PAYING MY PLEDGE – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What options do I have for paying my pledge to Grace Church?

You can pay your pledge in one of three ways:

1. By cash or check using an offering envelope (or, by check without offering envelope).
2. By electronic transfer from your checking account
3. By credit or debit card or ACH payment using web-based GivingFire via Grace’s website.

You can pay your pledge on a fixed schedule, for example weekly or monthly, or choose to pay at times that work for you. All the pledge options described here can accommodate a fixed payment schedule; if you need more flexibility, consider checks, cash, or credit/debit card payments.

What should I consider if I want to use cash or checks to pay my pledge?

You can request pledge envelopes to put your pledge payment in the offering plate on Sundays or mail to the church office if you’re away.  Each set of envelopes has a unique number that allows the Pledge Secretary to identify the pledger. There are 52 envelopes in each set – one for each week – but you can choose to use them less frequently.

Checks may be put in the offering plate or mailed to the office without an envelope, but the pledge Secretary cannot “credit” the payment to you if cash is put in the plate without its source being identified.

What are ACH pledge payments?

ACH is a way of processing credit transactions, including automatic payments from a checking account.  Pledgers have the option of paying their pledge this way, using our Giving Fire platform.

What should I consider if I want to pay by debit/credit card?

Grace is using GivingFire – accessible from Grace’s website – for processing single and recurring credit and debit card payments, including pledge. Once an account is set-up, pledgers can fully manage and monitor pledges and credit or debit card payments electronically via this secured website. The GivingFire option for pledge payment offers flexibility in timing and amount of payment and allows you to make payments remotely (even when you’re on vacation). Those using rewards cards get the added benefit of points, miles, or other rewards.

Why is there a processing fee for debit and credit card payments and who pays the fee?

There is a processing fee of 2.5% for all payments through GivingFire. Credit and debit card payments typically incur a processing cost but since merchants, restaurants, etc. usually pay the fees many consumers are unaware of the cost.

In the case of GivingFire, Grace will pay the fee unless the pledger chooses to include the tax-deductible processing fee along with their payment to Grace.

You’ll find more information on these options below. 

Still have questions?  Contact our pledge secretary Sally Ann Mock. 

Thank you so much for your generosity and support — YOU make Grace happen.