Payment Gateway Setup: Connect Your Church’s Payment Processing

Every online donation, event registration, or product purchase flows through your church’s payment gateway. Whether you’re setting up card processing for the first time, reviewing weekly payouts, or creating a quick payment link for a special event, the Payment Gateway feature in OnlineGiving.org gives you the tools to manage it all in one place.

Why Payment Gateway Setup Matters

Your payment gateway is the bridge between your donors and your church’s bank account. When someone gives online, the transaction is processed securely by your gateway provider, and funds are deposited into your designated account on a regular schedule. Getting this right from the start means fewer headaches for your finance team and more confidence that every gift reaches your ministry.

For churches using OnlineGiving.org’s integrated payment processing, the setup wizard walks you through the essentials: your organization’s legal information, bank account details, and administrator verification. Once complete, you can view your merchant account status, monitor your available and pending balances, and track your payout history—all from your control panel.

Beyond Setup: Payouts, Payment Links, and More

After your gateway is configured, you’ll use the gateway dashboard to review your account status and bank information. The Payout History page lets you see when funds were transferred to your bank, with expandable rows for each payout showing the individual donations that contributed to it. This transparency helps you reconcile your bank statements and answer donor questions about when their gift arrives.

You can also create custom payment links and short URLs from Giving Settings. These links let you share pre-configured donation forms for specific funds, amounts, or campaigns—perfect for email blasts, social media posts, or QR codes at events. The statement descriptor appears on your donors’ bank and credit card statements, so you can customize how your church name appears when it matters most.

Your Gateway, Your Control

OnlineGiving.org’s Payment Gateway feature is designed to put you in control. Update your bank account or contact information when needed, verify your account status when prompted, and access payout details whenever you need them. Need help? Contact support at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000 for courtesy setup assistance.

In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Payment Gateway feature.

Payment Gateway User Guide:

The Payment Gateway feature lets you connect and manage your church’s card processing account. When your church uses OnlineGiving.org’s integrated payment processing, you can complete the initial setup wizard, view your merchant account and bank information, update your account details, and track your payout history. Related tools such as Custom Payment Links and Short URLs are available from Giving Settings and help you create shareable donation links for specific funds, amounts, or campaigns.

Key Takeaways

• Initial Setup: Complete the multi-step wizard with organization or individual details, bank account information, and administrator verification.
• Gateway Dashboard: View your legal entity, bank account, statement descriptor, available and pending balances, and verification status.
• Update Information: Use the Update Information button to make changes to your account via the secure payment processor portal.
• Payout History: View payout dates, destinations, statuses, and amounts. Expand rows to see individual donations that contributed to each payout.
• Payment Links: Create custom donation links with pre-set amounts, funds, and payment pages from Giving Settings.

Table of Contents

1. Overview
   • Accessing the Payment Gateway
2. Initial Setup
   • Organization Information
   • Bank Account Information
3. Editing Gateway Settings
4. Viewing Payouts
5. Payment Links
6. Short URLs
7. Statement Descriptor
8. Tips and Best Practices
9. Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

The Payment Gateway feature is available when your church uses OnlineGiving.org’s integrated card processing. It provides a single place to manage your merchant account, view bank and balance information, and track payouts. If you have not yet completed setup, you will be prompted to do so before accessing other parts of the control panel.

Accessing the Payment Gateway

To open the Payment Gateway:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Click “Card Gateway” in the left navigation menu under Giving Settings.

Alternatively, go to Giving Settings and find the Card Gateway Settings section. Click the edit button next to “Manage Card Gateway Settings” to open the gateway dashboard.

Initial Setup

When your church first uses the integrated payment processing, you must complete the setup wizard. The wizard walks you through two main steps: organization information and bank account details.

Organization Information

In the first step, select your legal entity type:

• Company: For churches and organizations. You will enter organization name, phone, tax ID (EIN), and address.
• Individual: For sole proprietors. You will enter contact phone and mailing address.

For company accounts, provide the organization name (the publicly visible name), organization phone, tax ID (EIN) in the format XX-XXXXXXX, and full address including city, state, postal code, and country. For individual accounts, provide contact phone and mailing address.

You will also need to provide Account Administrator Information for verification purposes:

• First name and last name
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number (or personal ID number)

This information is required for account verification and fraud prevention. Even for organizations, the administrator’s date of birth and SSN are used for verification.

Bank Account Information

In the second step, enter the bank account where you want donations deposited:

• Checking Account Type: Choose Business Checking or Personal Checking depending on who holds the account.
• Account Holder Name: The name of the person or business that owns the bank account.
• Routing Number: Your bank’s routing number.
• Account Number: Your bank account number.

By completing the setup, you agree to the OnlineGiving.org Terms of Service and the payment processor’s Connected Account Agreement. Click “Save & Complete Setup” to finish. You will be redirected to the gateway dashboard once setup is complete.

Editing Gateway Settings

After setup, you can update your account information when needed. On the gateway dashboard, click the “Update Information” button. You will be redirected to the secure payment processor portal where you can change your legal entity details, bank account, address, or other verification information.

If your account shows that transfers are not enabled or that additional verification is required, click “Check for Required Additional Verification” to return to the portal and complete any pending steps.

Viewing Payouts

The Payout History page shows when funds were transferred from your payment processor to your bank account. To open it:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Click “Card Gateway” in the left navigation.
3. Click “View Payouts” in the page header.

The payout table displays:

• Date: When the payout was initiated
• Destination: The bank account (e.g., bank name and last four digits)
• Status: Current status of the payout
• Amount: The total amount transferred

Click a payout row to expand it and see the individual donations that contributed to that payout. Each expanded row shows the donation date, amount, fee, and net amount for each transaction, plus totals for the payout. Use “Load More” to fetch additional payouts when available.

Payment Links

Custom payment links let you create shareable URLs that point donors to a pre-configured donation form. Use them for email campaigns, social media, QR codes, or printed materials. Payment links are created from Giving Settings, not from the gateway page.

To create a payment link:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Go to Giving Settings.
3. In the Express & Custom Payment section, click the edit button next to “Generate Custom Payment Links”.
4. Configure the link options:

• Amount (optional): Pre-set a default gift amount (e.g., 10000 for $100.00).
• Memo/Description (optional): Pre-fill a default memo or description.
• Default Fund: Choose a fund or use the default for the page.
• Default Sub-Fund: Choose a sub-fund or leave as Any.
• Limit to selected fund/sub-fund: When checked, the donation form shows only the selected fund and sub-fund combination.
• Default Payment Frequency: One-time, recurring, or use page default.
• Select Payment Page: Choose which giving page or form the link will use.

Click “Create Payment Link” to generate the URL. The generated link and QR code appear below. Copy the link to share via email, social media, or print. Use the QR code for in-person events or printed materials.

Short URLs

Short URLs are available for generating compact purchase links. When your church uses this feature, you can enter a domain and purchase price to create a 30-day purchase link. This is useful for specific purchase scenarios such as event tickets or product sales. Access the short URL tool from your Giving Settings or the settings area where it is configured for your account.

Statement Descriptor

The statement descriptor is the text that appears on your donors’ bank and credit card statements when they give. It helps donors recognize the charge and reduces confusion or support calls. On the gateway dashboard, the current statement descriptor is displayed under Legal Entity Information. Typical descriptors are short (e.g., your church name or abbreviation) and may be limited by your payment processor’s rules. If you need to change it, use the Update Information button to access the payment processor portal.

Tips and Best Practices

• Complete setup promptly: Until your gateway is set up, you may not be able to accept donations. Finish the wizard as soon as possible after your account is enabled.
• Keep bank details current: If you change banks or account numbers, use Update Information to update your details in the payment processor portal.
• Reconcile with payouts: Use the Payout History table to match transfers to your bank statements. Expand each payout to see the individual donations that make up the total.
• Use payment links for campaigns: Create custom links for fundraisers, special offerings, or events. Limit the form to the relevant fund and sub-fund for a focused giving experience.
• Verify your statement descriptor: Ensure it clearly identifies your church so donors recognize the charge on their statements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find the Payment Gateway?

Click “Card Gateway” in the left navigation menu under Giving Settings. You can also go to Giving Settings and click the edit button next to “Manage Card Gateway Settings” in the Card Gateway Settings section.

Do I need to complete setup before accepting donations?

Yes. Until the gateway setup wizard is complete, your church cannot process card donations through the integrated payment processor. You will be redirected to the setup page when you try to access other parts of the control panel until setup is finished.

How often are payouts sent to my bank?

The transfer schedule is typically displayed on a rolling basis (e.g., daily or weekly with a delay). Check the Verification Information section on your gateway dashboard for your specific schedule (e.g., “Daily - 2 day rolling basis”).

Can I change my bank account?

Yes. Click “Update Information” on the gateway dashboard. You will be redirected to the secure payment processor portal where you can update your bank account details.

What happens if my account needs additional verification?

If transfers are not enabled or you see a message about additional verification, click “Check for Required Additional Verification” to return to the portal. Complete any requested steps (e.g., additional identity documents or business information) to restore full functionality.

How do I create a payment link for a specific fund?

Go to Giving Settings > Generate Custom Payment Links. Select the fund and sub-fund from the dropdowns. Check the option to limit the form to only display the selected fund/sub-fund combination. Choose your payment page and click Create Payment Link. Copy the generated URL to share.

Why doesn’t my church see the Card Gateway?

The Card Gateway feature is available when your church uses OnlineGiving.org’s integrated card processing. Churches using a different payment processor may see a different link (e.g., to an external gateway portal) or no gateway section at all. Contact support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000 if you have questions about your church’s configuration.

Need help setting up? Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000. OnlineGiving.org provides courtesy setup assistance for our customers.