Complete guide
How to Set Up Online Giving for Your Church
Online giving removes the barriers between a willing heart and a completed donation. Whether your congregation is 50 people or 5,000, this guide walks you through everything you need to make giving accessible, secure, and effortless for every member.
78%
of tithers prefer digital
32%
avg increase after setup
$0
platform fees with ChurchRaise
~15 min
to set up
The case for digital
Why online giving matters
Cash and check giving has been declining steadily for over a decade. According to the Barna Group, the percentage of churchgoers who give exclusively through cash or check dropped from 62% in 2015 to under 40% in 2025. At the same time, digital giving — credit card, debit card, ACH, and mobile payments — has grown to represent the majority of church donations nationwide.
The shift isn't just generational, though younger members certainly lead the trend. Families across all age groups increasingly expect the same convenience from their church that they get from every other part of their financial life. They pay rent, buy groceries, split dinner bills, and donate to nonprofits — all from their phone. If your church only passes a plate, you are asking members to use a giving method they've abandoned everywhere else.
The financial impact is real. Churches that implement online giving see an average increase of 20–30% in total giving within the first year. Much of that growth comes from recurring giving — automated weekly or monthly donations that continue even when a member misses a Sunday. Recurring givers donate, on average, 42% more per year than one-time givers because they give consistently regardless of attendance, travel, or weather.
Beyond the numbers, online giving also reduces the administrative burden on your finance team. Manual counting, data entry, and receipt generation give way to automatic deposits, real-time dashboards, and one-click year-end statements. The hours saved each week can be redirected to pastoral care, outreach, and the work that actually grows your church.
Step by step
How online church giving works
The process is straightforward, whether your church has five givers or five thousand. Here is what happens from setup to deposit.
Church sets up a giving page with fund designations
You create an online giving page through your platform and define the funds members can give to — general tithe, missions, building fund, youth ministry, benevolence, or any custom category. This takes about 15 minutes with most providers.
Members give via website, app, bulletin, or text
Congregants access the giving page from whichever channel is most convenient — your church website, a mobile app, a QR code in the bulletin, or a text-to-give number. They enter an amount, choose a fund, and submit their payment using a credit card, debit card, or bank account.
Funds are deposited to your church bank account
The payment processor (typically Stripe) collects the funds and transfers them to your church's bank account via ACH. Most platforms deposit within 2–3 business days. There is no manual handling — the money moves automatically.
Automatic receipts are sent to donors
Each donor receives an instant email receipt for every gift, providing transparency and building trust. The receipt includes the amount, date, fund designation, and your church's tax ID — everything they need for their records.
Year-end statements are generated automatically
At the end of the year, the platform compiles a complete giving statement for each donor — no spreadsheets, no manual calculations. Members get a professional, IRS-ready document and your admin team gets their January back.
Giving channels
Types of online giving
Online giving isn't one thing — it's a family of channels that meet members where they are. The best approach is to offer several options so every demographic in your congregation has a comfortable path to generosity.
Website giving page
Embed a branded giving form directly on your church website so members can donate without leaving your site. Most platforms provide a simple embed code or hosted page you can link to from your homepage and navigation.
Mobile & app giving
A mobile-optimized giving experience — either through a dedicated church app or a responsive web page — lets members give from their phone in seconds. This is especially important for younger demographics who rarely carry cash.
Text-to-give
Members text a keyword to a dedicated number to initiate a gift. After a one-time setup, repeat gifts can be made in a single text. Text-to-give works well during services when you want to provide an immediate giving prompt.
Bulletin & QR code giving
Place a QR code in your digital or printed bulletin that links directly to your giving page. Members scan with their phone camera and land on a pre-filled form. This bridges the physical and digital experience during worship.
Kiosk giving
Set up a tablet or touch screen in your lobby for members who prefer to give in person but don't carry cash. Kiosk giving is especially helpful for visitors and older members who want a guided, on-site experience.
Recurring & scheduled giving
Allow members to set up automatic weekly, biweekly, or monthly donations. Recurring giving is the single most impactful feature for stabilizing church cash flow — churches that promote it see 20–30% higher annual giving on average.
Evaluation checklist
What to look for in a giving platform
Not all giving platforms are created equal. When comparing options, evaluate each provider against these nine criteria. A platform that checks every box will save your church money, reduce admin overhead, and create a better experience for your givers.
No platform fees (or low percentage)
Some providers charge $29–$99/month on top of processing fees. Look for platforms like ChurchRaise that charge $0 in platform fees so 100% of each donation reaches your church.
Transparent processing fees
Standard card processing is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (Stripe rates). ACH/bank transfers are typically 0.8% capped at $5. Make sure these are clearly disclosed with no hidden markups.
Recurring giving support
Weekly, biweekly, and monthly scheduling is essential. The easier it is for members to set up auto-giving, the more stable your church's financial foundation becomes.
Fund designations
Members should be able to choose where their gift goes — general tithe, missions, building fund, benevolence, youth ministry, and any custom funds your church needs.
Donor management & statements
Built-in donor profiles, giving history, and automatic year-end tax statements save your admin team dozens of hours every January.
Mobile-friendly experience
Over 60% of online gifts are made from a phone. If your giving page isn't optimized for mobile, you're losing donations at the point of decision.
Website & bulletin integration
The giving page should embed seamlessly into your church website and digital bulletin so members never need to leave a familiar environment.
ACH / bank transfer option
Bank transfers carry lower fees than credit cards (typically 0.8% vs. 2.9%). Offering ACH as an option — and encouraging it — can save your church thousands per year.
PCI compliance & security
Your platform must use a PCI Level 1 certified processor (like Stripe) with 256-bit encryption, tokenization, and fraud detection. Never settle for anything less.
Fee breakdown
Understanding giving fees
Fees are the single most misunderstood aspect of online giving. There are three types of fees to watch for, and they stack on top of each other with some providers.
- Platform fee — A monthly subscription charged by the giving provider for access to their software ($0–$449/month depending on the provider).
- Processing fee — The per-transaction cost charged by the payment processor (typically Stripe or Braintree) to move money. Standard rate: 2.9% + 30¢ for cards.
- ACH fee — A lower fee for bank transfers, typically 0.8–1.0% capped at $5–$10. Encouraging ACH over credit cards can save your church thousands annually.
ChurchRaise charges $0 in platform fees. The only cost is standard Stripe processing (2.9% + 30¢ for cards, 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH). The service fee can optionally be covered by the giver — meaning 100% of every donation reaches the church.
| Provider | Platform Fee | Card Processing | ACH Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChurchRaiseFree | $0/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | 0.8% (max $5) |
| Tithe.ly | $0–$149/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | 1% + 30¢ |
| Pushpay | $199–$449/mo | Included* | Included* |
| Subsplash Giving | $0–$249/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | Varies |
| Planning Center Giving | $0 (with PC) | 2.2% + 30¢ | 0.8% + 30¢ |
| Breeze Giving | $0 (with Breeze) | 2.9% + 30¢ | 1% (max $10) |
* Pushpay bundles processing into the platform fee. Actual per-transaction rates are not publicly disclosed. Fees listed are approximate and may vary by plan. Last updated March 2026.
Launch playbook
5 best practices for launching online giving
Setting up the technology is the easy part. The real success of online giving depends on how you introduce it to your congregation. Follow these five practices to maximize adoption and build momentum from day one.
Announce it for 3 weeks before and after launch
Introduce online giving from the pulpit, in your bulletin, via email, and on social media for at least three weeks before going live. After launch, remind the congregation for another three weeks. Repetition matters — most people need to hear about a new option five to seven times before they try it.
Make it visible everywhere
Add a "Give" button to your website header, include a QR code in every bulletin, display the giving URL on lobby screens, and mention it during offering time. The fewer clicks between intention and action, the more people will follow through. If someone has to search for how to give, you've already lost them.
Encourage recurring giving from day one
When you launch, don't just ask people to give online — ask them to set up a recurring gift. Frame it as a convenience for them ("never worry about forgetting your checkbook") rather than a financial strategy for the church. Churches that lead with recurring giving see significantly higher retention rates and more predictable monthly income.
Thank donors personally for the first month
Have your pastor or a staff member send a personal thank-you email or text to every person who gives online during the first 30 days. This builds trust in the new system and creates positive momentum. A brief "thank you for trying online giving — it makes a real difference" goes a long way.
Share impact stories tied to giving
People give more when they see the impact. Each month, share a brief story about what giving made possible — a family that received benevolence support, a youth retreat that was fully funded, a missions trip that exceeded its goal. Tie the story back to generosity and make the connection between digital giving and real-world ministry.
Built for churches
How ChurchRaise handles online giving
ChurchRaise was designed from the ground up to make online giving simple, transparent, and completely free for churches. There are no monthly platform fees, no feature tiers, and no upgrade prompts. Every church — from a 30-person plant to a multi-campus ministry — gets the same tools.
Payment processing runs through Stripe, the same infrastructure used by Amazon, Shopify, and millions of businesses worldwide. Members pay with credit card, debit card, or ACH bank transfer. Processing fees are standard Stripe rates (2.9% + 30¢ for cards, 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH), and the giver can optionally cover the service fee so the church receives 100% of their intended gift.
Zero platform fees
No monthly cost. No annual contract. No hidden charges.
Recurring giving
Weekly, biweekly, or monthly auto-donations with one-click setup.
Fund designations
Tithe, missions, building fund, benevolence — unlimited custom funds.
Automatic statements
Year-end tax statements generated and emailed with one click.
Built into digital bulletins
Members give directly from the Sunday bulletin — no separate app needed.
Donor insights dashboard
Track giving trends, first-time givers, lapsed donors, and fund breakdowns.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the most common questions church leaders ask about setting up and managing online giving.
Continue reading
Online Giving Features
Explore every giving tool built into ChurchRaise — recurring gifts, fund designations, and more.
How to Grow Church Giving
Proven strategies to increase generosity and build a culture of stewardship.
Year-End Giving Statements Guide
Everything you need to know about generating IRS-compliant donor statements.
Church Giving Trends in 2026
Data-driven insights into how church giving is evolving and what it means for your church.
Ready to accept online giving?
Join thousands of churches using ChurchRaise to make generosity simple. Free forever, set up in 15 minutes, no credit card required.