Insights
Laura MacDonald, Digital Marketing Manager at tictoc Digital, takes a look at a few of the most popular payment gateways for charities and what to consider when selecting one
For a charity, there are few decisions that weigh as heavily as selecting the right payment gateway. For many non-profits, monetary donations are integral to funding charitable activities. Getting the donation process wrong is simply not an option.
A payment gateway is an e-commerce service provider that enables charities to process credit and debit card transactions. Many charities choose to use payment gateways to process transactions over a fundraising platform like JustGiving for a number of reasons - for instance, having the ability to directly integrate so the payment process remains entirely on their own website or lower fees when handling a large number of transactions.
Choosing a payment gateway that is right for you comes down to what you require as a charity. Before you proceed with a provider, stop to ask the following:
Choosing the right payment gateway for your charity comes down to what best suits their organisation’s needs. It’s not a decision to take lightly, so be sure to thoroughly investigate your potential partners before “signing on the dotted line.” So, what payment gateway is the best fit for your charity? Let’s take a look at a few of the industry leading providers.
When it comes to keeping users on site, Sage Pay offers a large number of integration options. This can be a bonus for charities who want to have more control over how their donation process will look. Sage Pay also provide comprehensive fraud detection and general account support. Prices start from £20.90 per day.
The UK’s leading Direct Debit service, SmartDebit is often the choice for charities looking for a partner to support ongoing monthly donations. As a company, SmartDebit has been around just over two decades and has an excellent track record of maintaining a high quality service. Monthly pricing begins from £30 per month, plus 20p per transaction (excluding set up fees.)
Worldpay offers a full suite of services for point of sale, from card machines to online payments, making it a favoured choice by many UK organisations. However, where other payment gateway providers excel in integration, Worldpay often falls behind. Digital marketers looking to track return on investment through third party tools like Google Analytics may also be disappointed as this is largely not possible at the moment with WorldPay. Prices are available upon request.
Stripe is dedicated to making its services, pricing and support simple. This may be the preferred provider for charities looking for a fuss-free solution, however, flat rate pricing could potentially be pricey when handling a large number of donations. Prices start from 1.4% + 20p per transaction for European cards.
As a well-recognised and trusted brand, it’s likely that many users visiting your charity’s website will be familiar with and already own a PayPal account. As a result, this could positively impact your user experience, with steps being smoother to the finish line (a donation). Non-profits and charities can benefit from discounted rates as part of the payment provider’s charitable activities, making it an attractive proposition. Prices start from 1.4% + 20p per transaction.
This article was written by Laura MacDonald, Digital Marketing Manager at tictoc Digital. tictoc is a full-service digital agency based in Glasgow and London with over 15 years’ experience working with charities of all sizes, dedicated to accelerating their online performance.
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