Churchofthe Nativity.org -> Ministries -> Stewardship -> Pledging -> EFT faqs

Direct Answers to Questions about Electronic Contribution

Q.   What is electronic contribution?

A. Electronic contribution is an automatic transfer program, which allows you to make contributions to your church without writing checks. 

Q.  What are the advantages of electronic contribution?

A.  It saves you time!  It simplifies your life!  You also help your church stabilize its budget and save money. 

Q.  How is my electronic contribution automatically deducted from my account?

A.  Once you authorize the transfer, your specified contribution is electronically transferred directly from your checking or savings account to the church’s account. 

Q.  When will my contribution be deducted from my account?

A.  Your contribution will be deducted from your account on the dates specified on the Member Authorization Form. 

Q.  If I don’t write checks, how do I keep my checkbook balance straight?

A.  Since your contribution is made at a pre-established time, you simply record it in your check register on the appropriate date.

Q.  What if I change bank accounts?

A.  The pledge treasurer will provide a new authorization form to complete.

Q. Is electronic contribution risky?

A.  Electronic contribution is less risky than check contribution.  It can’t be lost, stolen or destroyed in the mail, and it has an extremely high rate of accuracy.

Q.  What if I try electronic contribution and don’t like it?

A.  You can cancel your authorization for electronic contribution at any time by notifying the pledge treasurer.  Keep in mind that advanced notice for any change is needed, with a minimum of seven days to give personal processing time. 

Q.  How do I sign up for electronic contribution?

A.  Complete and sign the authorization form, attach voided check or savings deposit slip and return it to the pledge treasurer by hand, church office internal mail box, or mailed to the church, attention: pledge treasurer.

Q.  Will I still be issued pledge envelopes?

A.  Yes.  To the extent that you are able, we encourage all members using this program of electronic transfer to continue using the envelopes provided, and enter Firstfruits and Tithes on the line indicating contribution amount.  Submitting the pledge envelopes, with no enclosure provided, incorporates all of us in thanking God for the blessings we have received in our church service offertory. 

Q.  Can I use electronic transfer to support the church’s Capital Campaign? 

A.  Yes.  Please indicate to the pledge treasurer the amount you want contributed to the Capital Campaign in the special contributions section just as you do for your annual pledge offering.  Both your annual pledge and your capital campaign contributions will be sent automatically to the correct Church accounts.

Q.  Without a canceled check, how can I prove I made my contribution?

A. Your bank statement gives you an itemized list of electronic transfers. Also the quarterly pledge statements sent from the pledge treasurer indicate the contributions received by the church through the electronic transfer.

Q.  How much does electronic contribution cost?

A.  It costs you nothing and saves you time!  The church pays the administration fees (shown below) for processing transactions and those fees are provided for your knowledge and understanding.

Electronic Fund Transfer Program Charges:

• $0.25 per transaction
• $1.00 Per Authorization Form Setup
• $0.50 Per Authorization Form Setup via website
• $0.45 Per Change (other than banking information)
• $0.25 Per Change made via website (other than banking information)
• $3.00 per Return Item

Electronic Fund Transfer Report Data

(password controlled data access is provided only to the Pledge Treasurer) 

• Confirmation Report – confirms receipt of new member authorization forms or updated member records, or stops electronic contribution. 
• Transaction Settlement Report – a listing of all electronic contributions to be settled is sent prior to each settlement date.
• Transaction Return Item Report – Occurs on closing of account without prior notification or insufficient funds available.

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