Online Giving Setup

Quick Summary: Connect Stripe, customize your giving page to match your church brand, and make online giving available to your congregation.

Overview

Online giving can give donors another way to support your church. Connect an eligible Stripe account, customize the giving page, test the complete donor and reconciliation flow, and keep a human review step for transactions and records.

Online and recurring giving can give people additional ways to support the church. Participation, timing, and revenue vary, so present these options clearly without promising a change in giving behavior.

Setup time depends on the readiness of your Stripe account and church information. Stripe processes payments, and completed donations can be linked to donor profiles in Relius. Review the current giving settings and Stripe documentation for payment timing, notifications, and processing details.

Key Concepts

Stripe: The payment processor Relius uses to securely handle credit cards, debit cards, and ACH bank transfers
Processing Fee: An amount set by the payment processor and current account terms
Giving Page: Your customized online donation page where donors enter gift amounts and payment details
Text-to-Give: A feature that lets donors text a keyword to a phone number to initiate giving
Recurring Donation: An automated gift that repeats on a schedule set by the donor
Fee Coverage: An option for donors to add extra to their gift to cover processing fees

Getting Started

Step 1: Create or Connect Your Stripe Account

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Stripe. Click Connect Stripe and you'll be guided through creating a Stripe account (if you don't have one) or connecting your existing account. You'll need basic information: your church's legal name, EIN, bank account details for deposits, and contact information.

Stripe controls account verification and timing. Follow the status shown in Stripe and complete any requested review before enabling the giving page.

Step 2: Customize Your Giving Page

Go to Giving → Online Giving → Customize Page. Upload your church logo, choose accent colors that match your branding, and write a compelling message about stewardship. Add suggested giving amounts (like $25, $50, $100) or let donors enter custom amounts. Select which funds are available for designation.

Step 3: Share Your Giving URL

Your unique giving page URL is yourdomain.com/give (or yourchurch.relius.app/give if using Relius hosting). Add this link to your website header, include it in email signatures, post it on social media, and announce it from the pulpit. Test it yourself by making a small donation to confirm everything works!

Features

Stripe Integration Walkthrough

Stripe is the industry standard for online payments—used by millions of businesses worldwide. When you connect Stripe to Relius:

Payment security – Review Stripe's current security and PCI documentation, and confirm how payment credentials flow through your configured integration
Automatic deposits – Funds transfer to your bank account on a rolling 2-day schedule (customizable)
Built-in fraud protection – Machine learning detects suspicious transactions before they process
Dashboard access – View detailed transaction reports, refunds, and fees directly in Stripe
Donor portal – Donors can log into Stripe to update payment methods or cancel recurring gifts

Processing fees, payout deductions, and supported payment methods are governed by your current Stripe and Relius terms. Review the amounts shown in the connected account and pricing pages before launch. If donor fee coverage is available, explain that it offsets estimated fees rather than guaranteeing a particular net amount.

Giving Page Customization

Your giving page is the face of your online stewardship. Customize these elements:

Logo & branding – Upload your church logo and set primary/accent colors
Welcome message – Explain why giving matters: "Your generosity fuels our mission to serve the community and spread the Gospel."
Fund selection – Let donors choose between General, Building, Missions, or create custom categories
Suggested amounts – Guide giving with preset buttons: $25, $50, $100, $250, or custom
Frequency options – Enable one-time, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly giving
Fee coverage – If available, explain that an added amount offsets an estimated fee and may not equal the final fee
Thank you message – What donors see after giving: "Thank you for your faithful generosity! You'll receive a receipt via email."

Text-to-Give Setup

If Text-to-Give is available for your plan and region, test the full opt-in and payment flow before announcing it. A sample call to action might be: "Text GIVE to our church number to open the giving page."

To enable Text-to-Give:

Go to Giving → Text-to-Give
Review any phone-number requirement and current provider cost
Set your keyword (typically "GIVE" but can be custom like "MISSIONS" or "BUILD")
Configure default fund and giving page settings

Confirm how the configured keyword, giving link, saved payment methods, consent, and transaction confirmation work. Require donors to review the amount and fund before submitting every gift.

Advanced Features

Custom Giving Forms

Create specialized forms for specific campaigns or events. A mission trip form can include custom fields like "Preferred trip date" or "Missionary support name." A building fund form might ask "Would you like your name on the donor wall?" Each form has its own URL and tracks separately in reports.

Kiosk Mode

Turn a tablet into a giving station for your lobby. Enable kiosk mode to lock the device into a simplified giving interface—perfect for first-time visitors or those who prefer to give digitally but forgot their phone. The screen resets after each transaction to protect privacy.

Setup tip: Mount an iPad near your welcome desk with a sign: "Give Here." Set it to always show the giving form and auto-reset after 30 seconds of inactivity.

ACH (Bank Account) Giving

Ask Stripe whether ACH is available for your account and review its current fees, authorization flow, return risk, and payout timing. Do not represent ACH as universally cheaper or faster without checking the connected account.

QR Code Generation

Generate a QR code that links directly to your giving page. Print it on bulletins, display it on screens during service, or put it on offering envelopes. Anyone can scan with their phone camera and give immediately. Update QR codes to link to specific campaigns when needed.

Embeddable Giving Widget

Add a giving form directly to your church website without redirecting to a separate page. Copy the embed code from Relius and paste into your site—donors can give without ever leaving your homepage. Great for churches with custom websites who want seamless integration.

Multi-Currency Support

Ask Stripe and Relius support whether multi-currency giving is available for your account and region. Confirm conversion, fee, settlement-currency, and refund behavior before publishing currency options.

Scheduled Giving (Future-Dated)

If scheduled gifts are available, test how future dates, failed payments, cancellations, and donor notifications work before inviting donors to use them.

Best Practices

Test before announcing – Make a real donation yourself to confirm the entire flow works smoothly
Promote consistently – Mention online giving every 4-6 weeks from the pulpit; many won't remember after one announcement
Make it visible – Add "Give Online" buttons to your website header, email signatures, and social media profiles
Explain recurring giving clearly – Show frequency, cancellation, receipt, and failed-payment behavior without promising revenue outcomes
Keep fund options simple – Too many choices overwhelm donors; start with 3-5 funds, add more as needed
Explain fee coverage – If available, show that it offsets an estimate and may not equal the final processing fee
Verify receipts – Test configured confirmation emails and explain that provider delivery can be delayed
Monitor failed transactions – Check weekly for declined cards or expired payment methods and reach out to donors
Update branding regularly – Keep your giving page fresh with seasonal messages or campaign highlights

Common Questions

Q: How much do processing fees cost our church?

A: Fees vary by Stripe account, region, payment method, and current Relius terms. Review the connected account and pricing pages, and reconcile the actual net deposit rather than relying on an example rate.

Q: Can donors give anonymously online?

A: Confirm which public-name, internal-record, payment-identity, and receipt options are currently supported. Explain those distinctions to donors and obtain qualified tax guidance before promising anonymity or receipt eligibility.

Q: What happens if a donor's recurring donation fails?

A: Retry and notification behavior depends on the current Stripe configuration. Check the payment status in Stripe, confirm what the donor received, and follow up without requesting payment credentials directly.

Q: Can we accept cryptocurrency or digital wallet payments?

A: Currently, Relius supports credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers through Stripe. For cryptocurrency donations, consider using a service like Engiven or The Giving Block, then manually record those gifts in Relius.

Q: Is online giving secure? What about data breaches?

A: Security depends on the full configuration and operating process. Review Stripe's current trust and PCI materials, Relius security documentation, account permissions, and your church's procedures. Do not treat this guide as a compliance certification.

Q: How quickly do donations reach our bank account?

A: Payout timing varies by account, payment method, region, risk review, weekends, and holidays. Use the pending payout date shown in your Stripe dashboard rather than promising a fixed settlement window.