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 Help Topics / Church Connect / Setting Up Online Giving

Setting Up Online Giving


ChurchTrac's Online Giving is a powerful tool that enables your church to take donations online and have them automatically added to your Giving Screen.

  • Enabling Online Giving
  • Setting Up Stripe
  • Online Giving URL
  • Online Giving Options
  • Manage Recurring Donations
  • Categories Used For Online Giving
  • Text Giving

Enabling Online Giving

To get started with Online Giving, navigate to the Giving Screen and select the "Online Giving" Tab. To enable online giving, create (or connect to an existing) Stripe account.

Enable Online Giving in your church app with ChurchTrac

The first time you visit our Online Giving page, you will be prompted to set up your Stripe account. Make sure you have your church's EIN number as well as the church bank account and routing number where Stripe will deposit your funds. Upon selecting "Setup Your Online Giving Account", you will be taken to Stripe.com to complete the process of setting up your account.

Setting Up Stripe

The first step of creating your Stripe Account is to add the email address you wish to use for online giving. This will create a 2-step verification and an email validation.

Creating your Stripe account for your church online giving

Validate your email by selecting the button emailed to you by Stripe.

Creating your Stripe account for your church online giving
After your initial email validation, Stripe will periodically send you email validation requests as a security precaution. This validation will always come from "notifications@stripe.com".

Additionally, Stripe now requires an additional layer of security through two-step verification. The default method is Google Authenticator, but you can also choose: Phone number (receive a texted code) or Passkey authentication.

Activate payments use the platform to accept online tithes

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the verification process. During the setup, Stripe will provide an emergency backup code. This code can be used if you ever lose access to your two-step verification method. We recommend taking a screenshot and storing it somewhere secure. This will also help our support team assist you if you get locked out of your account.

Activate payments use the platform to accept online tithes

Once both steps are completed, you can proceed with setting up your Stripe account for your church’s online giving and you will be prompted to activate payments for your account.

Please ensure you select "Nonprofit Organization" as the business type. Choosing any other option may cause your account to function incorrectly.

Select nonprofit to enable church giving online.

Stripe will also ask for your church's official name, EIN number, and address.

Basic info needed to create your church's Stripe account.

Stripe will also ask for your church website. Under the "Product description field, we recommend saying "Religious non-profit accepting donations from members. Using any other terminology may result in Stripe not completing your setup or requesting further information from your organization.

Church website and use for payments.
If you do not have a website, you can use your customized Church Connect URL in the Business website field.

Stripe will ask for additional information to finalize your setup for enabling payments on your account. Once completed, you will be able to use the Online Giving options in ChurchTrac.

Once you have created your Stripe account, we recommend bookmarking stripe.com and logging in regularly. Stripe's dashboard makes it easier to see when deposits come into your bank account.

Online Giving URL

Once you've created or linked your Stripe account, you will be redirected back to the Online Giving Screen in ChurchTrac. Now you'll see the unique link that we have provided for your Online Giving page. You can copy this link and add it to your church website or social media page(s).

The URL for your church's online giving portal in ChurchTrac

If you also use our Church Connect feature, you'll notice that you have a QR code for that page as well. Since Church Connect includes Online Giving, you only need to use and share the Church Connect QR code.

Online Giving Options

In the Online Giving tab there are several configuration options. You can also choose whether or not to enable guest donations, text giving, and fee options.

Customize the online giving portal for your church app

Manage Recurring Donations

In the Online Giving tab, admin users can manage recurring donations by selecting the "Manage Recurring Donations" button.

Customize the online giving portal for your church app

Donors can also manage their recurring donations by logging into their Connect account. From the Online Giving page, select the cogwheel icon next to "Choose a Payment Source". A sidebar will appear, allowing them to cancel an existing recurring donation.

To use the ACH payment option, donors must be logged into Church Connect. ACH giving is not available for guest donations.

Customize the online giving portal for your church app

This Could Increase Donations At Your Church

Some church leaders shared with us that donations increased after promoting recurring giving. Watch our video on how donors set it up

Watch now ›
 

Categories Used For Online Giving

You can specify which Categories will be displayed as Online Giving options. Go to the Giving Screen and select the "Categories" Tab. Each category has an option: "Use for Online Giving?" Select YES to have that category offered as an option for online donors.

Choose which giving categories appear for online donation in your church's donation portal

Single Category Giving

ChurchTrac gives you the option to share a unique giving QR code and URL that limits donors to giving to a single category.

Choose which giving categories appear for online donation in your church's donation portal

You can select from your current active online giving categories as well as assign a default donation amount of your choosing. This feature is helpful for donations at specific events, missionaries, and more.

Church online giving to a specific missionary

When using this feature, donors are limited to only the specific category you chose.

Text Giving

The Text Giving option allows donors to make a contribution by linking a card or bank account and texting the amount they want to give.

Enable Text Giving

To enable Text Giving, navigate to the Church Connect screen > Online Giving tab > "Online Giving Options" button.

online giving options

In the slide-out menu, you can configure the Online Giving options, including allowing your donors to give via text. You have the option of ChurchTrac's phone number or if you're using the Twilio integration, you can use your own Twilio number (recommended).

Text giving for church text give

Similar to the opt-in process, fees apply to Text Giving. Each text-giving donation (one initial text and three confirmations) will ultimately result in four SMS fees. It's important to note, costs per message will vary depending on the platform you use and your region.

Option 1: Use ChurchTrac's Phone Number

If you're using ChurchTrac's phone number, your donors should use the provided QR code or URL to access the Online Giving portal to set up text giving. Since the ChurchTrac phone number does not feature Auto-Replies, your donors cannot just text "Give" initially.

We do not recommend displaying the Text Giving phone number without the donor going through the setup process. Without the proper setup, their donation may not be directed to your church's bank account.

Option 2: Use Your Twilio Phone Number

If you're using your Twilio phone number your donors can use the provided QR code or URL, as well as have the added benefit of texting "Give" to your Twilio number to receive a link to the text giving setup.

Text giving text give

Whether you're using the ChurchTrac phone number or your Twilio phone number, the next steps will be the same.

Set up Text Giving

In the online giving setup screen, select the cogwheel icon next to choose payment source, to set up text giving.

Text giving add phone number

By navigating to the donor giving options, your donors have the ability to add their phone number for text giving.

Text giving payment source

Donors will need to have a Church Connect account to set up text giving.

Online Giving FAQs ›
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