Spending Money & Managing Expenses

Wanting to splash some cash on behalf of your club or society? Find out how to make payments on behalf of your group and use the MSL Finance System.

Club and Society finances are managed almost entirely online through your committee admin tools, using a system called MSL (Membership Services Ltd). When you spend money, this must be done through the MSL Finance System, which your President and Treasurer have access to. MSL is easy to use, but we’ve put together a helpful ‘how to’ guide just in case.

In general, clubs and societies can spend money however the committee sees fit, as long is it is for the benefit of the society as a whole.  However, there are a few things that you can’t purchase or make a claim for, including but not limited to:

  • Any activity prejudicial to equal opportunities
  • Any party political activity
  • Any activity in breach of the law, of Keele University Policy, or of the Keele SU Constitution, Bye-Laws or Policy
  • Any activity that excludes any current member of the society
  • Card machines/card payment terminals
  • Drugs & Alcohol

To make sure group funds remain secure, all purchases and expenditures must be submitted and approved by two different committee members. Any member can submit a finance request, but only the President and/or Treasurer can approve them. Purchases and claims can’t be made without a receipt or an invoice, so make sure you don’t throw them away! After the committee has approved a transaction, staff will review and approve each purchase before Keele SU Finance makes the payment.

Reimbursements require proof of purchase (usually a receipt, or some evidence of what you bought) and evidence the purchase was paid from your account (a partial screenshot of a bank transaction, or some evidence of who bought it - and therefore needs reimbursing). If either of these are missing the request will be referred back and you'll be asked to provide these.

Please note, that we will be unable to approve a transaction if your club/society doesn't have enough money in the account.

Financial Management: 

Your financial health is paramount to the success of your society and therefore must be treated as if it were a real business operating outside of the SU's systems. If you are more than £50 in debt at the end of the academic year, then you will be made to pay this cost back otherwise the club or society will be de-affiliated and be prevented from starting up again.  

The weekly deadline for submitting your finances is 9 am on a Wednesday for us to process it that week. If you miss this deadline, we will process your expenditures the following Wednesday. 

If you have made any issues on your finance request and we refer this back to you to change, this will also mean it won't get processed again until the following Wednesday. 

Generally, transactions take 3-5 working days for the money to transfer.

Submitting Finance Requests on MSL

The easiest and quickest way to pay for things is to pay yourself, keep the receipt, and claim a reimbursement from your club/society. However, we understand that not all students can afford this or may prefer not to. Alternatively, you can ask a supplier for an invoice, and SU Finance will pay them directly using your club/society funds. Follow this step-by-step guide to find out how.

Step 1: Log in and Access Your Society Page

Log into the Keele SU website and go to your club/society's webpage. Scroll to the bottom and click on the 'Claim Expenses' tab. Only paid members can access this section. You’ll be directed to your financial dashboard.

Finance Dashboard

Step 2: Create a New Money Request

Click on '+ New Money Request'. Note: The balance shown is updated weekly on Wednesdays after processing the previous week’s transactions.

New Money Request

Step 3: Fill Out Payment Request Details

Request Type:

  • Reimbursement – Claim back money you’ve already spent.
  • Pay Supplier – Provide invoice details for direct payment.
  • Pay Charity – Transfer raised funds to a charity (justification required).

Event: Select the related event if applicable.

Payable To:

  • Requester – Yourself
  • Other Student – Another society member
  • Third-Party – External business or charity

Payment Method:

  • Bank Transfer – Provide sort code and account number.
  • Credit Card – Do not select this option.
Payment Details

Step 4: Complete and Submit Your Request

  • Item Description: What are you buying?
  • Justification: Why is this purchase necessary?
  • Amount: Total cost
  • Account: Select your club/society
  • Upload Receipt: Must match the amount and be legible
Upload Receipt

Finally: Submit your request for processing.

Approving Finance Requests on MSL

A guide for Presidents/Captains and Treasurers

Once a finance request has been submitted, it must be approved by either the President or Treasurer. If the President submits the request, the Treasurer must approve it, and vice versa. This ensures transparency and accountability in your group’s finances.

Weekly Deadline: Requests must be submitted by 9 am on Wednesday to be processed that week. Larger payments (£250+) may require additional approval from SU management, which can delay processing—so plan ahead!

Once fully approved, payments are made on Friday. Depending on the method, it may take 3–5 working days for the payee to receive the funds.

Step 1: Access Your Group’s Financial Dashboard

Log into the Keele SU website and navigate to your group’s financial dashboard. You’ll see a list of pending and recent transactions.

Finance Dashboard

Step 2: Review and Approve the Request

Click on the request you want to approve. Carefully check the details before approving:

  • Bank details are complete and correct
  • The spend matches expectations
  • Receipts match the claimed amount (or a valid explanation is provided)
  • Receipts clearly show what was purchased (not just a bank transaction)
  • Your group has enough funds to cover the request

If anything is incorrect or unclear, you can reject the request or refer it back to the requester for changes.

Step 3: SU Staff Review

SU staff review all finance requests weekly. If there are issues—such as missing information or mismatched totals—they may refer the request back to you or reject it. Make sure everything is clear and complete to avoid delays.

Step 4: Track Your Request

You can check the status of your group’s finance requests at any time by returning to your financial dashboard. This helps you stay on top of approvals and ensure timely payments.