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Options

There are a number of ways of getting money processed as a result of someone making a decision to 'buy' from your website (or via seeing a charity ad elsewhere):

• At time of writing (June 2000), it is common for all types and sizes of organisations to require a form to be printed off and posted, or a phone call, with cheque or credit card payment being processed in 'standard' ways.
• Use a Payment Service Provider (PSP) facility, where your website connects through when someone wants to make a payment. The money goes to their account, and you get paid typically 45 days later. (Information should be collected on your site so you respond before then!). Operate on a set-up fee (sometimes free) plus a percentage per transaction which can be double the offline charge.
• A 'secure server' within your web set-up which allows taking credit/debit card details online, and you then feed in manually to your normal card processing arrangements.
• Real online card processing, through a facility like ePDQ (see Barclays), with a live or batch connection to the card issuers/clearers. Usually a monthly fee, lower transaction charge than PSP - try to negotiate same as your offline arrangement.
• Your own online processing facility, connecting through to the banks system in a similar way to BACS. Only for the largest, and even then probably not yet.

Online Donations

There is now a range of facilities for collecting donations online. Some arevariations on the Payment Service Provider model, others are more like giving portals where a cause can be selected from a range. You may want to investigate how these facilities manage or link in to Gift Aid processing.

• bmycharity Various online fundraising/donation services. They have been recommended for speed of response and thoroughness - being taken over March 2010 so things may change..

• CAF can collect donations over the internet in various ways.

• Charity Choice web directory provides an online donation facility for registered charities.

• Charity Technology Trust offers various card processing technology, on and offline.

• WorkWithUs, connected with Scottish support body SCVO, has online facilities Fundraising Plus. Can be used by any UK charity and integrates with Campaign Helper service. (Note: minimum donation amount accepted is £5, at Jun 04.)

• Localgiving.com aims to enable philanthropic giving to small local charities and community groups in the UK. It is a social enterprise owned by two charities, and every local charity listed is etted by their local Community Foundation

• JustGiving powers "online giving, plus paper-free Gift Aid reclaims, either through their site or as 'white label' technology within charities' own web page".

• Charity Giving, another online giving site, is operated by the Dove Trust, a charity which has been providing fundraising support since 1983. Lower charges than most.

• Rapidata Services has some online fundraising services as well as direct debit facilities.

• Global Giving "Projects on GlobalGiving.co.uk are screened to ensure they meet a genuine charitable purpose, in areas such as education, health, economic development and the environment."

An open source add-on to the CiviCRM platform, CiviContribute, is being developed, at spring 2006. While coming from an American base, they are trying hard to internationalise it.

General Payment Services

• Barclaycard Business Services A helpful web site. ePDQ is their online payment facility for approved merchants. The Enable online payments facility, which could be set up very quickly, may have been discontinued.
  
  
• Datacash Has a useful round-up of e-commerce/online shop software and services.
  
  
• NetBanx.
  
  
• PayPal is a little different to the others. Accept credit card payments very quickly, but there are some restrictions on what you can then do with the money. Don't forget to select the right country.
  
  
• Planet Payment Phone 0800 027 3636.
  
  
• SECPay has rebranded as PayPoint.net
  
  
• SecureTrading provides 'real time' processing of payments by credit and debit card. UK based. Rates for charities (Autumn 04): 1% of each transaction plus £150 per year.
  
  
• WorldPay is quite widely used by UK charities (which get 1% on credit cards, no annual fee). Doesn't meet full accessibility requirements, according to reports. Part of Royal Bank of Scotland Group.