Questions about Online Giving
What provider does the church use for online giving?
The church has converted from using Paypal to Realm as our Online Giving provider. We are already using Realm for accounting and this product includes the ability to accept online giving. The donations can flow directly into designated accounts saving time for our staff. Additionally, current church donors already have accounts on the Realm system and can access their giving record and profiles.
Can the system store my credit card or bank information and is it safe?
The Realm platform allows you to donate using credit cards or your bank account. The first time you use the system, it will ask if you want it to remember your payment information. This will save you time if you plan to make contributions on a regular basis using this online method. Realm is a product of ACS Technologies, a company that operates under industry standard practices for secure online transfers of data.
Do I need to make a login account?
When you make an online contribution, we want to make sure we connect that transaction with your giving record in the Realm system. Your contributions are connected using your email address or mobile phone number (in the case of Text To Give). You probably already have a Realm account. This will allow you to access your contribution records. Go to https://onrealm.org/HarmonyGroveUMC and try to login using the email address on file with the church. If this is your first time to login, select “Forgot Password” and set a Password for yourself. After logging in, you should see your past contributions. If not send a message to office@harmonygroveumc.com so we can review the problem.
Can I make contributions by texting from my phone?
The Realm product includes a way to make donations using the texting app on your mobile phone. The first time you put in your payment method, you will have the options for the system to save that information. The following are examples of how to donate using a Text:
Are there other giving options?
There are several other ways to give, especially during this time when we cannot meet in person. You can always mail checks to the church or you can use Online Bill Pay if offered by your bank.
Are there processing fees related to online giving?
Yes, the church is charged fees for each online donation. However, you are given the option to cover this additional fee. The fee for donations from checking accounts (ACH) are 1% and the fees for credit cart payments are 3%.
What are recurring payments?
Donors can setup their giving so that it happens automatically on a set schedule of their choosing.