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As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure safe, accurate, and secure systems for stewardship, we have developed this e-Giving terminal. This system is powered by ACH Direct, a major vendor of credit card swipe terminals and automated bill pay services. It allows for both electronic funds transfers
from a checking account (EFT's) and debit/credit card transactions with Mastercard or Visa.
How does e-Giving benefit me?
We are commending this system of giving to our members and regular attenders because of its ability to provide you with the following benefits:
- Safe, efficient, direct, and accurate processing of your tithes and offerings
- Immediate, printable receipts
- Convenience and flexibility, including easy setup of recurring transactions
- More options for effective and consistent stewardship
How does e-Giving benefit the church?
Because t his system also allows the option of user-definable recurring transactions, it provides the church with the benefits of:
- Cash flow stabilization from week to week
- More consistent giving, even when families are absent from worship
- Reduction of paperwork burden for the Collection Team each Sunday
- More options for remote giving by donors and friends of the church
What are the costs?
This service doesn't cost you, the giver, anything! It costs the church a small, monthly fee, and the following additional fees are deducted from each transaction:
- EFT transactions cost the church $.24, deducted from the total gift. This is the most effective way to give.
- Debit and credit card transactions cost the church $.24 + 2.23% of the total gift. This option is provided for your convenience, but it is not nearly as effective in terms of maximizing your donation to the church.
What about my giving records and privacy?
This system is set up to work with our normal envelope system. Gifts given electronically can be applied toward a giving envelope number, simply by filling in the corresponding fields when you set up your transaction. Detailed records of e-Giving transactions showing associations between names and amounts will only viewable only by our church accountant and deacons, so your privacy is still protected.
Words of caution about credit cards:
Wayfarer discourages the use of credit cards for tithing for a number of reasons. We believe that a true tithe comes from the firstfruits of one's income, and that one of the goals God has in mind for those who submit to this discipline is financial peace and freedom. Those who would make credit cards their main form of giving risk denying God the gift of firstfruits, instead offering leftovers at the end of the month when the bill actually comes. Also, since credit cards encourage us to spend money we don't yet have, users are prone to incur excessive debt, thus undermining the financial peace and freedom God longs to provide. We recommend the exclusive use of EFT's and debit card transactions for tithing, since these forms of payment draw from funds you actually have and are far less likely to be harmful to your financial health.
For more about credit cards and the threat they pose to your family's financial freedom, click here.
To set up your e-Giving, simply click the button below and get started!
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