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Online Giving with Stripe

Enable secure online donations through your church website. Your congregation and visitors can give from anywhere, anytime, using their credit or debit cards.

What is Online Giving?

Online giving allows people to donate to your church through your website using:

  • Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
  • Debit cards
  • Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
  • Bank transfers (ACH - coming soon!)

All donations go directly to your church's Stripe account - ChapelWebsites.com never touches your money.

How It Works

Your Own Stripe Account

Unlike many church platforms, ChapelWebsites.com lets you use your own Stripe account. This means:

You Control Everything:

  • All donation money goes directly to your bank account
  • You set your own processing fees and policies
  • You manage refunds and disputes directly
  • You have complete access to donor data

We Never Take a Cut:

  • 100% of donations (minus Stripe's standard processing fees) go to you
  • No platform fees
  • No hidden charges
  • No percentage of your giving

Security & Privacy:

  • Your Stripe keys are encrypted with bank-level security
  • We never see or store credit card numbers
  • Stripe handles all payment processing securely
  • PCI-compliant payment processing

The Process

  1. You create a Stripe account (if you don't have one)
  2. You connect your Stripe account to ChapelWebsites.com
  3. A "Give" button appears on your public church website
  4. Visitors click "Give" and enter donation amount
  5. Stripe processes the payment securely
  6. Money goes directly to your bank account (minus Stripe fees)
  7. You manage everything through your Stripe dashboard

Who Can Set Up Giving?

Can Connect Stripe:

  • Church Owners
  • Church Admins

Cannot Connect Stripe:

  • Church Members (view-only access)

Before You Begin

Create a Stripe Account

If you don't already have a Stripe account:

  1. Go to stripe.com
  2. Click Sign Up
  3. Choose Standard account (free for nonprofits and churches)
  4. Provide your church information:
    • Church legal name
    • EIN (Employer Identification Number) if you have one
    • Bank account for deposits
    • Contact information

Important: Use your church's information, not personal details.

Stripe Account Benefits:

  • Free to sign up
  • No monthly fees
  • Pay only when you receive donations (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction)
  • Fast deposits (typically 2 business days to your bank)
  • Full dashboard to track giving
  • Donor management tools
  • Automatic receipts for donors

Need Help with Stripe?

  • Stripe has excellent support: support.stripe.com
  • Many churches use Stripe successfully
  • Their nonprofit resources are free

Find Your Stripe API Keys

Once your Stripe account is active:

  1. Log in to your Stripe dashboard at dashboard.stripe.com
  2. Click Developers in the top navigation
  3. Click API Keys in the left sidebar
  4. You'll see two keys:

Publishable Key:

  • Starts with pk_test_ (test mode) or pk_live_ (live mode)
  • Safe to use on your website
  • Identifies your Stripe account

Secret Key:

  • Starts with sk_test_ (test mode) or sk_live_ (live mode)
  • Keep this confidential!
  • Allows processing payments

Test vs. Live Mode:

Test Mode (pk_test_ and sk_test_):

  • Use for testing before going live
  • No real money is processed
  • Good for verifying setup works
  • Use Stripe's test card numbers

Live Mode (pk_live_ and sk_live_):

  • Use for real donations
  • Actual money is processed
  • Requires completed Stripe account verification
  • Use when you're ready to accept real gifts

Tip: Start with test mode to verify everything works, then switch to live mode when ready!

Connecting Your Stripe Account

Step-by-Step Connection Process

  1. Access Giving Settings

    • Log in to your ChapelWebsites.com dashboard
    • Click Giving in the left navigation

  2. Click "Connect Stripe Account"

    • You'll see a form with two fields

  3. Enter Your Publishable Key

    • Copy from Stripe dashboard (Developers → API Keys)
    • Paste into "Publishable Key" field
    • Should start with pk_test_ or pk_live_

  4. Enter Your Secret Key

    • Copy from Stripe dashboard (Developers → API Keys)
    • Paste into "Secret Key" field
    • Should start with sk_test_ or sk_live_

  5. Click "Connect Stripe"

    • System validates your keys with Stripe
    • If valid, you'll see a success message
    • Your account ID appears on the page

  6. Verify Connection

    • You'll see "Stripe Connected" status
    • Account ID is displayed
    • "Disconnect" button appears

Your "Give" button is now live on your website!

What Happens Behind the Scenes

When you connect Stripe:

  • Your API keys are encrypted with AES-256-GCM (bank-level security)
  • We verify the keys work by contacting Stripe
  • We retrieve your Stripe account ID
  • Keys are stored encrypted in our database
  • "Give" button activates on your public website

Security Note: Your encrypted keys are only decrypted when processing donations. We use the highest level of encryption available.

How Visitors Give on Your Website

The Donor Experience

  1. Visitor goes to your church website

    • They see your beautiful homepage

  2. They click the "Give" button

    • Usually in the top navigation
    • Or in a prominent section on the homepage

  3. Stripe payment form appears

    • Professional, secure payment form
    • Hosted by Stripe (not us)
    • Mobile-friendly

  4. They enter donation details:

    • Donation amount
    • Card information
    • Name and email (for receipt)

  5. They submit the donation

    • Stripe processes securely
    • Receives instant confirmation
    • Gets email receipt from Stripe

  6. Money goes to your bank account

    • Minus Stripe's processing fee (2.9% + 30¢)
    • Typically deposits in 2 business days
    • Appears in your Stripe dashboard immediately

What Your "Give" Button Looks Like

The "Give" button automatically:

  • Matches your church's theme colors
  • Appears in your site navigation
  • Works on all devices
  • Is labeled clearly ("Give" or "Donate")
  • Opens Stripe's secure payment form

You don't need to design or configure anything - it just works!

Managing Donations

Your Stripe Dashboard

All donation management happens in your Stripe dashboard at dashboard.stripe.com:

What You Can See:

  • All donations received (amount, date, donor name)
  • Total giving by day, week, month, year
  • Donor contact information
  • Payment methods used
  • Successful and failed transactions
  • Refunds and disputes

What You Can Do:

  • Issue refunds if needed
  • Export giving reports for your treasurer
  • See donor email addresses
  • Download transaction history
  • Manage recurring donations (when we add this feature)

Reports:

  • Daily summaries
  • Custom date ranges
  • Export to Excel/CSV
  • Filter by amount, date, or donor

Understanding Stripe Fees

Stripe charges standard processing fees:

Per Transaction:

  • 2.9% + 30¢ for credit/debit cards
  • Example: $100 donation = $97.20 to your church ($2.80 fee)

No Other Fees:

  • No monthly fees
  • No setup fees
  • No PCI compliance fees
  • No statement fees
  • No batch fees

Why Fees Exist:

  • Credit card networks charge Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
  • Fraud prevention and security
  • Payment processing infrastructure
  • 24/7 reliability

Tip: Some churches add a "cover the fees" option for donors. This is a feature we're adding soon!

Donor Receipts

Stripe automatically:

  • Emails a receipt to the donor
  • Includes donation amount and date
  • Shows your church name
  • Provides transaction ID
  • Meets IRS requirements for acknowledgment

Year-End Statements: You can export donor data from Stripe to create annual giving statements for tax purposes.

Disconnecting Stripe

If you need to disconnect your Stripe account:

  1. Go to Giving in your dashboard
  2. Click the Disconnect Stripe button
  3. Confirm you want to disconnect
  4. Your Stripe connection is removed immediately

What Happens When You Disconnect:

  • The "Give" button disappears from your website
  • Your encrypted keys are deleted from our database
  • Past donation records remain in your Stripe account
  • You can reconnect anytime with the same or different account

When to Disconnect:

  • Switching to a different Stripe account
  • Temporarily disabling online giving
  • Church financial policies change
  • Security concern with your Stripe keys

Note: You can always reconnect immediately by entering your keys again.

Test Mode vs. Live Mode

Using Test Mode

Why Test First:

  • Verify everything works before accepting real money
  • Familiarize yourself with the giving process
  • Train volunteers on how it works
  • Test different donation amounts

Setting Up Test Mode:

  1. In Stripe dashboard, make sure you're in Test Mode (toggle in left sidebar)
  2. Copy test mode API keys (pk_test_ and sk_test_)
  3. Connect to ChapelWebsites.com using test keys
  4. Try test donations

Test Credit Card Numbers (provided by Stripe):

  • Success: 4242 4242 4242 4242
  • Declined: 4000 0000 0000 0002
  • Use any future expiration date
  • Use any 3-digit CVC

What You'll See:

  • Test donations appear in Stripe test dashboard
  • No real money is processed
  • Same experience as live mode
  • Labeled "TEST" in Stripe

Switching to Live Mode

When you're ready to accept real donations:

  1. In Stripe dashboard, complete account verification:

    • Provide bank account details
    • Verify your church information
    • Accept terms of service

  2. Switch to Live Mode in Stripe (toggle in left sidebar)

  3. Copy live mode API keys (pk_live_ and sk_live_)

  4. In ChapelWebsites.com:

    • Disconnect your test mode connection
    • Reconnect using live mode keys

  5. Test with a small real donation to verify

You're now accepting real donations!

Best Practices

Security

Protect Your API Keys:

  • Never share your secret key publicly
  • Don't email or text your keys
  • If compromised, generate new keys in Stripe immediately
  • Only give Stripe access to trusted team members

Regular Check-Ins:

  • Review Stripe dashboard weekly for new donations
  • Watch for unusual activity
  • Keep Stripe contact email current
  • Respond to Stripe emails promptly

Communication

Tell Your Congregation:

  • Announce online giving availability
  • Mention in bulletin and emails
  • Share website URL
  • Explain how to give online

Sample Announcement:

"Great news! You can now give to [Church Name] online. Visit our website at chapelwebsites.com/your-church and click 'Give' to make a secure donation with your credit or debit card. Questions? Contact our office."

Promote the Option:

  • Social media posts about online giving
  • Add to email signatures
  • Print on bulletins
  • Mention from the platform/pulpit

Financial Management

Track Giving:

  • Assign someone to check Stripe dashboard regularly
  • Export reports monthly for bookkeeping
  • Reconcile Stripe deposits with bank account
  • Include in financial reports to church board

Budgeting:

  • Remember to account for Stripe fees in budget
  • Most churches budget 3% for processing fees
  • Online giving often increases total giving

Year-End:

  • Export full year of donations
  • Match with your church management system
  • Provide statements to donors for tax purposes

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API Key" Error

Causes:

  • Typed the key incorrectly
  • Copied extra spaces
  • Using test key when you meant live (or vice versa)
  • Key was deleted in Stripe

Solutions:

  • Copy the key again from Stripe dashboard
  • Make sure there are no extra spaces
  • Verify test vs. live mode matches
  • Generate new keys if needed

"Give" Button Not Appearing

Causes:

  • Stripe not connected
  • Browser cache showing old version
  • Using test mode keys (check Stripe dashboard)

Solutions:

  • Verify connection in Giving settings
  • Hard refresh browser (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
  • Disconnect and reconnect Stripe
  • View in incognito/private mode

Donations Not Showing in Stripe

Causes:

  • Wrong Stripe account connected
  • Test mode vs. live mode mismatch
  • Payment failed (check donor's email)

Solutions:

  • Verify which Stripe account is connected
  • Check test mode vs. live mode
  • Ask donor to check their email for error message
  • Look in Stripe's "Failed Payments" section

Can't Disconnect Stripe

Causes:

  • Permission issue
  • Connection error

Solutions:

Advanced Options (Coming Soon)

We're working on enhanced giving features:

Recurring Donations

  • Monthly, weekly, or custom giving schedules
  • Donor manages their own recurring gifts
  • Automatic receipts for each gift

Designated Giving

  • Multiple giving funds (building fund, missions, etc.)
  • Donor selects where gift goes
  • Track giving by fund

Custom Giving Forms

  • Add custom questions
  • Collect donor information
  • Memorial or honor gifts

Cover Processing Fees

  • Option for donors to cover the 2.9% + 30¢ fee
  • Increases net amount to church
  • Popular with many donors

Text-to-Give

  • Donors text a number to give
  • Mobile-optimized experience
  • Coming in 2025

Want to be notified when these launch? Make sure your church email is current in Settings!

Frequently Asked Questions

About Stripe

Do we need a separate Stripe account or can we use someone's personal account? Always use a Stripe account registered to your church, not personal. Stripe offers free Standard accounts for nonprofits and churches.

What does Stripe charge? 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. No monthly fees, setup fees, or hidden charges.

How long until money reaches our bank account? Typically 2 business days after the donation. Your first transfer may take 7-10 days as Stripe verifies your account.

Can we get a lower rate from Stripe? Contact Stripe directly about nonprofit rates. Some qualified nonprofits may get reduced fees.

What if a donor wants a refund? Issue refunds directly through your Stripe dashboard. The processing fee is not refunded by Stripe.

About ChapelWebsites.com

Does ChapelWebsites.com take any percentage of donations? No! 100% of your donation (minus Stripe's standard fees) goes to your church. We never take a cut.

Where is my Stripe secret key stored? Encrypted in our database using AES-256-GCM encryption (same security level as banks). It's only decrypted when processing a donation.

Can I use a different payment processor? Currently, we only support Stripe. Other processors may be added in the future based on demand.

What happens if I disconnect and reconnect? Nothing changes with past donations. They remain in your Stripe account. You just re-enter your keys.

Can I switch Stripe accounts? Yes! Disconnect the current account and connect a different one using different API keys.

About Donors

Do donors need a Stripe account? No! Donors just need a credit or debit card. They don't need a Stripe account.

Will donors see "Stripe" or our church name? They'll see your church name (as registered with Stripe) on their credit card statement.

Can donors give anonymously? Stripe requires name and email for payment processing, but you can honor anonymity in how you use that information.

What if a donation fails? The donor receives an email from Stripe explaining the issue (declined card, insufficient funds, etc.). They can try again with a different payment method.

About Taxes & Compliance

Are online donations tax-deductible? That depends on your church's tax status. If you're a 501(c)(3), yes. Consult your tax advisor.

Does Stripe provide year-end statements? Stripe provides data exports. Most churches create custom year-end letters using that data.

Do we need to report online giving differently? Online giving is treated the same as check or cash giving for tax purposes. Consult your church accountant.

Getting Help

Stripe Support

For Stripe-specific questions:

  • Stripe Support: support.stripe.com
  • Stripe Docs: stripe.com/docs
  • Phone: Available for verified accounts

ChapelWebsites.com Support

For integration or connection issues:

Next Steps

With online giving enabled:

  1. Announce It - Create event about launching online giving
  2. Promote It - Make sure your website looks great

Ready to get started? Create your Stripe account at stripe.com, then connect it in your dashboard!

Questions? Email [email protected] or check our FAQ.

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