Bank payments

Bank payments by Wikimedia Belgium are only allowed via internet banking with a Digipass. The Digipass is owned by the treasurer.

We apply the 4-eyes principle: bank payments are verified by two persons. Every year the annual accounts are reported, verified by the Accounts Committee (internal audit), and approved by the general assembly. The financial statements are published, as an aggregated status report.

To prepare the above statements, for each bank account, the transactions are downloaded as a PDF file, and an Excel file, for easy verification, and aggregation.

Payment types

Payments must correspond 1:1 to an:

• expense claim
• supplier invoice
• For some recurring payments, for e.g. a telecom subscription or insurance, direct debit is activated.
• Wikimedia Belgium does not have a debit card, nor a credit card, to avoid fraudulent transactions.

How to make a payment

This is rather simple:

1. Enter the amount
2. Enter the account name
3. Enter the account number
4. Required: save new third parties (verification, future use)
5. Enter the free or structured communication
6. Enter an optional (future) date; since 2025 instant payments are standard.

Legal and other requirements.

Ledger transaction codes:

• For every payment a proper invoice, or an expense claim is mandatory
• Every payment has a unique booking code, that is registered in the general ledger
  • Booking codes are augmented by a booking sequence number (to identify expense items, or for repeated invoices from the same supplier in the same year)
• When making a payment, make sure to register the third party bank account number
  • Since 2025 banks are controling the bank owner's name. When the name does not correspond, one gets an error message or a warning.
  • This is not possible for foreign accounts.
• Use a unique payment reference (based on either the booking number, an invoice number, or a structured communication).
  • This way the third party can easily book your payment (account receivables).
• Mandatory /B/ prefix for expense claims or volunteer allowance (legal anti fraud requirements, and to prevent bailiff seizure).
  • The /B/ prefix is not required for small gifts, e.g. new year present.

There is a mandatory financial reporting and control. At the end of the year the annual accounts are reported.

Known problems

• Direct debit fraud

See also

• Bank account
• Bank statements
• Budget review and planning
• Expense account
• Financial reporting
• Kascommissie
• Reimbursement policy