Import Payments

The ‘Import Payments’ feature in Finance Management module of Retention CRM allows Associations, Chambers and Nonprofit Organizations to easily bring Payment data from other sources into your CRM. This is helpful if you have existing Payment records outside of Retention CRM, like a spreadsheet or another database, and want to consolidate them into one central location.

General Functionality of the ‘Import Payments’ Feature

1. Upload Data:
   • Choose Data Source: Here, you can specify if you’re uploading from a pre-existing Retention CRM saved mapping or directly from a CSV file.
   • Upload CSV File: Select the CSV file containing your Payment data. Ensure it’s comma-separated (CSV format) and UTF-8 encoded for special characters.
   • Import Field Separator: Specify the delimiter separating your data columns in the CSV file (e.g., comma, semicolon).
   • Import Options:
     • Contact Type: Choose the type of contacts associated with the Payment’s (Individual, Household, or Organization).
     • Import Mode: Decide whether to create new Payments (Insert) or update existing ones based on matching criteria (Update).
     • Date Format: Select the format your Payments dates use in the CSV file (e.g., yyyy-mm-dd, mm/dd/yy).
     • Saved Field Mapping: If you’ve previously imported similar data with field mapping, you can select it for faster setup.
2. Match Fields (explained in detail below): This step allows you to match the data headers in your CSV file with the corresponding Retention CRM fields for Payments.
3. Preview: After matching fields, you can preview a sample of imported Payments to ensure the data is mapped correctly.

Benefits

• Saves time by bulk-importing Payments instead of manual entry.
• Improves data accuracy by minimizing manual data entry errors.
• Simplifies record management by consolidating Payment data into Retention CRM.

Using ‘Import Payments’ Feature in Association Management

Scenario:

The Happy Nurses Association wants to import Payment data from a spreadsheet containing donations made by their members over the past year. This data includes member names, email addresses, Payment amounts, and dates.

Using “Import Payments”:

1. Upload Data:
   • Choose Data Source: Select “Upload CSV File”.
   • Upload CSV File: Browse and select the CSV file containing the Payment data.
   • Import Field Separator: Choose the delimiter used in your CSV file (likely comma).
   • Import Options:
     • Contact Type: Select “Individual” as Payments are from individual members.
     • Import Mode: Choose “Insert New Payments” as this is the first import.
     • Date Format: Select the date format used in your CSV data (e.g., yyyy-mm-dd).
2. Match Fields: Here’s where you map your CSV data headers to the corresponding Retention CRM Payments fields.
   • Look for headers in your CSV file that match Retention CRM fields like “Contact Name” (maps to “Contact Last Name” and “Contact First Name” in Retention CRM), “Email Address”, “Payment Amount”, and “Payments Date”.
   • Drag and drop these headers from the left (CSV) to the corresponding Retention CRM fiels on the right.
3. Preview: After mapping, preview a sample of imported Payments to ensure everything looks correct. Names, email addresses, amounts, and dates should match between your CSV and the preview.

Additional Notes

• Ensure your CSV file includes a unique identifier for each member (e.g., email address) to avoid creating duplicate contacts during import.
• If some data points in your CSV don’t have a direct match in Retention CRM fields, you might need to create custom fields in Retention CRM to capture that information.

More Use Cases for Associations

1. Migrating from a Different System

An association might be switching from a legacy database or spreadsheet to manage payments. The “Import Payments” option allows them to easily migrate their existing payment data into Retention CRM. This ensures a smooth transition and eliminates the need for manual data entry.

2. Processing Online Event Registrations

If your association uses an online platform to manage event registrations, you can likely export the registration data (including any associated fees) into a CSV file. This file can then be imported into Retention CRM using the “Import Payments” option. This streamlines the process of recording event registrations and associated fees within Retention CRM.

3. Importing Membership Dues

Many associations collect membership dues annually. If you have a list of members and their corresponding dues in a CSV file, you can import this data directly into Retention CRM using the “Import Payments” option. This automates the creation of payment records for each member’s dues payment, simplifying memberhip management.

By utilizing the “Import Payments” feature, Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Nonprofits can efficiently import their member/donor/event or any other Payment data into Retention CRM, streamlining their record management and potentially gaining valuable insights into their financial health.