Overview of the Administrative Fee Cover Feature
Your giving platform offers the option for givers to add a small percentage or dollar amount to their gift to help cover Administrative costs. This guide explains how to enable the Administrative fee, how givers experience this feature, and answers common questions.
Important Note
This feature is managed through Forms and is not applied universally across every giving/payment form. You have complete control over which forms offer this feature.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling the Administrative Fee
- Navigate to your manager portal and click on the Forms tab in the menu on the left side of your screen.
- Select an existing form to edit or create a new form.
- Click Form Properties in the bottom left corner. If your screen is condensed, you may need to click Actions first.
- Navigate to the Payment tab within the Form Properties window.
- Check ☑️ Apply optional or required fee for payment.
- Choose Administrative Fee Type (percentage amount or flat dollar amount).
- Select the Fee Type.
- Enter a Administrative Fee Amount for both Credit/Debit Card and ACH payment types.
- If using the Fee Type “Administrative Fee” and you want the Cover Administrative Fees box checked by default, select Default to Selected.
- If using a different Fee Type and you want to make the fee required, select Required.
- Select a Administrative Fee Fund or create a new Fund specifically for Administrative Fee reporting (see Fund Management).
- Select a Total Amount Fund to associate gifts with if a giver does not select a specific fund (e.g., General Giving, Operating Budget).
- Choose whether to allow users to enter their envelope number and select the Accepted Payment Types for the form.
- Click Done to close the Form Properties.
- If you have completed editing the form, make sure to click the blue Save Changes button in the lower right-hand corner.
Donor Experience with Administrative Fees
Online givers will have the option to help cover the Administrative fee by checking a box on the form.
After accepting the Administrative fee, a new line item showing the Administrative fee dollar amount and the updated gift total will appear.
Note: *2.5% is an example and will reflect the Administrative fee type and amount chosen in the form properties.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Does this mean our givers can pay our Administrative fees?
No. The Apply optional or required fee for payment increases the gift/payment size to help cover Administrative costs. Your organization is still responsible for the Administrative fee on the total gift amount.
Example: Nancy gives $100 to your church and accepts a 2.5% processing fee. Her total gift is $102.50. Administrative fees are calculated on $102.50. If Nancy did not accept the fee, your organization would receive $97.10; with her acceptance, it receives $99.53.
Does this feature impact reporting?
Yes. On the Transactions tab, you can see when a giver has elected to cover Administrative fees. You may also create a specific fund for Administrative fees for easier tracking.
Can different forms have different Administrative fees?
Yes. You can select a percentage or flat dollar rate for each form individually (e.g., 2.6% on one form, $5.00 on another).
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