Overview
Checkouts in the WeGive platform are customizable tools used for processing payments and managing recurring donations or revenue plans. They allow organizations to collect donations, set up recurring contributions, and tailor donor experiences through various customization options.
Creating a Checkout
- Navigate to Elements and click Checkouts: Access your checkout settings by selecting the Elements tab, then Checkouts from the menu.
- Click the blue plus (+) sign: Start a new checkout setup by clicking the blue plus icon.
- Enter an internal name and customize the URL slug: Provide a clear internal name for organization purposes and customize the URL slug for external accessibility.
Customization Features
Details Tab:
- Transaction Type: Choose between donation, which is tax-deductible, or service revenue, which is non-tax-deductible.
- Allow Guest Checkouts: Enables donors to make contributions without two-way authentication, simplifying the process for quick donations.
- Amount Settings:
- Set exact fixed amounts or allow donors to enter their own.
- Offer multiple suggested donation amounts to guide donor choices.
- Currency: Allow donors to use other currencies; donations are automatically converted to USD internally.
Informational Card:
- Control visibility of the informational card, which includes the description and banner, on both desktop and mobile views.
- Decide whether navigation elements like the login option or exit button are visible.
- Customize banners and logos for consistent branding.
- Provide description text to inform or motivate donors.
- Add external links directly within the checkout.
- Include custom footer texts and tailored donation error messages for a personalized donor experience.
Suggested Amounts:
- Present donation amounts as grids or dropdown menus for clarity and convenience.
- Include descriptive text with suggested amounts to explain the impact or usage of specific donation levels.
- Display calculated impact numbers to visually communicate the effect of donations.
Single Page Checkout:
- Offer a streamlined single-page checkout that consolidates all elements into one simple view.
- Adjust informational card visibility and position (left/right).
- Reset layout settings to default if needed, maintaining uniformity across checkouts.
Recurring Donations
- Set default recurring donation frequency options, such as monthly or yearly, with flexibility for donor adjustments.
- Include prompts to encourage one-time donors to switch to recurring donations, increasing donor retention.
- Provide multiple frequency choices or limit to preferred frequencies for recurring donations.
- Name and provide descriptions for recurring giving programs to build donor familiarity and trust.
- Customize suggested donation conversions based on the donor's initial gift, enhancing relevance and effectiveness.
Designations
- Decide whether selecting designations (specific funds or purposes) is mandatory or optional.
- Allow donors to:
- Choose from any available designation.
- Select from a predefined set of designations.
- Have donations automatically assigned to one fixed designation.
- Choose from established designation lists.
- Determine how designation options are presented to donors, either as dropdown or more prominent selectable inputs.
Tribute Donations
- Enable donations to be made in honor or memory of individuals, adding a meaningful dimension to giving.
- Activate automated email notifications or triggers when tribute donations occur.
Payment Options
- Offer multiple payment methods such as credit cards, bank logins, and ACH transfers.
- Integrate Apple Pay and Google Pay for convenience, requiring Stripe setup.
- Transparently display processing fees, helping donors make informed payment method decisions.
Fees
- Allow donors to optionally or automatically cover transaction processing fees.
- Customize the percentage or fixed fee donors are encouraged to cover.
- Set maximum fee limits to avoid excessive charges on large donations, protecting donor relationships.
Donor Experience & Security
- Enable anonymous donations, visible only internally, ensuring donor privacy.
- Allow donors to create and manage multiple company profiles if donating on behalf of organizations.
- Choose whether to collect comprehensive billing addresses or just ZIP codes for donor convenience.
- Request updates for donor information (address, name) either each time or when information is missing, ensuring accurate records.
- Set minimum donation thresholds to reduce fraud risk and processing costs.
Custom Questions
- Incorporate personalized questions within the checkout process to gather valuable donor insights.
- Control the frequency these questions appear to avoid redundancy and enhance the donor experience.
Thank You Page
- Select between video or image media on informational cards to enhance donor appreciation.
- Personalize thank-you messages to reinforce gratitude and donor loyalty.
- Enable donors to access their donor portal or make additional donations directly from the thank you page.
- Redirect donors to customized external thank-you pages for seamless integration with organizational messaging.
Testing & Implementing Checkouts
- Conduct tests by simulating donations using your own email and dummy data to ensure smooth operation.
- Link specific checkouts to campaigns, simplifying tracking and reporting.
- Choose between multi-step or single-page checkout experiences based on donor preferences.
- Implement checkouts on your website via direct links, embedded iframes, or pop-up options.
- Easily export checkout data for analysis and internal reporting directly from the WeGive dashboard.
This detailed guide covers key functionality and extensive customization options within WeGive checkouts, empowering your organization to optimize the donor experience and effectively manage payments.