While standing orders remain the most cost-effective way for church members to give regularly, digital giving provides an additional way to receive donations as well as reaching other church supporters. Digital giving can be a quick, convenient and effective way for anyone to support the church.

The stewardship team's webinar below provides more information about digital giving.

For every giving method, it is important to inspire people to give, telling the story of your congregation's work; for example, how it supports the local community and others through its ministry, practical support and loving care.

Whichever option is chosen, a payment processor is necessary to process the donor's payment and transfer the donation to the congregation's bank account. Most providers will have step-by-step guidance on how to set this up. You will be required to complete an application form, supply proof of ID for one or more Congregational Trustees and proof that the bank account into which the funds will be deposited belongs to the congregation (usually a bank statement is sufficient). You may also be required to provide a link to your website or a copy of your annual accounts.

The Church of Scotland does not recommend a particular supplier but offers some information about a few suppliers to help congregations get started. It is imperative that, before making a commitment, the local Congregational Trustees take time to fully consider the costs, terms and conditions, regulatory compliance and whether ongoing customer support is available. The stewardship team is available to provide more detailed advice and support on the best digital giving methods for your congregation.

Contactless giving devices

Contactless devices allow donors to give to the congregation with a simple tap of their card or smart device. Devices are set up with usually three to six different amounts for donors to choose from. These pre-set amounts can usually be changed at any time to suit different circumstances or projects.

A password-protected online portal or dashboard will provide information on all donations and, in some cases, allow customisation of the device. As contactless giving is eligible for the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) the information collected can be used for such a claim. Most providers also enable the secure collection of Gift Aid information which can be downloaded to enable the congregation to make a claim to HMRC in the normal way. Some providers may automatically submit Gift Aid claims on the congregation’s behalf.

In most cases the contactless device itself needs to be purchased. A small number of providers offer a leasing service, although this can be more expensive overall. There are usually monthly fees associated with a contactless device and some providers also charge set up and delivery fees. Each transaction incurs a small fee which varies according to the payment processor used by the provider.

Contactless devices can be fixed in prominent locations or be portable, allowing them to be moved to different parts of a building as required. As well as accepting contactless donations, some devices can be used to pay for goods and services at events (such as craft fairs or coffee mornings).

Most devices use a rechargeable battery but can also be plugged into a fixed socket. All contactless devices can connect to the internet through mobile data (4G) and many can also connect through Wi-Fi.

The most appropriate contactless device for a congregation will very much depend on its circumstances, the activities held and the regular footfall. For more information about particular providers and discounts available for Church of Scotland congregations, please email stewardship@churchofscotland.org.uk.

While standing orders are the most efficient and convenient means of receiving offerings, some givers may choose to give using freewill offering envelopes. Further advice on the use of offering envelopes may be found on the Gift Aid information page.

Gift Aid allows your congregation, as a charity, to collect an extra £0.25 on every £1 that an individual donates, provided they are a UK taxpayer and subject to the rules of the scheme. Remember to maximise Gift Aid income by making sure claims are up to date and that eligible members have signed a Gift Aid declaration form. A simple version of the Gift Aid declaration form is available for download. Further guidance on making Gift Aid claims can be found on the Gift Aid information page.

The Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) allows charities to claim an extra £0.25 on every £1 for cash donations of £30 or less or contactless and chip and pin donations of £30 or less. Please note that cheques and other electronic payments are NOT eligible. Further guidance is available on the Gift Aid information page and the GASDS information page.

The webinar below provides additional information on the subject of Gift Aid and GADS.

A gift in a will to the Church of Scotland is one of the most valuable and lasting ways that individuals can continue to support its mission and its ministry. Gifts made in a will to a charity are also exempt from inheritance tax. More guidance on legacies can be found on our dedicated legacies page.

If your congregation does not have its own online giving facility, the central donate facility on the Church's national website can direct donations to specific congregations through PayPal. You can find out more on the national donate page.

An online giving page is a great way to encourage friends and supporters of your congregation to give. Online giving can be used to support the general work of the congregation or for particular appeals and projects. An online giving page can be accessed through a ‘donate button’ on the congregation’s website, a link to a standalone page on a provider’s website or a QR code.  A QR code is a unique image code of small black and white squares which is read by the camera or code reader on a smartphone or tablet and takes the donor directly to an online giving page. A QR code can be included in printed material, notice-boards, websites and online services.

There are numerous providers available, but it may be worth considering one with specialist knowledge of charities and churches, such as:

• Dona
  • No monthly fee
  • Transaction fee: 2.4%
  • Payment processor is SumUp
  • Congregations can offer different funds/projects for the donor to choose from
  • Collects Gift Aid information
• Give a Little
  • Basic Plan: No monthly fee, but annual donations must not exceed £1,000
  • Premium Plan: Sliding price scale starting from £7.50+VAT per month for annual donations up to £7,500. Collects Gift Aid information. Congregations can offer different funds/projects for the donor to choose from
  • Payment processor is either SumUp (transaction fee 2.5%) or Stripe (transaction fee 1.4%+20p)
• Fundraise from Stewardship.org
  • No monthly fees
  • Transaction fee: 3% or 3.5% if claiming Gift Aid
  • Collects and processes Gift Aid claim on the congregation’s behalf
• Just Giving
  • Just Giving offers a “Start Plan” which has no monthly fees.
  • Transaction fee: 1.9% + 20p (plus an additional 5% fee on any Gift Aid processed)
  • Donors are given the option to add on the cost of the transaction fee
  • The Start Plan also offers:
    • Giving Checkout: donors can make online donations but without a customised page
    • Fees: 5% of any Gift Aid they process but no transaction or other fees.
• Data Developments (for MyGiving software users)
  • No additional monthly fees
  • Transaction fee: 2.4% + 20p
  • All donations entered into ‘MyGiving’ automatically
  • Congregations can offer different funds/projects for the donor to choose from
  • Congregations can offer donors the opportunity to cover the cost of the transaction fee
  • Collects and processes Gift Aid claim on the congregation’s behalf
• Wonderful
  • Accessed through a QR code or web link
  • Uses ‘Account to Account’ payments (Open Banking) whereby donations are directly transferred to the congregation’s bank account from the donor’s online or mobile bank account rather than through a payment card. The donation appears almost instantly in the congregation’s bank account.
  • Donors must have access to digital banking facilities either online or through a mobile App.
  • No monthly or transaction fees (fees are covered by a corporate sponsor subject to fair usage)
  • Collects Gift Aid information
• Takepayments QR Code package
  • £20+VAT per month
  • Transaction fee: 1.05% + 5p (debit card), 2.05% + 5p (all other cards)
  • Collects Gift Aid information
  • 12-month minimum contract
  • A promotional ‘starter pack’ is included for Church of Scotland congregations

Standing orders are still the most convenient and cost-effective method for regular givers and supporters. A simple standing order form is available for download. (Please note: the form can be filled out on a computer but you must download it before filling it out, otherwise you will not be able to save your changes.)

Text giving enables anyone with a mobile phone to give to the congregation by texting a keyword and donation amount to a shortcode number. The donation is either added to the donor's phone bill or deducted from their pre-paid credit. The keyword can be shared on social media, websites, printed material and online services. Transaction fees tend to be higher than with other digital giving methods.

There are several providers including:

• Donr
  • Allows one-off or regular donation amounts of £1 to £20
  • Choice of ‘keyword’ with multiple keywords at no additional charge
  • No set up or monthly fees
  • Transaction fee 5%
  • Gift Aid information collected
  • The donor will be charged for their donation plus one standard network rate message (two standard network rate messages for regular donations)
  • Occasionally ‘text to donate’ donations fail due to the donor’s mobile network settings. If this happens they will be notified and given the opportunity to make their donation via card instead. If this happens the congregation will also be charged a card processing fee of 1.4% + 20p over and above the 5% transaction fee.
  • Congregation will receive donations in a monthly lump sum two months (or three months for Vodafone network) after the donation was made.
• Donate (National Funding Scheme)
  • Allows one-off or regular donation amounts of £1, £3, £5, £10, £20 or £30
  • Choose your own ‘keyword’
  • No set up or monthly fees
  • Transaction fee 4.5% unless Gift Aid is added then the fee is 45% of the Gift Aid reclaimed
  • Processes Gift Aid claims on behalf of the congregation (see charge above)
  • The donor will be charged for their donation plus standard network message rates usually apply
  • Congregations will receive donations no earlier than 3 months after the donation was made and only once the total amount donated reaches £100. An outpayment fee of the greater of £3 or 0.5% is applied when donations are transferred.