How to Set Up Online Giving for Your Church
Online giving is no longer optional. Fewer people carry cash or checks, and giving should be as simple as any other payment they make during the week. Here is a clear, step-by-step way to get your church set up, keep your fees low, and encourage the kind of consistent, recurring giving that keeps ministry funded.
Why online giving matters now
Most people no longer write checks, and many rarely carry cash. If the only way to give at your church is to drop something in the plate on Sunday, giving drops the moment someone travels, gets sick, or simply forgets their wallet. Online giving removes that friction. Better still, it makes recurring giving possible, so faithful members can set their giving once and keep supporting the work whether or not they are in the building on a given Sunday.
Step 1: Choose a giving platform built for churches
General payment tools are built for online stores, not congregations. A church giving platform should include a few essentials:
- Low, predictable fees — especially a flat fee on bank transfers (ACH) rather than a percentage that grows with the size of the gift.
- Recurring giving that members can set up and manage themselves.
- Designated funds so gifts can go to the general fund, missions, benevolence, a building fund, and more.
- Year-end statements generated automatically for every giver.
- No per-member fees, so growing your congregation never raises your bill.
Step 2: Connect your church's bank account
To receive gifts, your church completes a short, secure merchant application. You will provide your legal name and tax-exempt status, choose the ministry that will process the giving, and add the business checking account where payouts are deposited. A reputable platform encrypts this information and handles it through a trusted payment processor. Approval is usually quick, and once it is done, your church can accept gifts by card or bank transfer.
Step 3: Set up your funds and recurring options
Before you share your giving link, take a few minutes to create the funds your congregation gives to — general, missions, benevolence, building, or whatever fits your ministry. Turn on recurring giving so members can choose weekly, monthly, or a schedule of their own. If your platform supports guest giving, enable it so first-time visitors can give quickly without creating an account.
Step 4: Share your link and encourage recurring giving
A giving option no one can find will not get used. Put your giving link on your church website, in the bulletin, and in a pinned message members can text to a friend. When you introduce it, gently encourage recurring giving: explain that setting it up once helps the church budget steadily through the summer and the holidays, when attendance dips but the ministry's needs do not.
Keep your fees low: ACH vs. card
Fees quietly determine how much of each gift actually reaches ministry. Card processing typically runs around 2.9% + 30¢ per gift, which on a $500 gift is more than $5. A flat $1 ACH (bank transfer) fee costs the same $1 whether the gift is $50 or $5,000. The simplest way to keep more of every dollar is to encourage regular givers to use bank transfer for their recurring gifts and reserve cards for one-time or first-time giving.
Frequently asked
How long does it take to set up online giving?
Most churches can complete the merchant application in well under an hour; approval and your first gift often follow the same week.
What is the cheapest way for members to give?
Bank transfer (ACH). A flat $1 fee per gift means the church keeps far more than a percentage-based card fee, especially on larger gifts.