Frequently Asked Questions about Text Giving

No, donations are not charged to a donor’s cell phone bill.

Donations are charged to the donor’s credit or debit card, or even through bank account if they wish.  They’ll simply decide when they make their first donation.

There are a few reasons that we don’t charge to the phone bill: 

• You have to be a registered 501(c)3 with a minimum annual revenue
• Donations you can receive are small and have monthly limit
• Funds can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days to reach your organization.

Txt2Give charges a 2.5% platform fee on all donations processed through the system.

We strongly recommend using Stripe, which is fully integrated into the Txt2Give sign-up process for a seamless setup experience.

Organizations that connect through Stripe receive a discounted nonprofit processing rate of 2.3% + $0.30 per transaction.

While we do support select third-party payment gateways, they are not directly integrated into our onboarding flow. Processing rates, setup requirements, and support may vary depending on your provider.

For the smoothest experience and preferred pricing, we recommend connecting with Stripe during sign-up.

Yes, you can customize the text giving form.

You can add your logo and choose your colors to create a seamless feel for your donors when they give.

No, you don’t have to download an app.

While apps can be great for ordering a pizza, they aren’t always a great idea when it comes to receiving donations. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Different operating systems require separate apps. Both have to be updated constantly in order to work accurately.
2. Donors have to remember to update the app or it may not let them give.
3. You may not be able to get donation information. 
4. Apps can be expensive. Apps that have a ton of features may sound great, but they usually come with a hefty price tag and require more frequent updates.
5. Apps take up a lot of storage space.
6. Apps can be slow. Large apps take longer to load simply due to the massive amounts of info needed to run them behind the scenes.  That can mean a longer giving experience for your donors who might just give up because it takes too long.
7. A bad app can damage your brand. When an app doesn’t work correctly or takes  long time to use, it can leave the donor having a bad experience with your organization. 

Yes, you must have a merchant account.

Anytime you accept digital payments, you have to have a merchant account in order to process those payments.  

We work with 17 of the top payment processors in the industry. If you already have a merchant account with one of them, you can simply plug them in to Txt2Give! If you don’t have one and need help deciding which one is best for you, simply reach out and we’ll be happy to help.

Yes, your donors receive text donation receipts.

Our Txt2Give system will send out automated and branded receipts via email to donors that are customized to your organization.

Yes, you can have a custom giving image.

We want to make introducing and promoting Txt2Give as easy as possible.  We give you a free customized giving image, complete with your giving number and how to give. Simply put this image wherever you want to reach your donors – social media, emails, posters etc.  We even have a layered image for live-streaming or big screens. Also, a custom giving image is available upon request.

Yes, Txt2Give offers an online giving tool

And it’s FREE with every account.  We want to make it easy and affordable to keep track of all of your digital donations in one place.

No, we do not currently offer short codes.

Recently there have been some changes by the major phone carriers that will be blocking the use of shared short codes in the very near future.  This change is due to the amount of spam that has been increasing over the last few years.  

A short code is a 5-6 digit number that replaces a normal 10-digit number.  A shared short code means that 5-6 organizations share one code.  If that code is ever reported for spam (maybe one of the other organizations are sending out too many messages and annoy a donor), then the short code can get blocked for every organization that is using it.

Until the carriers release their own solution, the only way to have a reliable short code is by using a dedicated short code (each organization has its own code), which is extremely expensive at $1,000+ per month. To date, the only option for a true short code is through Mobile Giving Foundation. 

Until there is a more cost effective solution for our customers, we have decided to discontinue shared short codes so that we can ensure our platform’s reliability and that our customers won’t have their short code go down when they need it the most.  

People give by texting via a unique 10-digit number.

Your organization will receive a unique 10-digit giving number in the area code that you provide when you sign up.  We also have toll free numbers available.

To make a text donation, donors will simply text GIVE to your giving number and make their donation. Custom keywords are also available (except on the Basic Event Plan).

To give online, donors will simply use the unique giving link in your dashboard.

Account activation and set up times vary.

If you are a monthly user, your account is active and your free trial starts immediately.  Simply plug in your payment processor and you’re ready to go! If you have a one-time event, we can have you set up and ready to go in about 48 hours.  If you need it sooner there is a small rush fee of $100.

Txt2Give’s service is very simple to use!

Txt2Give works with the phone’s existing texting environment, so all the donor has to do is send a text message.  We even have a free trial and free online giving!

Text giving is received instantly!

The giving process is in real-time, so you will see the donation show up instantly in Txt2Give’s administrative dashboard. Depending on who you choose as a payment processor, you could receive the funds in as little as 24 hours, or it may take longer, depending on their specific terms.

There is no contract with Txt2Give!

Nobody likes contracts, so with us, there isn’t one.  Try us out with our free trial, and leave anytime you’d like.

The two main benefits are security and convenience.

96% of people in the US carry around a smartphone everywhere they go. At Txt2Give, we’ve turned the smartphone into a personal giving device, meaning that donors can give from anywhere, anytime in just a few seconds.

Donor information includes name, email, and payment information.

The very first time a new donor gives, they must complete a quick, secure, one-time registration step in order to complete their donation. This registration step is how our system identifies them for future giving, verifies their identity with the payment processor and also how we are able to give you the donor information. Items that are required include name, email address and credit card info. You can optionally collect the donor’s address.

Txt2Give’s mobile donation service is for everyone!

If your organization needs to raise money, we can help. We offer easy to use, affordable options whether you need it for a one-time event or something longer.

Txt2Give’s mobile donation works for most organizations.

Every organization is different. The success of Txt2Give usually boils down to two things:

1. How you promote it to your donors 
2. The demographic of your donors

This is why we offer a free trial and provide a comprehensive launch package for everyone that signs up.  We also have a dedicated team to help you during your launch and every step of the way.