Contents

1. Introduction: Online Giving Methods
2. Who can donate online?
3. Set up online giving
   • Enable online giving
   • Configure your payment provider
     • Differences between Paypal and Stripe
   • Select a fund
   • Configure Batches
     • Create Daily Batch
     • Set Into Specific Batch
   • Configure predefined amounts
   • Ask contributors to cover the fees
   • Add a comments box to the donation page (Stripe only)
   • Customize the thank you message
   • Customize the email receipt
4. How can people give?
   • Giving using your ChMeetings giving link (one time & recurring)
     
     • Payment methods
     • PayPal & Credit Card
       • Fees
     • ACH payments
       • Enable ACH
       • ACH Fees
       • ACH verification for contributors
         • Instant verification
         • Manual verification
       • Member Access to ACH Information
       • Learn More
     • Australian Direct Debit Giving (BECS)
       • Enable the Feature
       • Donor Payment Setup
       • Transaction Verification
       • Processing Time
       • Tracking Payment Status
       • Fees
   • Giving using your custom donation link
5. Editing Amounts or Canceling Recurring Giving
6. Refunds

Online Giving is a paid feature.

Introduction: Online Giving Methods

By enabling online giving, your members can easily contribute to your church online, using a link you can easily share. There are three methods through which this can be achieved: 

• Via PayPal.
• By Integrating a Stripe account, for credit card contributions.
• Using any other external payment provider and adding a custom donation link within ChMeetings. To add a custom payment provider, go to Member Portal > Builder, drag and drop the Donate Button Card, choose Custom Donation and add the link to your provider's payment page.
  

This guide focuses on processing online giving with the two integrated payment processors - PayPal and Stripe. If you use an external provider, please see any relevant documentation they may provide in regards to providing you with a payment link.

Who can donate online?

Everyone can donate using your ChMeetings giving link, regardless of whether they are a member of your church (with a ChMeetings account) or not. Moreover, guests who donate can easily be registered to ChMeetings via your Contributions area. Here are some additional details.

Set up online giving

Enable online giving

To enable Online Giving, please start by going to: Contribution > Online Giving. Next, turn on the toggle to enable the feature.

Configure your payment provider

Online giving (one-time or recurring) is available through PayPal and Stripe. You can configure your payment provider by clicking Configure.  

Next, choose your payment provider.

• If you select PayPal, please enter your PayPal email and click Integrate.
  
  

• If you would like to use Stripe, please select it and click Integrate. You will be taken to Stripe’s login screen where you must connect to your account.

Note: You can disconnect from your payment provider anytime, by clicking the Disconnect button and confirming your choice.

 

Differences between Paypal and Stripe

You can process online giving using either PayPal or Stripe, but the main difference between them is that Stripe provides more features. Here are the additional features you get when integrating Stripe:

• People can donate directly within ChMeetings without being redirected to external pages, as is the case with PayPal.
• Stripe supports both credit/debit cards and low-fee ACH payments. PayPal only supports credit and debit cards.
• Donors can contribute to multiple funds simultaneously.
• Donors can easily cancel recurring donations directly from the ChMeetings app.
• You can embed the online giving page into your website, which is not available with PayPal.
• Refunds can be processed directly from ChMeetings, while PayPal refunds must be handled through the PayPal portal.

Select a fund

The funds you select will be displayed to members when they give via your ChMeetings giving link, so they can select where their donation should go. 

Optionally, you can customize your online giving link to allow people to contribute to a specific fund directly. Just copy the link or use the QR code to direct people to the fund you want to collect donations for. This is available for all funds, regardless of whether they are selected to be displayed on your giving page or not. 

 

Configure Batches

In the Batch Creation Options section, you can choose between two methods of creating batches for your online giving transactions: 

 

Create Daily Batch

If you select this option, online giving batches are created automatically, every day when online giving is received. You can easily distinguish them by their name, formatted as: YYYY-MM-DD Online Giving.

If your church is not receiving donations on a specific day, then no batch will be created for that day.

Online Giving Batches and Deposits include the gross amount (per batch and per transaction) as well as the associated processing fees. This helps provide greater clarity regarding the deposit transactions within the accounting module. Processing fees are recorded as separate negative entries, using the default Category and Fund.

Online giving batches are not closed automatically. You must do so manually by checking the contributions, depositing them to your bank account, then closing the batch last.

If a batch is manually closed mid-day and more gifts are received afterwards, a new batch will be created for the same date.

The date on an online giving batch is not editable.

Manual contributions cannot be added to online-giving batches.

 

Set Into Specific Batch

This option allows you to assign online giving transactions to a specific batch that you create for the purpose. You can manage this batch as you see fit. Transactions are assigned to the selected batch no matter whether it is open or closed.

 

Configure predefined amounts

The Amount Setup section lets you configure predefined amounts that will display to givers on the online giving page. You can set a minimum amount to be given; and add five predefined amounts that givers can select. These amounts act as suggestions and don’t restrict givers from entering a custom amount. 

 

Ask contributors to cover the fees

You can ask donors to cover the processing fees by turning on the toggle. Additionally, you can choose to have the option to cover the fees selected by default on the donation page. You can set up fees as follows:

• A percentage out of the total donation (less or equal to the fees you pay to the payment provider); 
• An amount, less or equal to the minimum processing fee.

Add a comments box to the donation page

If you use Stripe as the payment processor, you can choose whether to add a Comments box to your donation page. This allows contributors to provide any additional information relevant to the transaction. 

Customize the thank you message

This is the message that donors will see after they contribute. Be sure to let them know how their donation contributes to your church and thank them for their generosity.

Customize the email receipt

Here is where you can customize the email that goes out to your donors, confirming receipt. 

Please enter an email from which this message should be sent, then customize the message template. 

You can add merge fields to your template, from the Add to Email list:

• Place your cursor in the position where you would like to add the field. 
• Select the desired field from the Add to Email list.
• Click the 🕀 sign to enter the field into your email body.

Merge fields will retrieve specific information from within the member’s profile or the donation payment transaction and add it to the email text when sent out. The information will be personalized to each person automatically, so there is no need to change the template when user data is modified. The available merge fields are the following:

• [NAME] - Inserts the giver’s full name.
• [FIRST_NAME] - Inserts the giver’s first name.
• [CHURCH_NAME] - Adds the name of your church.
• [FUND] - Adds the contribution fund to which the payment has been made.
• [AMOUNT] - Inserts the amount paid.
• [TRANSACTION_ID] - Inserts the Transaction ID. This field is only available for payments made via Stripe.

Click Save Settings when you have finished setting up online giving.

 

How can people give?

Giving using your ChMeetings giving link (one time & recurring)

People can give in their own name or on behalf of an organization via your direct giving link, found within your ChMeetings online giving area. Simply copy it or click the QR code icon to generate a QR code that points to your link. Share it with everyone to start collecting contributions. 

Once you have configured online giving, members will have the option to either contribute once or recurrently. They can do so by:

• going to your ChMeetings giving link, selecting the amount and the fund, 
• choosing whether they want to contribute recurrently, 
• selecting the frequency of their contribution, if recurring. 

 

Payment methods

PayPal & Credit Card

Anyone can donate via PayPal, Credit Card (Stripe), or ACH bank transfer via your ChMeetings giving link. ACH is only available in the USA.

Members accessing ChMeetings can manage their payment methods under Settings > Payment Methods.  

 

PayPal & Credit Card Fees

ChMeetings charges no giving transaction fees whatsoever. 

So, if you set up online giving, you will not pay any fees to ChMeetings, but you will need a payment processor to collect funds online, because ChMeetings is not such a payment gateway. So, the payment processor you choose will charge the fees. We integrate with Stripe and PayPal. Their fees may change, so the best way to know them is to visit the pricing page of your chosen payment provider:

• Stripe pricing & fees may vary by country, but for reference, the Stripe fee for non-profit organizations is 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction for credit card processing in the USA and Canada.
• PayPal fees.

ACH payments

Enable ACH

To enable ACH payments you must be based in the United States and own a Stripe account. There are only three steps to follow:

• Enable ACH in your Stripe account first.
• Enable ACH in ChMettings under Contributions > Online Giving > Giving Settings > Payment Methods.
  
  

• Configure whether you want to ask contributors to cover your ACH transaction fees. Simply add a percentage to do so (less or equal to the transaction fee).
  
  

 

ACH Fees

Stripe ACH payments cost 0.80%, capped at $5, with no monthly or verification fees. So, a $100 payment incurs a $0.80 fee; any payments above $625 cost $5.

Read more on the Stripe Blog.

 

ACH verification for contributors

Contributors can instantly verify their bank details when choosing to contribute via ACH. However, in some cases, they might want to manually verify their bank accounts using micro-deposits. They can choose how to verify their transaction while configuring it. Verification data is exchanged between the ChMeetings API and Stripe. Payment security is ensured by Stripe as well. 

 

Below are details about each verification scenario: instant and manual:

 

Instant verification

Instant verification allows contributors to complete their transactions within the session they have submitted their details. Contributors can log into their online banking accounts to verify the ACH transaction. The donation will only be charged after verification; no further steps are required. If the transaction is recurring, the contributor’s bank account will be debited according to their chosen frequency. The verification process occurs between Stripe and the contributor’s bank. 

Instant verification is enabled by default and is the simplest process for your members to contribute online via ACH. However, anyone can verify manually if they choose to do so.

 

Manual verification

If choosing manual verification, contributors must manually enter their bank account details and wait for their bank to verify the transaction. This is a required security measure to ensure that the account owner is initiating the donation. This process incurs two deposit transactions that will be performed and then canceled, amounting to a maximum of $1. 

To verify their ACH transaction, contributors must perform the following:

1. Fill out their details on your ChMeetings giving link and check their email. An automatic message will inform them that they must verify their bank account. 
2. Check the bank account within one or two days of receiving the email. Contributors should find two small deposits totaling less than $1. They must take note of the two deposit amounts and keep in mind that their account balance will increase by the total deposited amount. 
3. The email guides contributors to your ChMeetings giving page to enter the two deposited amounts once completed. When these are validated, their account will be verified and ready to finalize the transaction. 
4. Stripe will cancel the two small deposits a few days later. This means the contributors’ bank account balance will decrease by the initial deposit amount.

 

Member Access to ACH Information

If you have enabled the Member Portal in ChMeetings, ACH details can be verified from within the members’ account under Settings > Payment Methods.

 

In addition, members receive a confirmation email when their payment is submitted, as well as when it clears (which can take 3-4 days).

 

Learn More

See the Stripe ACH Guide and the Stripe Guide on Accepting ACH Direct Debit Payments to learn more about setting up and working with ACH using Stripe.

 

 

Australian Direct Debit Giving (BECS)

Australian churches using Stripe as their online giving provider can now accept donations via BECS Direct Debit in ChMeetings. This enhancement makes it easier for Australian donors to contribute directly from their bank accounts.

Enable the Feature

To enable this feature:

• Go to Contributions > Online Giving > Giving Settings and enable BECS Giving.
  Optionally, set up fee percentages or fixed amounts if you want to ask donors to cover the transaction fees.
  
  
  
  
• Activate BECS under Payment Methods > Add BECS Bank Transfer.
  
  

Once this payment method is activated, the online giving page will provide donors with the option to choose it. 

 

Donor Payment Setup

Here are the steps that donors must follow in order to submit a BECS payment:

1. Enter Basic Details: Donors must first provide their basic information - either in the Giving page or the in-app Settings > Payment Methods page, These details include their First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.
   
   
   
   
2. Enter Bank Information: A second modal will prompt the donor to enter their BSB Number and Bank Account Number to authorize BECS Direct Debit.
3. Complete the Payment:  Once bank information is entered, the donor can proceed to submit the payment.
   
   

Once the transaction clears, the direct debit begins. The payment method will also be saved and made available for their next donations, as needed.

 

Transaction Verification

Unlike similar payment methods, such as ACH, BECS does not require verification by the donor. As soon as bank details are validated, the payment is set up with no further verification needed.

 

Processing Time

The processing period is 3 Business Days.

While the payment is processed, the contribution remains pending in ChMeetings. Once the payment is finalized, the contribution will automatically appear in the All Contributions page.

 

Tracking Payment Status

You can monitor the status of pending and completed BECS transactions from the Contributions > Online Giving page.

 

Fees

Stripe BECS (Bulk Electronic Clearing System) direct debit transactions in Australia are charged at 1% + 30¢ per successful transaction.

...

Giving using your custom donation link

If you are not using PayPal or Stripe, or you simply prefer not to integrate with a payment provider, you can also add a custom donation link to ChMeetings.

• Go to Member Portal. 
• Under Important Links, enter your Custom Donation Link. 
• Click Save Settings.

You can share this link with everyone to collect donations. If you have added it to the Important Links section, it will also create a Donate button on your members’ dashboard. Members will see it every time they log into their ChMeetings account. 

 

Editing Amounts or Canceling Recurring Giving

All one-time or recurring payments will be available for church admins to manage under Contributions > Online Giving, under the Payments or Recurring tab, respectively. Amounts are displayed as gross.

Members with access to ChMeetings who have chosen to donate online, on a recurring basis, can edit or cancel their transactions from within My Giving > Recurring. 

To edit the amount to be charged next time, or to cancel the recurring transaction, members must click the Options button on any transaction, then select one of the available options.

Refunds

If you use Stripe as a payment gateway, you can refund online giving transactions.

You can do so using the Refund option within the Options menu corresponding to the transaction.

 

Issuing a full online giving refund will retain the original contribution record and create a separate refund entry that will be a negative contribution and will be recorded on the current online open batch.

 

Note

ChMeetings lists contributions as gross amounts.

Do you have questions?

Please contact our support team if you have any questions about how to implement online giving for your church using ChMeetings.