How to Set Up Online Giving on Your Church Website

Churches that offer online giving see an average 32% increase in total donations. That’s not a projection — it’s what organizations like Tithe.ly and Pushpay have consistently reported across thousands of churches. When you make it easy for people to give digitally, they give more often, more consistently, and in larger amounts.

Yet many churches either don’t have online giving set up, have it buried on a hard-to-find page, or use a clunky system that discourages the spontaneous generosity that digital giving is designed to capture. Over 60% of all financial transactions in the US are now digital — your congregation already pays rent, buys groceries, and tips their barista from their phones. Giving to your church should be just as frictionless.

This guide walks you through everything: choosing the right giving platform, setting it up on your website (regardless of which website builder you use), configuring giving options, placing giving strategically across your site, and promoting digital giving to your congregation.

Why Online Giving Matters for Your Church

Before diving into the how, let’s address the why — because some church leaders still view online giving as optional or even slightly uncomfortable.

The Numbers Tell the Story

• 32% average increase in total giving when churches implement online and mobile giving (Pushpay research across 10,000+ churches)
• 60%+ of all transactions are digital. Fewer people carry cash or write checks than ever before — especially younger attendees.
• Recurring giving is 2x more reliable. Monthly auto-giving creates consistent, predictable revenue that helps churches budget confidently — even during summer slumps and holiday travel.
• Online givers give during absences. When someone misses a Sunday, they still give — eliminating the “I forgot my envelope” gap.
• Younger donors expect digital options. For attendees under 40, a church without online giving feels outdated. For visitors checking out your church online, a visible giving option signals organizational health and maturity.

It’s Not About Replacing the Offering Plate

Online giving doesn’t replace the in-service offering — it supplements it. Many churches find their best approach is both: a physical offering moment during worship (which has spiritual significance and community value) alongside a digital option for those who prefer it. Over time, the split naturally shifts toward digital, but the physical option remains meaningful for many congregants.

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Choosing a Giving Platform: Comparison Table

The platform you choose determines the fees you pay, the features your donors get, and how easily giving integrates with your website and church management system. Here are the major options churches use today.

Platform	Monthly Fee	Transaction Fee	Recurring Giving	Mobile App	Text Giving	Fee Coverage	Best For
Tithe.ly	Free	2.9% + 30¢	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (donor option)	Churches wanting free + full-featured
Pushpay	$199–$499+/mo	Included in plan	Yes	Yes (custom branded)	Yes	Yes	Large churches (500+ members) wanting premium engagement
Planning Center Giving	Free – $199/mo (usage tiers)	2.2% + 30¢ (ACH: 0%)	Yes	Via PC app	No	Yes	Churches already using Planning Center
GiveWP (WordPress)	Free (plugin); Pro $199+/yr	Stripe: 2.9% + 30¢	Yes (with addon)	No (web responsive)	No	Yes (with addon)	WordPress churches wanting data ownership
Subsplash Giving	Included in Subsplash plan	2.3% + 30¢ (ACH: 1%)	Yes	Yes (via app)	Yes	Yes	Churches using Subsplash app ecosystem
PayPal Donate	Free	2.2% + 30¢ (nonprofit)	Yes	Via PayPal app	No	No	Churches needing something basic and fast
Stripe (via embed)	Free	2.9% + 30¢	Yes (requires coding)	No	No	No	Tech-savvy churches wanting custom solution

Our Recommendations by Church Size

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Setting Up Online Giving: Step by Step

The setup process varies by platform and website builder. Below are instructions for the most common combinations. No matter which route you take, plan to complete the setup in one sitting — most churches can go from zero to accepting donations in under an hour.

Option 1: Tithe.ly (Works on Any Website)

Tithe.ly is the most universally compatible giving solution because it works as an embedded button on any website — Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, or any other platform.

1. Create a Tithe.ly account. Go to tithe.ly and sign up as an organization. You’ll need your church’s legal name, EIN (tax ID), and bank account information for deposits.
2. Complete verification. Tithe.ly verifies your nonprofit status. This usually takes 1-2 business days. You can configure everything else while waiting.
3. Set up giving funds. Create categories like “General Tithe,” “Missions,” “Building Fund,” or “Youth Ministry.” These appear as dropdown options for donors.
4. Enable fee coverage. Turn on the option that lets donors choose to cover processing fees. Most churches find 40-60% of donors opt in, which significantly reduces your net fees.
5. Get your embed code. In the Tithe.ly dashboard, go to “Online Giving” → “Give Button.” Customize the button color to match your website brand, then copy the embed code.
6. Add to your website. Paste the embed code into your website’s giving page. On Squarespace, use a Code Block. On WordPress, use a Custom HTML block. On Wix, use an Embed widget. The button opens Tithe.ly’s secure giving form in a popup — your donors never leave your site.
7. Test it. Make a small test donation ($1) and verify it appears in your Tithe.ly dashboard and your bank account receives the deposit.

Option 2: GiveWP on WordPress

If your church uses WordPress, GiveWP is the best native giving solution. Your donation data lives in your own WordPress database — full ownership and control.

1. Install GiveWP. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New → search “GiveWP” → Install → Activate.
2. Run the setup wizard. GiveWP walks you through connecting a payment gateway (Stripe is the easiest), setting your currency, and configuring your first donation form.
3. Connect Stripe. Click “Connect with Stripe” in the GiveWP settings. This uses Stripe Connect — a one-click authorization that doesn’t require you to manage API keys. Stripe deposits directly to your church bank account (2-day rolling deposits).
4. Create your giving form. GiveWP’s form builder lets you create multi-level giving forms with suggested amounts ($25, $50, $100, $250, custom), fund designations, and donor information fields. The visual form builder makes this straightforward.
5. Enable recurring giving. In the form settings, enable the “Recurring Donations” option. Donors can choose weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annual giving schedules.
6. Add to your giving page. Use the GiveWP block or shortcode to embed the form on your giving page. The form renders beautifully on desktop and mobile.
7. Configure email receipts. GiveWP automatically sends donation receipts. Customize the email template with your church logo and thank-you message.
8. Test thoroughly. Use Stripe’s test mode to make test donations before going live. Verify receipts are sent, amounts appear correctly in the dashboard, and the donor experience is smooth.

Option 3: Planning Center Giving

If your church already uses Planning Center for worship planning, volunteer scheduling, or people management, their giving product integrates seamlessly.

1. Enable Giving in your Planning Center account. Go to Planning Center → Giving → Get Started. Connect your church bank account via Stripe.
2. Set up funds and payment methods. Create your giving funds and enable the payment methods you want to accept (credit card, debit card, ACH bank transfer). ACH transfers have a 0% processing fee — encourage these for larger, recurring gifts.
3. Create a giving link. Planning Center generates a branded giving page at giving.planningcenteronline.com/your-church. You can link to this from your website or embed it in an iframe.
4. Add to your website. Most churches link to the Planning Center giving page from a prominent “Give” button in their website navigation. Alternatively, embed the giving form directly into a page using an iframe or link widget.
5. Enable recurring and scheduled giving. Donors can set up automatic giving on their preferred schedule. The system handles retries for failed payments automatically.

Option 4: PayPal Donate Button (Quick and Simple)

PayPal isn’t the most elegant solution, but it works for churches that need to accept online donations immediately.

1. Sign up for PayPal Business (Nonprofit). Register your church as a nonprofit to get reduced processing fees (2.2% + 30¢ instead of 2.9%).
2. Create a Donate button. In PayPal, go to “PayPal buttons” → create a “Donate” button. Customize with your church name and suggested amounts.
3. Embed on your website. Copy the button code and paste it into your giving page. Works on any platform.

Limitations: PayPal redirects donors to the PayPal site (not as seamless), doesn’t support fund designation without workarounds, and lacks church-specific features like giving statements and year-end tax letters. Consider it a temporary solution while you set up a proper church giving platform.

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Configuring Your Giving Options

Once your platform is connected, how you configure the giving experience makes a significant difference in donation rates.

Set Up Giving Funds

Let donors designate where their gift goes. Most churches need 3-5 funds:

• General Fund / Tithe — the default, where most gifts go
• Missions — for mission trips and partner organizations
• Building Fund — for capital campaigns or facility needs
• Youth/Children’s Ministry — designated giving for specific ministries
• Benevolence/Community — for helping members and community in need

Don’t create too many funds. More than 5-6 options creates decision fatigue and slows the giving process. Make the General Fund the default selection.

Choose Smart Suggested Amounts

Pre-set giving amounts remove friction. Research shows that suggested amounts increase average gift size by 12-20%. We recommend these tiers:

• $25 — accessible entry point
• $50 — moderate gift (pre-select this one as the default)
• $100 — significant gift
• $250 — generous gift
• Custom amount — always include this option

The pre-selected default amount acts as an anchor. Setting it at $50 subtly communicates that this is a “normal” gift — neither too small nor intimidating.

Enable Recurring Giving

Recurring giving is where the real financial transformation happens. A $100/month recurring donor gives $1,200/year — and they rarely cancel. Make recurring giving prominent in your form, not hidden in a submenu.

Offer these frequencies: Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly (default), and One-time. Monthly is the most popular by far. Some platforms also offer an annual option, which is useful for larger commitments.

Enable Fee Coverage

Most giving platforms let you add a checkbox that says something like: “I’d like to cover the processing fee so 100% of my gift goes to the church.” When enabled, donors pay the 2.9% + 30¢ fee on top of their gift.

This single feature can save your church thousands of dollars annually. On $100,000 in annual online giving, fee coverage at a 50% opt-in rate saves approximately $1,500/year. Always enable this — donors are consistently willing to cover fees when asked clearly.

Accept ACH/Bank Transfers

ACH (direct bank transfer) processing fees are dramatically lower than credit card fees — often 0-1% versus 2.9%. For larger recurring gifts, encourage donors to use ACH. Planning Center Giving charges 0% for ACH; Subsplash charges 1%. The savings on a $500/month gift add up quickly.

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Where to Place Giving on Your Website

Having online giving set up means nothing if visitors can’t find it. Strategic placement is critical. Follow our church homepage formula for overall layout guidance, and make sure giving is prominent in these key locations:

1. Main Navigation

Add a “Give” link to your main website navigation. This is the most important placement. The link should be visible on every page, in the header navigation bar. Some churches use a distinct button style (colored background, different from other nav links) to make it stand out. See examples of effective navigation in our essential church website pages guide.

2. Dedicated Giving Page

Create a standalone giving page (yourchurch.com/give) that includes:

• A brief, warm message about why giving matters (2-3 sentences, not a sermon)
• The giving form or button, prominently placed above the fold
• Explanation of available funds (one sentence each)
• Information about recurring giving and how to set it up
• Tax deductibility note and how to get giving statements
• Other ways to give (mail, in-person, text, app)

3. Homepage Section

Include a giving call-to-action on your homepage, but keep it tasteful. A section that says “Support Our Mission” with a brief line about impact and a “Give Now” button works well. Don’t make giving the first thing visitors see — it should come after your welcome section, service times, and current sermon series.

4. After Sermon Content

On your sermon pages, include a giving call-to-action after the sermon video or audio. People are most moved to give when they’ve just engaged with your teaching. A simple “Was this message meaningful to you? Support our ministry” with a give button converts well.

5. Website Footer

Include a “Give” link in your footer alongside other key links. This ensures the giving option is available on every page, even if someone scrolls past the header navigation.

6. Mobile-Friendly Placement

Over 60% of online giving happens on mobile devices. Make sure your giving button is easy to tap on a phone screen (minimum 44×44 pixels), the giving form is mobile-optimized (no pinching or zooming), and the process requires as few taps as possible. Test the entire giving flow on your phone before going live.

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Promoting Online Giving to Your Congregation

Setting up the technology is only half the battle. You also need to help your congregation discover and adopt digital giving. Here are proven promotion strategies:

From the Stage

• Normalize it. During the offering moment, say something like: “If you’d like to give today, you can place your gift in the offering plate, text GIVE to [number], or visit [church].com/give from your phone right now.” Make digital giving feel as natural as the physical offering.
• Show the screen. Display the giving URL or QR code on screen during the offering moment. Many churches create a simple slide with a QR code that takes people directly to the giving page.
• Celebrate impact, not amounts. Occasionally share what giving has enabled: “Because of your generosity this month, we provided 200 meals through our food pantry.” This connects giving to outcomes without being heavy-handed.

Through Email

• Year-end giving campaign. In November/December, send 2-3 emails about year-end giving opportunities. Many donors make their largest gifts in December for tax purposes.
• Monthly impact updates. Include a giving link in your regular church newsletter alongside a brief impact story.
• New member welcome. When someone joins your church, include information about online giving options in their welcome materials.

Physical Reminders

• Seat-back cards or bulletin inserts. A simple card with a QR code and brief instructions for first-time digital givers. Include this in your bulletin or place it in chair pockets.
• Welcome table display. For visitors and new attendees, have information about giving options alongside your other welcome materials.

What NOT to Do

• Don’t guilt-trip. Aggressive giving appeals drive people away. Keep the tone invitational, not obligational.
• Don’t over-promote. A giving mention once per service is enough. If every email, social post, and announcement includes a giving ask, you’ll exhaust your audience.
• Don’t forget to say thank you. Automated receipts aren’t enough. Periodically thank your congregation for their generosity — from the stage, in email, and personally to major donors.

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Giving Statements and Tax Compliance

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your church needs to provide year-end giving statements to donors for tax purposes. Most giving platforms handle this automatically:

• Tithe.ly: Generates year-end giving statements automatically. Donors can access theirs anytime from their Tithe.ly account. Admins can email all statements in bulk.
• GiveWP: The free Annual Receipts addon generates PDF giving statements. Donors can also view their giving history in their donor dashboard.
• Planning Center Giving: Year-end statements are generated automatically and can be emailed to all donors with one click.
• Pushpay: Comprehensive donor management with automatic statements.

Make sure your giving statements include: your church’s legal name, EIN, the donor’s name and address, each donation date and amount, a statement that no goods or services were provided in exchange for the gift (standard IRS language), and the total for the year.

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Measuring Giving Health

Once online giving is running, track these metrics monthly:

• Online vs. offline giving ratio. Expect this to shift toward 50-70% online over 12-18 months.
• Number of recurring givers. This is your most important metric. Recurring givers provide stable, predictable revenue.
• Average gift amount. Track whether suggested amounts are influencing behavior.
• Fee coverage opt-in rate. If below 40%, consider adjusting the messaging on the fee coverage checkbox.
• New giver rate. How many first-time givers do you gain each month? This indicates growth.
• Giving page traffic. Use your website analytics to see how many people visit the giving page and what percentage complete a gift.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does online giving cost our church?

The platform itself can be free (Tithe.ly, GiveWP free version, PayPal). Transaction fees are typically 2.2-2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. On $100,000 in annual online giving, that’s roughly $2,900-3,200 in fees — but with fee coverage enabled (where donors opt to cover the fee), churches typically recover 40-60% of that cost. The net cost is usually far less than what you’d spend printing envelopes and processing checks.

Is online giving secure?

Yes. All reputable giving platforms (Tithe.ly, Pushpay, Planning Center, GiveWP with Stripe) use bank-level encryption (256-bit SSL) and are PCI DSS compliant. Your church never sees or stores credit card numbers — the payment processor handles all sensitive data. These platforms are significantly more secure than passing cash-filled envelopes through an auditorium.

Should we still pass the offering plate?

That’s a theological and cultural decision for your church leadership. Many churches maintain the offering moment as an act of worship while also mentioning digital options. Some have transitioned to giving boxes at the exits. Others have eliminated the physical offering entirely. There’s no universal right answer — do what fits your church culture.

How do we handle designated giving for special campaigns?

Most platforms let you create temporary funds for capital campaigns, mission trips, or special projects. Create the fund, promote it with a dedicated giving link, and close it when the campaign ends. Tithe.ly, GiveWP, and Planning Center all support this. Some churches create campaign-specific giving pages on their website that link directly to the designated fund.

Can we integrate online giving with our Church Management System?

Yes, and this is one of the most important integrations to set up. Planning Center Giving integrates natively with Planning Center People. Tithe.ly integrates with most major ChMS platforms. Pushpay integrates with Church Community Builder, Planning Center, and others. GiveWP stores data in WordPress, which can be exported or connected via API. Having giving data flow automatically into your ChMS eliminates manual data entry and reduces errors.

How long does it take to set up online giving?

The technical setup takes 30-60 minutes for most platforms. Bank account verification typically takes 1-3 business days. So from start to accepting your first real donation, plan for about a week. You can set everything up and test in the meantime.

What about text-to-give?

Text giving lets donors text a keyword to a number to initiate a gift (e.g., text GIVE to 55555). Tithe.ly, Pushpay, and Subsplash all offer this. It’s especially useful during services when you can display the text number on screen. First-time text givers set up their payment method once, then future gifts take seconds. It’s particularly popular with younger demographics.

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Getting Started Today

If your church doesn’t have online giving yet, don’t overthink the platform choice. Start with Tithe.ly — it’s free, works on any website, and you can be accepting donations this week. You can always switch platforms later as your needs evolve.

If you already have online giving but it’s underperforming, focus on three things: make it visible (navigation, homepage, after sermons), enable fee coverage, and promote recurring giving. These three changes typically increase online giving by 20-40% within 90 days.

For help building the rest of your church’s online presence, start with our step-by-step guide to building a church website or our church website launch checklist to make sure you haven’t missed anything.