Payment Methods: Managing Stored Cards and Bank Accounts

When a donor saves a credit card or bank account for future giving, that information is stored securely in OnlineGiving.org. Over time, donors may update their card, close an old bank account, or call the church office asking to remove a payment method they no longer use. Perhaps a member’s card expired and they forgot to update it—their recurring donation is now failing. Or a donor moved and wants to switch from one bank to another. In these everyday scenarios, church administrators need a clear view of all stored payment methods across the donor base.

Why Payment Methods Matter for Church Administration

The Payment Methods feature gives you a centralized list of every saved credit card and bank account (ACH) on file for your church. You can see who has what stored, when cards are expiring, and remove outdated or invalid payment methods when donors request it. This is especially useful when a donor calls and says, “I need to remove my old Visa—I got a new one.” Instead of searching through transactions or user profiles, you can go straight to the Payment Methods list, filter or search by that donor’s name, and delete the old card in seconds.

Beyond donor requests, the Payment Methods page helps you proactively manage recurring giving health. Cards that expire soon can cause recurring donations to fail. The Filters dropdown lets you quickly find cards expiring in the next 15, 30, or 90 days—or cards that have already expired. You can use that list to reach out to donors before their next scheduled donation fails, or to review your church’s payment method landscape before year-end reporting.

From User Profiles to a Centralized View

You can also access Payment Methods from a donor’s profile. When viewing a user or a transaction invoice, you’ll often see a link to “View Payment Methods” or “View All Payment Methods” for that user. That link opens the Payment Methods list filtered to that donor’s saved cards and bank accounts. It’s a convenient way to see everything a specific donor has on file without leaving the context of their profile or transaction. The main Payment Methods page, by contrast, shows all stored payment methods across the entire church—perfect for bulk review, filtering by expiration, or searching by name.

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

Payment Methods User Guide:

The Payment Methods feature in the OnlineGiving.org control panel lets you view, search, filter, and remove stored payment methods—saved credit cards and bank accounts (ACH)—across your church’s donor base. Each donor can save multiple payment methods when giving online; the Payment Methods page gives administrators a centralized view of all of them. You can search by donor name, payment name, card type, last four digits, or expiry date. Quick filters help you find expired cards or cards expiring soon. You can delete a payment method when a donor requests removal or when the method is no longer valid.

Key Takeaways

• Centralized List: View all stored credit cards and bank accounts across your church in one paginated table.
• Search & Filter: Search by donor name, payment name, card type, last four digits, or expiry. Use quick filters for expired cards or cards expiring in 15, 30, or 90 days.
• Understanding the List: Each row shows donor name, payment name (card brand or bank name), payment type (Credit Card or ACH), last four digits, and expiry date.
• Remove When Needed: Delete a payment method from the gear menu when a donor requests removal or when the method is no longer valid.
• Access from User Profiles: Open Payment Methods filtered to a specific donor from user profiles and transaction invoices.

Table of Contents

1. Overview
   • Who Can Access Payment Methods
   • Where to Find Payment Methods
2. Viewing Payment Methods
   • How to View the Payment Methods List
3. Searching and Filtering
   • Search Fields
   • Quick Filters for Expiration
   • Removing Active Filters
4. Understanding the List
   • Table Columns
   • Payment Types & Card Brands
   • Pagination and Results Per Page
5. Removing a Payment Method
   • How to Delete a Payment Method
6. Payment Methods in Other Reports
7. Security and Privacy
8. Tips
9. Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

Who Can Access Payment Methods

Access to the Payment Methods page requires the Donor Admin role. If you are a church administrator with that role, you can view and manage stored payment methods for your church. The list is scoped to your church’s domain only; you will not see payment methods from other churches.

Where to Find Payment Methods

You can reach the Payment Methods page in two ways. First, from the main control panel: click “Payment Methods” in the left navigation menu (or go to /admin/paymentmethods). Second, from a donor’s profile or a transaction invoice: use the “View Payment Methods” or “View All Payment Methods” link. That link opens the Payment Methods list filtered to that donor’s user ID, so you see only that person’s saved cards and bank accounts.

Viewing Payment Methods

How to View the Payment Methods List

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Click “Payment Methods” in the left navigation menu (or go to /admin/paymentmethods).
3. The main page displays a panel with a Filters dropdown and a table of stored payment methods.

The table shows one row per stored payment method. Each row includes the donor’s first and last name, the payment name (card brand or bank name), payment type (Credit Card or ACH), the last four digits of the card or account, and the expiry date (for credit cards). A gear icon on the right opens a dropdown menu with actions such as Delete.

Searching and Filtering

Search Fields

The table includes a search row with fields for: First & Last Name, Payment Name, Payment Type, Last 4, and Expiry. Type any value into these fields and press Enter (or submit the form) to filter the list. For example, you can search by a donor’s name to find all payment methods for that person, or by the last four digits if a donor tells you which card they want removed. You can also sort by clicking column headers (First & Last Name, Payment Name, Payment Type, Last 4, Expiry).

Quick Filters for Expiration

The Filters dropdown provides quick filters for credit card expiration:

• Expired Card: Shows cards that have already expired.
• Expiring Card in next 15 days: Cards expiring within the next 15 days.
• Expiring Card in next 30 days: Cards expiring within the next 30 days.
• Expiring Card in next 90 days: Cards expiring within the next 90 days.

These filters are useful for proactive outreach. Before a recurring donation fails, you can identify donors whose cards are expiring soon and encourage them to update their payment method online.

Removing Active Filters

When you have active filters applied, the page shows removable filter chips above the table. Each chip displays the filter name and value. Click the X next to a chip to remove that filter and refresh the list.

Understanding the List

Table Columns

The Payment Methods table includes these columns:

• First & Last Name: The donor who owns each payment method.
• Payment Name: For credit cards, the card brand (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover). For bank accounts (ACH), the bank name or nickname.
• Payment Type: Either “Credit Card” or “ACH” (electronic check).
• Last 4: The last four digits of the card or account number. Full numbers are never displayed for security.
• Expiry: For credit cards, the expiration date (e.g., 12/25). ACH bank accounts do not have expiry dates.
• Actions: A gear icon with a dropdown menu for Delete.

Payment Types & Card Brands

Credit cards are stored with their brand (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover). Each row shows a visual indicator (icon) for the card type. Bank accounts (ACH) show a bank icon and the bank name or nickname the donor entered. ACH entries do not have an expiry date.

Pagination and Results Per Page

The list is paginated. Use the pagination controls at the bottom to move between pages. You can change how many results appear per page using the Results Per Page dropdown: 10, 20, 50, or 100. The page displays the total number of results found.

Removing a Payment Method

How to Delete a Payment Method

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Go to Payment Methods (or open it from a donor’s profile).
3. Locate the payment method you want to remove (use search or filters if needed).
4. Click the gear icon on the right side of the row.
5. Click “Delete” from the dropdown menu.
6. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

The payment method is permanently removed from the system. The donor will no longer see it when they give online or manage their giving profile. If they were using it for a recurring donation, they will need to add a new payment method and update their recurring schedule. Deleting a payment method cannot be undone.

Payment Methods in Other Reports

While the Payment Methods page is the main place to view and manage stored cards and bank accounts, payment method breakdowns also appear in other reports. For example, the Generosity Snapshot report includes a Payment Methods section showing how much was given via credit card vs. ACH over a given period. The Form Reports (transactions view) can show payment method breakdowns for form-related transactions. These reports help you understand giving patterns by payment type; for day-to-day management of individual stored methods, use the Payment Methods page.

Security and Privacy

Payment methods are stored securely. The control panel never displays full card numbers or full bank account numbers—only the last four digits. This follows industry best practices for handling payment data. Deleting a payment method removes it from the database; it cannot be recovered. Only administrators with the Donor Admin role can access the Payment Methods page. If you have questions about data security or compliance, contact support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000.

Tips

• Proactive outreach: Use the “Expiring Card in next 30 days” filter periodically to identify donors whose cards will expire soon. Reach out before their next recurring donation fails.
• Donor calls: When a donor calls to remove an old card or bank account, use the search by name to quickly find their payment methods.
• User profile shortcut: When viewing a donor’s profile or a transaction, use the “View Payment Methods” link to jump straight to that donor’s stored methods.
• Year-end review: Before year-end, filter for expired cards to clean up invalid payment methods and ensure your donor list is accurate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a donor have more than one payment method on file?

Yes. Donors can save multiple credit cards and bank accounts. Each appears as a separate row in the Payment Methods list. When a donor gives online, they can choose which saved method to use.

What happens to recurring donations when I delete a payment method?

If the deleted payment method was used for an active recurring schedule, that schedule will no longer have a valid payment method. The donor will need to log in and add a new payment method, then update their recurring schedule. Consider reaching out to the donor before deleting if they have active recurring donations.

Why don’t I see full card numbers?

For security and compliance, OnlineGiving.org never stores or displays full card numbers. Only the last four digits are shown so you can identify which card to remove when a donor requests it.

Can I add a new payment method for a donor from the admin panel?

No. Payment methods are added by donors when they give online or when they manage their giving profile. The Payment Methods page is for viewing and removing existing methods only.

How do I find a specific donor’s payment methods?

Use the First & Last Name search field in the table header, or type the donor’s name and press Enter. You can also open the donor’s profile and click “View Payment Methods” to see the list filtered to that donor.

Where can I get help with Payment Methods?

OnlineGiving.org provides courtesy setup assistance. Contact support@onlinegiving.org or call (615) 206-4000 for help with viewing, searching, or managing payment methods.