Tap to Donate
Tap to Donate is now available under public beta!
Use the links below to download the app.
Requirements for use:
- Your ChurchSuite or CharitySuite account's local currency must be GBP (tap donations in other currencies are not supported)
- The Giving module must be an installed module on your account
- You must have a completed Stripe integration
- The app will only work on a supported device with an NFC reader
If you use the app on a personal device, never keep your own cards in the device case—proximity to the device's NFC chip may result in donations being charged to your card instead of the giver's!
For iOS users:
Tap to Donate on iOS is only for iPhones. XS models released in 2018 and later models running iOS 16.7 or above are compatible. iPads do not have NFC technology and cannot be used with Tap to Donate.
Tap to Donate for iOS is available via TestFlight. You can find information about downloading TestFlight and how to get the app here. Note that iOS 'tapping' is done on the front of the device on the screen where the NFC Chip is located. On some iPhone models, the NFC Chip can also detect 'taps' on the back of the device.
For Android users:
Tap to Donate on Android is available for phones and tablets which have a functioning NFC antenna and chipset. Stripe recommends and supports the following devices. This list isn't exhaustive, and some other Android devices may work. When you open the app, it will tell you if a compatible NFC antenna and chipset can be found. Note that Android 'tapping' is done on the back of the device where the NFC Chip is located.
To join from your Android device, use this link.
IMPORTANT: Test donations
Although this is a beta version of the app, all donations will be charged to the card! For testing purposes, you can refund test donations made via your Stripe dashboard, but the donation will persist in your ChurchSuite Giving module. All tap donations are created against the small donations giver profile for the site chosen in the app. If you have multiple sites, be sure to select the correct preferred site in the app on each device.
Beta feedback
The app user interface and user experience are still subject to change during public beta testing. We'd like to hear how you get on and how you find the giver user experience and the overall functionality available. Is everything clear and intuitive? Are there any sticking points? Is everything working as expected? Email feedback to support@churchsuite.com, and we'll take a look. For less urgent issues or to make requests for future development consideration, we encourage you to save up your feedback and let us know in one response. It may be helpful to use the app for a while so that feedback is 'considered' rather than 'reactive'.
We hope you enjoy the new app and that it helps you in your giving context. We look forward to hearing from you!
In this article
Introduction
Setting up Tap to Donate
Overview of the giver user experience
Managing contactless donations received
Introduction
Tap to Donate is a contactless giving app for use with NFC-enabled iOS or Android smartphones and tablets. It enables the collection of anonymous small donations from prospective givers quickly and easily. Any church or organisation using the Giving module with a completed Stripe integration can use it. Only donations in GBP are currently supported.
'Tap' donations are automatically added to the Giving module. For UK churches and charities, Gift Aid is claimable on contactless small donations up to £30 that are eligible under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. Larger, non-anonymous amounts are also possible - a QR Code directs the giver to your Donate form to complete their donation on their device.
Tap to Donate is designed for use at in-person gatherings and events where the cardholder is present. It can be used in different configurations - either at a static giving kiosk or as part of the "offering" where a device is passed around the congregation. With the Fund preselected in the app, the giver chooses a preset amount (or enters a custom amount) and taps their card or digital wallet phone on the device to complete their donation payment without the need to enter physical card details. Tap to Donate is easy to set up and is just as simple and quick to use!
Transaction fees
Stripe automatically deducts a card processing fee from each tap donation processed, whether the payment is approved or declined. The gross donation is added in the Giving module, but the net-of-fees amount is paid to the designated bank account set in your Stripe account settings. See our related support article for further information about Integrating with Stripe for online card payments.
For Donate, where card details are manually entered (or where Apple Pay or Google Pay are configured), Stripe's fees comprise a percentage of the donation amount plus a 20p transaction fee.
The same percentage of the donation amount applies to Tap to Donate, but the transaction fee is split into two parts: a 10p transaction fee and a 10p "Per-Authorisation" fee.
App user permissions
Any user with Use permissions for Tap to Donate can install and configure the app; no user access to other modules is required. For further information, see the related article on Adding and managing users.
The device's default security measures are used to secure access to the app - typically a screen-unlock passcode or biometrics. Once unlocked, the device can be used for Tap to Donate. An optional app PIN can be set to restrict access to the Fund list, enabling you to lock the device to a preferred fund and prevent fund switching on the device. The app is designed for use on church/organisation devices that you make available to collect contactless donations from prospective givers and is not intended for installation on a giver's device.
Supported devices and minimum requirements
Tap to Donate uses Near-Field Communication (NFC), a wireless technology that enables the chip on a physical card (or a digital wallet phone) to be read when in very close proximity to the device.
iOS: iPhone XS or newer running iOS 16.7 or later. Note that iPads do not support NFC.
Android: NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet running Android 8.0 or later. Note that the NFC reader on Android devices is at the back of devices, meaning cards and digital wallet phones need to be tapped on the back of the device to be read. Consequently, Android devices may not be suitable for use in a kiosk stand if the NFC reader is not readily accessible. The app does not support external USB NFC readers.
Visit the Stripe website for a list of supported devices.
Top Tip! Locking a kiosk device with guided access
You can restrict a Tap to Donate device to a single app, which is useful for devices that are left unattended at a Giving Kiosk. You can set a time limit and customise which features, hardware buttons, and areas of the screen are available on the device, and prevent the app from being forced to close or logged out.
Click here for help with iOS iPhone Guided Access, and here for help with Android App Pinning. A range of third-party 'guided access' apps are also available for Android devices.
Setting up Tap to Donate
You can download the ChurchSuite Tap to Donate app from the respective Apple (iOS) or Google Play (Android) app stores. Search the app store for 'ChurchSuite' and choose 'Tap to Donate' from the list of apps we provide.
Once installed, launch the app and take time to swipe and read the introductory tutorial pages. You can return to the tutorial pages at any time by choosing Help from the app Settings. These explain the app's functionality, navigation and settings and show the giver user experience. After the final tutorial page, you can Log in. Begin by searching and selecting your church or organisation and enter your username and user password (and multi-factor authentication code, if enabled) to complete the authentication process. After that, the app's use is secured by the device's built-in screen-lock security - unlocking the screen using a passcode or biometrics will give access to the Tap to Donate app.
Once authenticated, the app displays a list of Funds that have been set to Show in Tap to Donate.
Top Tip! Managing fund visibility and preset amounts
We've produced a related support article, Managing funds in the Giving module, that contains instructions on how to manage which funds are shown in the Tap to Donate app. In this way, you can hide any private funds that you don't wish to collect contactless donations for. You can also customise up to four preset Amounts that givers can choose from when making a contactless donation; they can also make a custom donation amount.
At this point, you can navigate into the app Settings to set whether a PIN is required to change funds. This setting is helpful when you want to lock a device to a selected fund - all 'tap' donations will be assigned to that chosen fund. If the device is being used in a context where fund switching is required or preferred, you can leave the "Fund Change" PIN disabled. Finally, for multi-site customers where the logged-in app user has permission for multiple sites, you should choose the Giving module Site to which anonymous small donations are recorded. A selected site setting persists until changed, which means you can configure different devices for use at other sites. Alternatively, you can add app user profiles that have single-site permission, meaning that anonymous small donations are recorded against the app user's site, with no option for the site to be changed.
Where the fund-change PIN is enabled, choosing a fund invites you to enter a 4-digit number and Set PIN. The same screen is used if you later choose to Disable PIN, requiring entry of the PIN to complete the process. An enabled PIN remains enabled until disabled, the app is force-closed, or the app is logged out.
The Amount page is shown, and the device is ready for use. You can return to the Fund list at any time by tapping the < icon in the top-left of the screen - if enabled, the Fund Change PIN will be required.
Overview of the giver user experience
Prospective givers can choose from four preset amounts or click Other to enter a custom amount. Givers can also select to Donate on their device, which reveals a QR Code that the giver can scan to open Donate on their device to complete the donation process, which will be helpful for those wishing to make recurring donations rather than anonymous small donations.
The giver is instructed where to tap their card or digital wallet phone. For Android (shown below on the right), the NFC reader is located on the back of the device. For iOS devices (shown below on the left), the reader is accessed by tapping on the device screen at the front.
An Approved message indicates a successful donation and confirms the amount donated. The giver can optionally request an Email receipt for their payment. The donation is automatically added to the Giving module in ChurchSuite - see the next section for further explanation.
A Declined payment request invites the giver to Retry Payment—perhaps with an alternative card. If the retry is also declined, a QR Code is shown, which the giver can scan with their phone camera to take them to your Donate page on their device to complete their donation. The giver can also request an Email Receipt for a declined payment request. The decline 'reason' is not shown in the giver's user experience, and declined payment requests are not recorded in ChurchSuite.
Chip-and-PIN - Android devices
Some UK cards require chip-and-PIN security. For example, newly issued cards typically need to be used with chip-and-PIN first before they can be used for contactless payments. While iOS supports a Tap to Pay on iPhone with a PIN-entry screen, Android devices do not.
Additionally, some UK cards are unable to complete contactless payments using a PIN, even on an iOS device. In this scenario, a Declined message will be shown. However, the giver can continue with their donation by scanning the QR Code to complete it on their device using Donate and an alternative payment method.
For UK churches and charities claiming Gift Aid on eligible contactless small donations, an alternative giver experience to Donate on your device is provided for givers who wish to give more than the eligibility limit of £30. Scanning the QR Code, the giver is taken to your organisation's Donate form to complete their donation with a non-contactless secure payment process. For further information, see our related support article, Accepting online donations using Donate.
Managing contactless donations received
As a reminder, Tap to Donate donations are anonymous because no identifiable giver details are collected during the giving experience. The process is quick and simple and ideal for collecting small donations at an unstaffed giving kiosk or when taking up a collection at in-person events and gatherings.
Each successfully approved 'tap' donation is automatically added to the Giving module - only donations made in GBP are supported:
- For UK churches and charities where Gift Aid applies, small donations up to £30 are added to the Small Donation Scheme (SDS) giver profile and recorded with a "Contactless" method. For multi-site customers with site-specific SDS giver profiles, the app Site setting determines the SDS giver profile used. See the related support article How to process donations under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme for further information. Contactless donations over £30 can still be made, but Gift Aid will not be claimable - if the giver chooses to continue, the donation is added to the SDS giver profile with an "Override" Gift Aid status to prevent Gift Aid from being claimable; alternatively, the giver can "Gift Aid" their donation by scanning the "Donate on their device" QR Code to complete the donation through Donate by another payment method.
- For churches and charities accepting 'tap' donations in GBP in all other regions (e.g., Jersey) where Gift Aid doesn't apply, 'tap' donations of any amount are added to an Anonymous Giver profile. This profile is created in the Giving module automatically when the first 'tap' donation is processed. Anonymous 'tap' donations are added to that profile using a "Contactless" method.