Counter Role — Recording Denomination Totals
As a counter, your job is straightforward: count the physical money from the offering and record the totals by denomination. You do not need to know who gave what — that is the bookkeeper's job. Your focus is accuracy: making sure every bill, coin, and check is accounted for.
This guide walks through the entire counter workflow from creating a new count sheet to submitting your totals.
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following:
- Counter role assigned to your Wired Church account (ask your admin if you are unsure)
- The physical offering sorted into bills, coins, and checks
- A quiet space to count — accuracy matters more than speed
- A second counter if your church uses dual-count verification (recommended)
Many churches have two people count independently and then compare totals. Wired Church supports this with the dual-count feature. Both counters submit their totals, and the system flags any discrepancies before moving forward.
Step 1: Create a New Count Sheet
- Navigate to Contributions > Count Sheets in the admin sidebar
- Click the New Count Sheet button in the top-right corner
- Fill in the header fields:
- Date — the date of the service (defaults to today)
- Service Type — select from the dropdown (Sunday School, Family Worship, Wednesday Worship, Special Service, etc.)
- Campus — select the campus if your church has multiple locations
- Click Create to save the draft
The service types and campuses in the dropdowns are configured by your admin. If the one you need is missing, ask your admin to add it in Settings.
The count sheet is now in Draft status. You can close the page and come back to it later — drafts are saved automatically.
Step 2: Enter Bill Denominations
The denomination grid is the main area of the count sheet. Each row represents a denomination, and you enter the quantity (number of bills) for each.
| Denomination | Quantity | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| $100 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| $50 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| $20 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| $10 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| $5 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| $1 bills | you enter this | auto-calculated |
The Amount column is calculated automatically: quantity times denomination. You never type in the Amount column directly.
How to enter counts
- Click into the Quantity field for the first denomination ($100 bills)
- Type the number of bills you counted (e.g.,
2for two $100 bills) - Press Tab to move to the next denomination
- Repeat for each denomination
- The Total Bills row at the bottom updates in real time
Use the Tab key to move quickly through the grid. The fields accept only whole numbers — you cannot enter half a bill.
If you have no bills of a particular denomination, leave the quantity as 0 or skip it entirely. The system treats empty fields as zero.
Step 3: Enter Coin Denominations
Below the bills section, you will find the coins grid. This works the same way:
| Denomination | Quantity | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Quarters ($0.25) | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| Dimes ($0.10) | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| Nickels ($0.05) | you enter this | auto-calculated |
| Pennies ($0.01) | you enter this | auto-calculated |
Enter the number of loose coins for each denomination.
Coin Rolls
If the offering includes wrapped coin rolls, use the Coin Rolls section below the loose coins grid:
| Roll Type | Quantity | Amount per Roll | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter rolls | you enter this | $10.00 | auto-calculated |
| Dime rolls | you enter this | $5.00 | auto-calculated |
| Nickel rolls | you enter this | $2.00 | auto-calculated |
| Penny rolls | you enter this | $0.50 | auto-calculated |
Coin rolls are pre-valued. A quarter roll is always $10.00 (40 quarters). If a roll is partially full, break it open and count the coins individually in the loose coins section instead.
The Total Coins row combines loose coins and coin rolls.
Step 4: Enter Checks
The checks section lets you record checks in two ways depending on your church's preference:
Option A: Individual Check Entry (Recommended)
Enter each check individually for a complete record:
- Click Add Check
- Enter the check number (from the top-right corner of the check)
- Enter the amount
- Repeat for each check
The system totals all checks automatically and shows the check count and total check amount at the bottom.
Entering checks individually helps the bookkeeper later — they can match check numbers to offering envelopes. If your church uses offering envelopes with member numbers, the bookkeeper will appreciate having check numbers recorded.
Option B: Summary Entry
If your church prefers, you can skip individual check entry and just record:
- Total number of checks
- Total check amount
This is faster but gives the bookkeeper less information to work with.
Your admin configures which mode is available. Some churches require individual check entry for audit purposes. If you only see the summary fields, that is how your church has configured it.
Step 5: Review the Summary
At the bottom of the count sheet, the summary section displays:
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Bills | sum of all bill denominations |
| Total Coins | sum of loose coins + coin rolls |
| Total Cash | bills + coins |
| Total Checks | sum of all checks |
| Grand Total | total cash + total checks |
Review these totals carefully. This is the number the bookkeeper will need to balance against.
Once you submit, the denomination section is locked. Double-check your totals before proceeding. If you find an error after submission, an admin will need to reopen the sheet for you.
Step 6: Add Notes (Optional)
The Notes field at the bottom of the count sheet is for anything unusual:
- Torn or damaged bills that the bank may not accept
- Foreign currency found in the offering
- A discrepancy between two counters' totals and how it was resolved
- Any other context the bookkeeper or admin should know
Notes are visible to bookkeepers and admins and are preserved in the audit trail.
Step 7: Submit Your Count
- Click the Submit Count button at the bottom of the page
- A confirmation dialog appears showing your grand total
- Confirm to submit
The count sheet moves to Counted status. You will see:
- A teal Counted badge at the top of the sheet
- The denomination grid is now read-only (grayed out)
- A message indicating the sheet is now in the bookkeeper's queue
Dual-Count Verification
If your church has enabled dual-count mode, two counters each submit their totals independently:
- Counter A creates the count sheet and submits their totals
- Counter B opens the same count sheet and enters their totals in a separate section
- The system compares the two sets of totals
- If they match (within a configurable tolerance, usually $0.00), the sheet moves to Counted status automatically
- If they do not match, both counters are notified to recount
Dual-count mode is configured by your admin under Settings > Contributions > Count Sheet Settings. When enabled, a count sheet requires two submissions before it moves to Counted status.
| Counter A Total | Counter B Total | Result |
|---|---|---|
| $3,247.50 | $3,247.50 | Match — moves to Counted |
| $3,247.50 | $3,245.00 | Mismatch — recount required |
The mismatched totals are logged for the audit trail even after the recount resolves the discrepancy.
What Happens Next
After you submit your count, the workflow continues without you:
- The bookkeeper receives a notification that a new counted sheet is ready
- The bookkeeper attributes individual donations to members and funds
- An admin or treasurer reviews, approves, and finalizes the sheet
- The system creates contribution records automatically
You can view your submitted count sheets at any time under Contributions > Count Sheets — they appear with a "Counted" or later status badge. You cannot edit them unless an admin reopens the denomination section.
Common Questions
What if I miscounted after submitting?
Ask your admin to reopen the count sheet. They can unlock the denomination section, and you can correct your totals. See Editing or Correcting a Submitted Count Sheet.
Can I save and come back later?
Yes. While in Draft status, you can close the page at any time. Your entries are saved. Navigate back to Contributions > Count Sheets and click on the draft to resume.
Do I need to count offering envelopes?
No. Envelopes are the bookkeeper's concern. Your job is the money itself. If you want to keep envelopes organized for the bookkeeper (grouped by cash vs. check, for example), that is helpful but not required by the system.
What if someone hands me a donation after I have already submitted?
Ask your admin to either reopen the current sheet or create a separate count sheet for the late donation. Do not try to account for it informally.