Does your church accept credit card donations via your website or a mobile app? It can be a great way to make it easier for those in your congregation to give. It can also create opportunities for persons with nefarious intent.
Fraudulent use of your donation site can be minimized fairly easily. Here are some recommendations:
- Add a CAPTCHA or Google's reCAPTCHA on your donation page.
- Require a minimum donation amount (even if it is $5). Doing this will help curb fraudulent activity.
- Work with your payment gateway/vendor, or donation page designer, to lower the threshold of declined or rejected attempts.
- Have a set process for offering refunds — a process that ensures that you actually received the incorrect amount into your bank account before you refund a "mistake."
For additional information, check out these helpful links:
- Credit Card and ACH Fraud: How Nonprofits Can Detect and Avoid It
- Google reCAPTCHA
- Crooks Use Card Tumbling Programs to Guess Your Number
Questions? Leave a comment below!
Comments
Thank you for sharing this information, Shirley.
The Bridge App, which is now available for CRCs in Canada, has placed the very highest priority on data security for its Give function. Secure giving via credit card is currently available for churches that have activited the Give function, and the capability for debit giving and recurring transactions will soon be available.
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