As we continue to live, work, and have our being during the spread of COVID-19, a number of questions have been asked concerning online giving. We have put together a list of online giving options for churches. While this is not exhaustive, it is a good start to finding an online giving platform for your church. Most of the systems listed below are designed for churches or work with church organizations.
When you consider implementing a new online giving platform, remember that they all cost money – either monthly fees, charges based on usage, a percentage, or some combination thereof. Look at the numbers and ask other churches who are already using online giving what companies they use. Look for a system that will interface easily with your database or accounting system and one that has the tracking features you need. Do your research because different systems serve congregations in different capacities. Finally, make sure the company you choose offers good support and troubleshooting.
- Platform: Mobile, online giving integrations, kiosk giving, admin gift entry, and text to give (additional fee)
- Price: Free ($19 per month for Text to Give)
- Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction – Example: $100 donation – $3.20 fee
- Tithy.ly is recommended by TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship). It is easy to setup and manage with customer service either by chat or phone. You can give through the app or through a website integration on your website. Tithe.ly accepts ACH bank transfers, credit and debit cards, and manual entry. Donors have the option to set up recurring gifts and there is a “cover the fee” option which allows donors to cover the transaction fees as an extra way to support your church.
- Platform: Mobile, Facebook App integration, text to give, and kiosk (additional fees)
- Price: Tiered pricing ranging from $0 to $49 per month
- Transaction Fee: Varies depending on pricing tier. Free option is 3% + $0.39 per transaction – Example $100 donation – $3.39 fee
- The free option of EasyTithe gives you the functionality of mobile and online giving with no startup fee. EasyTithe can be integrated with Facebook or WordPress. Donors can set up automatic recurring donations and pay with credit, debit, and ACH. It also has a “cover the fees” option. It also integrates with many church management software programs like Servant Keeper and ACS Technologies as well as QuickBooks.
- Platform: Mobile, online giving integrations, kiosk giving, admin gift entry
- Price: Free
- Transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction – Example: $100 donation – $3.20 fee
- Givelify boast a convenient church app which allows for easy setup, adding your churches branding, and the ability to donate in less than three steps. There is no setup fee and it is free to download the app for donors. It does have an option for recurring donations. While it doesn’t have a large number of integration options with financial management software, it is possible to export the donation information to a CSV file.
- Platform: Online giving integrations (website and email)
- Price: Free
- Transaction fee: 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction (for qualifying non-profits) – Example: $100 donation – $2.50 fee
- Paypal has an easy to set up donate button to put on your website or embed in an email. The PayPal interface will be recognizable for many people as it is a ubiquitous payment option for businesses. It is possible to create a customized landing page with a link unique to your church for your donors to visit. It allows for recurring payments. There was no information readily available on the website regarding integration with financial management software.
- Platform: Mobile, online, text, kiosk giving
- Price: Tiered
- Transaction fee: varies by card type, ranging from 2.5% – 3% per transaction – Example: $100 donation – $2.50 to $3.00 fee
- Pushpay is a more full-service church giving platform, as their product ties in other options such as sermons, bible readings, and connection cards that are part of the giving package. It is possible to customize the app. There is a long-term contract of 36 months with this product. It does connect with numerous financial management software systems.
Each of these online giving solutions will serve certain churches well. None of them are meant as a one-size-fits-all solution, for small and mid-sized churches have diverse needs. As your church considers who is likely to give online, how the church wants its online giving page to look, and whether anyone is able to help set up a giving platform, the right choice will become clear.
