If your church still collects offerings exclusively through cash and checks, you are leaving money on the table. Not because cash is bad, but because convenience drives generosity.
Studies consistently show that churches offering electronic giving see an increase in total donations, primarily through recurring giving. A member who sets up a $100 monthly recurring donation gives $1,200 per year without thinking about it. A member who puts cash in the plate gives when they remember to bring cash, which is not every Sunday.
Here is how to set up electronic giving for your church, regardless of your technical skill level.
What "Electronic Giving" Actually Means
Electronic giving covers any non-cash, non-check donation method:
| Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Credit/debit card | Donor enters card number online or in an app | US/UK/EU churches, one-time and recurring |
| ACH bank transfer | Donor authorizes direct withdrawal from bank account | US churches, lower fees than cards |
| Text-to-give | Donor texts a number to initiate giving | Simple churches, impulse giving |
| Mobile money | Donor sends via M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money, etc. | African churches |
| Bank transfer | Donor initiates transfer to church bank account | UK/EU churches, international |
| QR code giving | Donor scans a QR code to open a giving page | Any church, low friction |
Most churches start with credit card and ACH (in the US) or bank transfer (in the UK). Add mobile money if your congregation includes African members.
Setting Up Electronic Giving: Three Approaches
Approach 1: Use Your ChMS Giving Tools
If your church management software includes a giving module, this is the simplest path. One system for members and giving means donor records automatically link to member profiles.
In Gathrik (Standard, $29/mo):
- Connect your Stripe account in Settings
- Stripe handles payment processing (credit cards and bank transfers)
- Donations are recorded automatically and linked to member profiles
- Tax receipts generate from the same data
Transaction fees: Stripe's standard rates (typically 2.9% + $0.30 for cards, 0.8% for ACH in the US, capped at $5).
Note: Gathrik currently tracks donations entered by staff. The member-facing online giving portal (where members give through the app) is on our roadmap but not shipped yet. For now, you collect payments through Stripe's hosted checkout and record them in Gathrik.
Approach 2: Standalone Giving Platform
If you do not want to switch your entire ChMS, use a standalone giving platform:
- Tithe.ly Giving (free, 2.9% + $0.30 per card)
- Givelify (free, 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction)
- Stripe Checkout (create a simple payment link, 2.9% + $0.30)
- PayPal Donate (for nonprofits, 1.99% + $0.49)
The limitation: standalone giving platforms do not connect to your member database. You get the money but you have to manually match donations to members for tax receipts.
Approach 3: Mobile Money (For African Churches)
If your congregation gives primarily through mobile money:
- Set up an M-Pesa business account (Kenya, Tanzania) or MTN Mobile Money merchant account (West/Central Africa)
- Share your business number with the congregation
- Members send money via their usual mobile money workflow
- Record donations in Gathrik with "mobile money" as the payment method
This is manual recording (you enter donations based on mobile money confirmations), but it keeps all giving data in one system with proper donor attribution. Read our mobile money guide
Recurring Giving: The Real Game Changer
One-time online giving is convenient. Recurring giving is transformative.
When a member sets up a monthly recurring donation, they give consistently regardless of whether they attend on a given Sunday. They give when they are on vacation. They give when they are sick. They give when they forget their wallet.
To encourage recurring giving:
- Make it the default option on your giving page (not a hidden checkbox)
- Suggest specific amounts ($25/week, $100/month, $500/quarter)
- Emphasize consistency over size ("Consistent giving of any amount helps us plan and budget")
- Remove friction (save payment details for one-tap future giving)
In Gathrik, you can mark donations as recurring when recording them, which helps you track your recurring giving base separately from one-time gifts.
Donor-Covered Fees: Should You Offer It?
Most giving platforms charge transaction fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30). On a $100 donation, that is $3.20 the church does not receive.
Many platforms offer a "cover the fees" option where the donor adds the processing fee to their donation ($100 becomes $103.20). This is standard practice and most donors opt in when given the choice.
Whether to offer this is a philosophical decision for your church leadership. Some churches feel it is uncomfortable to ask donors to pay extra. Others see it as transparency. There is no wrong answer.
What About Cash and Checks?
Electronic giving does not replace cash and checks. It supplements them.
Many older members prefer writing checks. Some families give cash in offering envelopes. International churches often collect cash offerings because not everyone has access to electronic payment methods.
The key is tracking all methods in one system. In Gathrik, cash, check, card, bank transfer, mobile money, and online giving are all recorded the same way. Your finance dashboard shows the complete picture regardless of how the money arrived.
Over time, you will likely see a gradual shift toward electronic giving, especially among younger members. But forcing the transition alienates donors who prefer traditional methods. Offer electronic giving as an option. Let adoption happen naturally.
Getting Started This Week
The fastest path to electronic giving:
- Create a Stripe account at stripe.com (free, takes 10 minutes)
- Create a payment link in Stripe Dashboard (no code needed)
- Share the link with your congregation via email, WhatsApp, or your website
- Record donations in Gathrik as they come in
- Announce it on Sunday ("You can now give online. Here is the link.")
That is the minimum viable setup. No app. No custom giving page. Just a Stripe payment link that works on any phone.
As giving volume grows, you can move to a more integrated setup with Gathrik Standard ($29/mo) where donations link directly to member profiles for tax receipts and reporting.