Payments Dashboard: Your Visual Pulse Check for Payment Activity
Churches today process far more than tithes and offerings. Event registrations, bookstore sales, mission trip fees, tuition payments, and merchandise orders flow through your giving platform every week. Each transaction tells a story—who’s buying, what’s selling, and how your ministry is growing. But without a clear way to see it all at a glance, that data can feel buried in spreadsheets or scattered across multiple reports.
Why a Visual Dashboard Matters
The Payments Dashboard gives you a quick visual pulse check of your payment health without running detailed reports. Whether you’re opening the office on Monday morning and want to see how the weekend went, preparing for a staff meeting and need a quick reference, or identifying trends in how new donors are giving versus returning ones, the dashboard delivers it in seconds. Four summary cards at the top show total payment amount, payment count, user activity, and future scheduled payments. Each card has its own time-period dropdown, so you can compare different views side by side. Below that, thirteen interactive charts break down everything from fund performance to one-time vs recurring patterns, weekly payment habits, and what’s coming in over the next 30 days.
Real church scenarios make this tangible. A children’s ministry director might check the dashboard before a VBS planning meeting to see how event registrations are trending. A finance team member might glance at the Future Scheduled card to forecast cash flow for the month. A pastor might open the dashboard to see whether new users are choosing one-time or recurring payments when they first sign up. And a multi-campus church might use the fund breakdowns to compare bookstore or event revenue across campus-specific funds.
Dashboard vs. Reports: When to Use Which
The Payments Dashboard is designed for live overview and quick insights. It updates dynamically when you change time periods, and every chart is interactive. The Payment Report and other reports in the Payment Reports Hub are designed for date-specific analysis, export, and executive presentations. Use the dashboard when you need a fast visual check: “How did we do this week?” or “What’s coming in next month?” Use the reports when you need detailed breakdowns, CSV exports, or a PDF for the board. Both are available from the Payments section of your control panel.
In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Payments Dashboard.
Payments Dashboard User Guide:
The Payments Dashboard at /admin/dashboard/payments provides a visual overview of payment activity for non-tax-deductible transactions (event registrations, product purchases, fees, and similar). It displays four summary cards at the top, each with its own time-period options, followed by thirteen interactive charts covering user activity, fund breakdowns, one-time vs recurring patterns, weekly payment habits, future scheduled payments, and payment source breakdown. Users with Donor Admin, Payments Admin, or Dashboard Admin role can access the dashboard. Donor Admin users also see a Top Users table with links to user profiles.
Key Takeaways
- Summary Cards: Four cards at the top show PAYMENTS (amount), PAYMENTS (count), USERS, and FUTURE SCHEDULED—each with its own time-period dropdown. Click any period to update the displayed metric.
- Thirteen Charts: New & Active Users, Payments by New vs Existing Users, New User Payments: One Time vs Recurring, Average Donation Amount by New vs Existing Users, Payments: One Time vs Recurring, Growth Chart (Count/Volume toggle), Payments Amounts by Fund, Payments Weekly (Mon-Sun) Amounts, Funds by Amount (pie), Payment Source by Amount (pie), Future Payments By Fund, Future Funds by Amount (pie).
- Stat Cards: Many charts include summary stat cards above or beside the chart (e.g., New Users, Active Users, Inactive Users; One Time, Recurring; fund totals).
- Top Users Table: Donor Admin users see a table of top users with Gravatar, name, email, fund donut chart, approved amount, and approved count. Each name links to the user profile.
- Dashboard vs Reports: Use the dashboard for quick visual checks; use the Payment Report and other reports for date-specific analysis and export.
Table of Contents
- Accessing the Payments Dashboard
- Summary Cards
- Understanding the Charts
- User Activity Charts
- One-Time vs Recurring Analysis
- Growth Chart
- Fund Breakdown
- Weekly Payment Patterns
- Future Scheduled Payments
- Payment Source Analysis
- Top Users Table
- Dashboard vs Reports
- Multi-Campus Behavior
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
Accessing the Payments Dashboard
To open the Payments Dashboard:
- Log in to the control panel.
- In the left navigation, expand “Payments” (or the equivalent section for payment administration).
- Click “Dashboard”.
- The Payments Dashboard loads at /admin/dashboard/payments with four summary cards at the top and a series of charts below.
The dashboard displays a BETA badge in the page header, indicating it is actively being refined. All data reflects non-tax-deductible payments (event registrations, product purchases, fees, and similar). Tax-deductible donations appear on the separate Giving Dashboard.
Summary Cards
At the top of the dashboard, four cards display key metrics. Each card has its own dropdown to change the time period. Selecting a period updates the displayed value immediately. The cards are clickable—clicking a period option updates the metric for that card.
PAYMENTS (Amount)
This card shows the total dollar amount of approved payments for the selected period. Period options: Today, Yesterday, Everything, Last 30 days, This month, This quarter, This year, Last month, Last quarter. The default is typically Last 30 days.
PAYMENTS (Count)
This card shows the total number of approved payment transactions for the selected period. Period options are the same as PAYMENTS (Amount): Today, Yesterday, Everything, Last 30 days, This month, This quarter, This year, Last month, Last quarter.
USERS
This card shows the count of users (payers) for the selected period. Period options: New Today, New Yesterday, All Users, Last 30 days, This month, This quarter, This year, Last month, Last quarter. “New Today” and “New Yesterday” count users who made their first payment on that day. “All Users” shows the total count of users who have ever paid.
FUTURE SCHEDULED
This card shows the total dollar amount of recurring payments scheduled to process in the selected future period. Period options: Everything, Tomorrow, Next 7 Days, Next 30 Days, This month, This quarter, This year, Next month. Use this for cash flow planning and budget forecasting.
Understanding the Charts
Below the summary cards, a series of charts provide deeper insight into payment behavior and patterns. Each chart has a period dropdown in the panel heading (typically Last 30 days, This month, This quarter, This year, Last month, Last quarter). Many charts include stat cards above or beside the chart that display totals for each category. Changing the period in the dropdown updates both the chart and the stat cards.
User Activity Charts
New & Active Users
This bar chart shows how many new users, active users, and inactive users fall within the selected period. Summary stat cards above the chart display the totals for each category. New Users are those who created an account during the period. Active Users are those who made a payment during the period. Inactive Users are those who did not pay during the period but have paid in the past. Use this to understand your payer base and growth.
Payments Amounts by New vs Existing Users
This bar chart breaks down payment amounts by whether the payer was a new user (first-time) or an existing user (returning) during the period. Summary cards show the total amount and count for each category. New users are those whose first payment in the system occurred within the period. This helps you see whether revenue is coming from first-time or returning payers.
Average Donation Amount by New vs Existing Users
This chart compares the average payment size for new users versus existing users. It can reveal whether first-time payers tend to give more or less than returning payers, which informs communication and stewardship strategies.
One-Time vs Recurring Analysis
New User Payments: One Time vs Recurring
This bar chart shows how new users (first-time payers in the period) split their payments between one-time and recurring. Stat cards display One Time and Recurring totals. Use this to see whether new payers are choosing to set up recurring payments or making one-time purchases.
Payments: One Time vs Recurring
This bar chart shows the overall split between one-time and recurring payments for all payers in the period. Stat cards display One Time and Recurring totals. Use this to understand your recurring revenue mix and identify trends.
Growth Chart
The Growth Chart shows either total transaction count or total volume (dollars) over time. Use the dropdown to switch between Total Number of Transactions (Count) and Total Volume (Dollars). This chart helps you spot trends over time and see whether payment activity is growing or declining.
Fund Breakdown
Payments Amounts by Fund
This bar chart shows payment amounts broken down by fund (e.g., General Fund, Building Fund, Event Registration, Bookstore). Summary stat cards above the chart display the total amount and gift count for each fund. Use the period dropdown to see how fund performance changed over different time periods.
Funds by Amount
This pie chart shows the distribution of payment amounts across funds. Each slice represents a fund’s share of total payments. Use it for a quick visual comparison of which funds receive the most support.
Weekly Payment Patterns
The Payments Weekly (Monday-Sunday) Amounts chart shows how much was paid on each day of the week across the selected period. Stat cards display the total for each day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.). Use this to identify which days of the week generate the most payment activity and plan staffing or event timing accordingly.
Future Scheduled Payments
Future Payments By Fund
This bar chart shows recurring payments scheduled to process in the selected future period, broken down by fund. Period options: Everything, Tomorrow, Next 7 Days, Next 30 Days, This month, This quarter, This year, Next month. Use this for cash flow planning and budget forecasting.
Future Funds by Amount
This pie chart shows the distribution of future scheduled payments across funds. Each slice represents a fund’s share of total scheduled recurring payments.
Payment Source Analysis
The Payment Source by Amount pie chart shows how much came from each payment source (e.g., Web, Kiosk, Text Message, Mobile App, Facebook Messenger, Campus). The actual breakdown depends on your organization’s configuration and the types of transactions you process. Use this to understand which channels drive the most payment volume.
Top Users Table
Users with Donor Admin role see a Top Users table with the following columns: Gravatar (profile image), Name, Email, Fund Donut chart (showing fund allocation), Approved Amount, Approved Count. Each name links to the user profile at /admin/users/profile/[id]. Dashboard Admin users see the same table but names are not clickable links. Use this to quickly identify your highest-value payers and drill into their profiles.
Dashboard vs Reports
The Payments Dashboard and the Payment Report (and other reports in the Payment Reports Hub) serve different purposes:
- Payments Dashboard: Live visual overview. Quick pulse check. Interactive charts and summary cards. No export. Use when you need a fast answer: “How did we do this week?” or “What’s coming in next month?”
- Payment Report: Date-specific analysis. Executive-ready. Fund and payment source breakdowns, user activity insights, one-time vs recurring comparisons, AI summary, print/PDF tools. Use for board presentations, finance reviews, or monthly summaries.
Both are available from the Payments section. Use the dashboard for daily check-ins and the report for formal analysis and export.
Multi-Campus Behavior
For churches with multiple campuses, the Payments Dashboard aggregates data across all campuses by default. The dashboard does not currently offer a campus filter on the main page. For campus-specific analysis, use the Payment Report or Product Sales Report, which support campus filtering. The fund breakdowns on the dashboard may include campus-specific funds if your organization has configured them.
Tips
- Use summary cards for quick checks: The four cards at the top are the fastest way to get a pulse. Change periods to compare today vs yesterday, or this month vs last month.
- Future Scheduled for cash flow: Check the FUTURE SCHEDULED card and Future Payments By Fund chart when planning budgets or cash flow.
- New User charts for stewardship: The New User Payments: One Time vs Recurring chart helps you see whether new payers are choosing recurring. Use this to inform follow-up messaging.
- Payment Source for channel mix: Use the Payment Source by Amount chart to see which channels (Web, Kiosk, Mobile App, etc.) drive the most volume.
- Growth Chart toggle: Switch between Count and Volume on the Growth Chart to see whether you’re getting more transactions or higher dollar amounts over time.
- Top Users for drill-down: If you have Donor Admin access, use the Top Users table to quickly open profiles of your highest-value payers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can access the Payments Dashboard?
Users with Donor Admin, Payments Admin, or Dashboard Admin role can access the Payments Dashboard. Donor Admin users also see the Top Users table with clickable links to user profiles.
What is the difference between the Payments Dashboard and the Giving Dashboard?
The Payments Dashboard shows non-tax-deductible payments (event registrations, product purchases, fees). The Giving Dashboard shows tax-deductible donations (tithes, offerings, mission gifts). Both share the same chart structure and time-period options, so the experience is consistent.
What is the difference between the Payments Dashboard and the Payment Report?
The Payments Dashboard is a live visual overview with interactive charts and summary cards. It updates dynamically when you change periods. The Payment Report is a date-specific report with fund breakdowns, payment source analysis, user activity insights, AI summary, and print/PDF tools. Use the dashboard for quick checks; use the report for formal analysis and export.
Why does the USERS card show different options?
The USERS card has unique period options: New Today, New Yesterday, All Users, plus the standard periods. “New Today” and “New Yesterday” count users who made their first payment on that day. “All Users” shows the total count of users who have ever paid. The other periods count users who paid within that range.
Can I export data from the Payments Dashboard?
The Payments Dashboard does not offer export. For CSV, Excel, or PDF export, use the Payment Report, Product Sales Report, or other reports in the Payment Reports Hub.
What is the difference between the Growth Chart Count and Volume?
The Count view shows the total number of transactions over time. The Volume view shows the total dollar amount of transactions over time. Use Count to see transaction frequency; use Volume to see revenue trends.
What is the BETA badge?
The BETA badge indicates the Payments Dashboard is actively being refined. Features and layout may evolve based on user feedback. The core functionality is stable and suitable for daily use.