survey QR payment | QR-… | Paid to the MyChurch subscription paybill from a survey QR code; passed on to the survey service. |
These prefixes are printed on posters, receipts and payment instructions across many churches. They never change meaning.
When nothing matches
A verified payment whose account number matches neither a collection account nor a prefix (a typo, or an account that was deleted) is not lost. It appears in the church's Incoming payments list in the portal with the phone number and the text typed, and a treasurer assigns it to the right account.
Tills
Buy Goods tills carry no account number. When a member pays a till through a payment prompt from the app or USSD, MyChurch remembers which account the prompt was for and matches the payment by phone and amount within the hour. A till payment made from the M-Pesa menu with no prompt goes to Incoming payments.
Special paybill rules