Electronic+Payments

There has been a great deal of discussion recently about enhancing C3HUU ability to accept electronically generated payments for many things:
 * Pledges (both to Operational Fund and Capital Fund)
 * Special appeals
 * Ministerial fund
 * Payment for goods (auctions, etc)

At this time, C3HUU has only accepted electronic payments initiated from financial institutions via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Electronic Banking Services (aka Online Banking). Many of our members and friends are submitting their pledges or other payments via e-checks through electronic banking services, but in the end that simply generates a check that is mailed to C3HUU and still processed as any check would be, by hand.

Note the companion issue of Online Pledging on a different Wiki page. Some alternatives that are being reviewed for gaining C3HUU broader access to electronic payment systems, with some links to other online resources: __Near term, can be done almost immediately:__ __Longer term, will take significant preparation:__
 * Setup a [|PayPal account] and advertise that PayPal is a very common and secure, option for payment using credit card or tied to a bank account, usually a checking account. Links to PayPal could be made to any web site or e-mail message, where appropriate.
 * Encourage broader use of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which is already used by many C3HUU members and friends
 * Engage a commercial payment processor who will accept common credit cards and often accepts linkages to bank checking accounts via EFT. Some allow simple links from the church web site that then access a secure payment web site.
 * Decide on a Church Management System (ChMS), in part based on the ChMS integration with electronic payment processing

Some pros and cons of each alternative: (ex: [|Wachovia Online Banking], [|NC State Federal CU Billpay] ) || # Safe and convenient (ex: [|Charlotte Church EFT docs]. || # Safe, if done securely. (ex: [|TJDUUA online payments], [|UUA Bookstore,] [|ServiceU.com] ) || # Secure (ex: || # Secure
 * ~ Payment Method ||~ Pro ||~ Con ||
 * Cash || # Common for small amounts and for in service collections
 * 1) No extra fees! || # Harder to insure that payment is recorded correctly for person donated.
 * 2) Not easily verified for IRA tax purposes. ||
 * Check, drawn on a checking account || # Most common payment method for larger sums
 * 1) Safe and convenient
 * 2) No extra fees to C3HUU or donor
 * 3) Easily verified for IRS || # Requires manual entry into ChMS
 * 4) Can be intercepted, but rare if letters are mailed at Post Office ||
 * Electronic Banking Service
 * 1) No extra fees to C3HUU or donor (for many E-banking services)
 * 2) Easily verified for IRS || # Requires manual entry into ChMS, though bank may support download of updates in Quicken or CSV formats
 * 3) Requires donor to sign up for a separate service ||
 * Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), drawn on a checking account
 * 1) Easily verified for IRS || # Requires manual entry into ChMS, though bank may support download of updates in Quicken or CSV formats
 * 2) Can lead to fraud if account numbers are intercepted
 * 3) Often requires setting up automatic withdrawals, many prefer to be able to authorize payment when they wish rather than automatic withdrawals. ||
 * [|PayPal] || # Secure
 * 1) Very widely used by many organizations, including churches
 * 2) Can be a simple link from ANY web site || # Fees, less than online funds servicing companies
 * 3) Requires donors to signup for PayPal then use their credit card or link to financial institution account ||
 * Online payment processing company and funds services web site
 * 1) Can directly accept credit card
 * 2) Often give favorable fee schedules to non-profits
 * 3) Easily verified for IRS
 * 4) Used by districts and UUA.org || # Fees
 * 5) Once setup may lock C3HUU into a particular payment processor due to periodic fees.
 * 6) Requires setup of particular web site or web portal ||
 * Funds servicing web site associated with a Church Management System (ChMS),
 * 1) Can directly accept credit card
 * 2) Payment is recorded directly in ChMS, no manual entry of payment
 * 3) Often give favorable fee schedules to non-profits (though less than options above)
 * 4) Can completely handle processing of donations, distribution of payments
 * 5) Easily verified for IRS
 * 6) Used by larger UUA Congregations || # Fees, tend to be slightly higher than payment processor alone, may get break as noted at left
 * 7) Once setup, may lock C3HUU into a particular ChMS and payment processor for some period of time (1 year)
 * 8) No single ChMS stands out at UUA congregations, many different recommendations
 * 9) Requires setup of particular web site or web portal associated with payment processor ||
 * ~ Payment Method ||~ Pro ||~ Con ||

Please do comment on these alternatives and add your ideas to help C3HUU better integrate the available options for accepting a wider variety of sources of donations and payments.