If you’re a member or
regular visitor at First Presbyterian Church at Fort Dodge, Iowa or
simply share our Mission to “Know God and To Make Him Known” we welcome
your tithe, offering, or financial gift. Online giving - either
one-time or recurring - is quick, convenient, and completely secure
with the company the church has chosen to use.
If you know you
want to make your First Presbyterian contribution or gift
electronically, then scroll to the bottom of the page and select the
Contribution button right now. If you are still investigating this
option, read the background information provided below.
For
several years First Presbyterian, Fort Dodge, has been able to accept
contributions electronically. There are already a number of families
that are using this easy method, hosted through Vanco Financial
Services, to handle their gifts.
Vanco Background Vanco Services website writes the following about themselves: “Who We Are: Vanco Services, LLC is a PCI (Payment Card Industry) Level 1 Compliant Service Provider specializing in electronic payment solutions. We provide secure and reliable processing for both recurring and one-time transactions. Vanco works with over 15,000 organizations in a variety of industries nationwide. With more than 18 years of experience in Automated Clearing House (ACH) processing, cash management and risk management, Vanco has earned its reputation as a trusted industry leader.
Security Vanco Services provides the highest level of security and confidentiality in processing our clients' electronic transactions. It is our expertise in risk management and an unwavering commitment to security and confidentiality that has helped us become a market leader with a reputation for providing timely, accurate and secure processing services. To remain a market leader and to maintain a high level of service, we utilize the latest technology and incorporate risk management into every facet of our business” (www.vancoservices.com)
Frequently Asked Questions What are the steps in the electronic payment process? 1. Click on link to payment page ~ Individuals click on a link that takes them from your website to a secure payment page.
2. Make payment ~ One-time payments (no profile required): An individual simply enters his or her name, address, payment method, payment amount and other information into required fields and then submits the payment. Recurring payments (profile required): On the first visit to your payment page, an individual creates a password-protected profile by entering his or her name, address, payment method and other required information before setting up a recurring transaction. Then, on future visits, he or she simply logs in to make, change or view information without the need to re-enter personal profile data.
3. Receive confirmation ~ Individuals see a printer-friendly confirmation page and they may also request an automatic email confirmation.
4. Process payment ~ Transactions are processed according to normal timelines and funds are electronically transferred to your organization's account without any unnecessary delay.
5. View/Import Deposit Report ~ Organizations can view, download or import deposit reports confirming all transaction activity. For security purposes, an individual's account information is masked. Reports are easily imported into many widely used software programs.
Can recurring payments be set up online? Can it be canceled? Yes and Yes. You can cancel at any time and Vanco does not charge a cancellation fee or tie donors or churches into any contracts.
Is there a fee to create an online payment page? There is no charge to create a basic web payment page in the style of your existing website.
What does it cost the church to use Vanco? Vanco charges a flat monthly fee to host, maintain and provide security for payment pages. Normal debit card, credit card and direct debit fees apply to individual transactions. Specifically: The web donation page basic cost is $25 a month.
The other charges that are incurred are data entry fees and transaction rates. The same rates you currently pay for your EFT service and your credit/debit card service applies: (EFT: $.50 one-time data entry fee, $.25 per transaction, Credit/Debit: $.50 one-time data entry fee, $.45 per transaction 2.75%/3.5% taken out). These are all charges to the Church. It is possible to have an option on the church web donation page where donors can have the option to pay the percentage that is taken out for credit/debit transactions.
Is there a fee for making changes to our online payment pages? There is no charge for most changes.
Can the contributor change any information they provided when the service was set up? At the time the donor sets up the service, they complete unique login username and password. With this created, a contributor can go in and make changes online at anytime. All action within an account is tracked in order that Vanco knows who and when access and possible changes were made. Certain Vanco personnel and local church personnel have access to this information.
Do individuals receive a receipt? Yes. A confirmation page with a message from your organization appears after a payment or donation is submitted. For individuals who have set up a profile allowing them to manage their own transaction activity, Vanco automatically sends them an email confirming all changes made to their payment plan or personal profile.
How is the church notified of monetary transfers to their accounts? Vanco provides to the church business office a monthly list of electronic transfers to assist the church business office in posting accurate information within their bookkeeping system.
Can a donor see how it works before actually completing the formal application? Yes,
Vanco has set up a trial site that does not record any information a
visitor enters, yet provides an accurate picture of what will happen if
the contributor goes to the formal site. You will see that Vanco trial
site looks very similar to the church website pages, so there will be
little confusion regarding what organization will be receiving the
contribution. You will know it is the demo site when you see the "vancodemo" in the web address. Click to view the TRIAL SITE.
Questions regarding setting up your account can be asked of Ann at the First Presbyterian Church office. 515-576-2091 of annr@firstpresfd.org
Are you ready to sign up with Vanco? Then proceed to the web page link below. This link is the formal sign up page to start the service. Only select the link below if you want to make your contribution or gift to First Presbyterian Church through this electronic portal.
