Online Giving
Online giving lets church members donate via credit card, ACH bank transfer, or mobile app instead of cash or check — typically through a giving page on the church website or a member-facing app.
What Does “Online Giving” Mean?
Online giving has become the dominant donation channel for most US churches over the last decade. Donors enter their card or bank info once, set up a recurring schedule (or give a one-time gift), and the church receives the funds (minus processing fees) in their bank account. Modern platforms support card, ACH/eCheck, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and sometimes PayPal.
Processing fees vary by platform model. Stripe-based platforms (MosesTab, Tithe.ly, Givelify) charge standard processor rates: typically 2.9% + 30¢ on cards, 0.8% capped at $5 on ACH. Some legacy processors layer additional platform fees on top, pushing all-in card rates to 3.0–3.5%. Donors can optionally cover the processing fee on their gift, which preserves the church's full intended donation amount.
Biblical Basis
The principle of giving cheerfully and proportionally (2 Corinthians 9:7) translates directly to online giving — most churches see higher per-household giving among recurring online donors than among occasional cash/check donors. The technology supports the biblical principle of "first fruits" (Proverbs 3:9) by letting donors automate their giving as the first allocation from each paycheck.
How Different Denominations Use This Term
Most evangelical and non-denominational churches have adopted online giving as their primary donation channel. Mainline Protestant churches (Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian) often have older membership and continue to receive a meaningful share via cash and check. Catholic parishes vary widely — large parishes often offer online giving while smaller ones rely on traditional offertory baskets. UK churches collect online giving via Bacs Direct Debit at significantly lower fees than cards.
Practical Application
Set up your giving page with clear fund designations (general, missions, building), enable recurring giving prominently, and allow donors to cover the processing fee. Year-end giving statements should generate automatically from the platform. For text-to-give, use a memorable keyword (e.g., "Text GIVE to 12345"). Promote online giving from the platform during services — most adoption increases dramatically with explicit in-service prompting.
Related Terms
Tithe
Giving & FinancesA tithe is the practice of giving one-tenth of one's income to the church, rooted in Old Testament law and widely practiced across Christian denominations.
Offering
Giving & FinancesAn offering is a voluntary financial gift given to the church beyond the tithe, often directed toward a specific purpose such as missions, building projects, or benevolence.
Recurring Giving
Giving & FinancesRecurring giving is an automated donation schedule — weekly, biweekly, monthly, or annually — where the donor authorizes the church to charge their card or bank account on a set cadence until they cancel.
Giving Statement
Giving & FinancesA giving statement is the year-end record a church provides to each donor summarizing their total tax-deductible contributions — used by the donor for federal income tax deduction.
Stewardship
Giving & FinancesStewardship is the responsible management of all resources God has entrusted to a person or church, including money, time, talents, and the environment.
Related MosesTab Features
Tools that help your church put this into practice.
Compare Top Platforms
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about online giving
Donations to qualified 501(c)(3) churches are tax-deductible for the donor. Processing fees the church pays are operating expenses — they don't affect the donor's deduction. Year-end statements should show the donor's full gift amount.