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We’ve all heard the stories of church members fearing the increasing role of technology when it comes to their personal information being exposed while electronically tithing. You can always explain to your congregation that online giving is quick, easy and convenient. However, some of your regular givers might be a little hesitant when it comes to providing personal information online, such as their name, address and credit card number.
Although online giving is becoming more and more popular in the church community, you’re still likely to get the question, “Who is handling my banking information and why should I trust them?” The good news for easyTithe customers is that you are already using a Level 1 PCI Compliant Service Provider; meaning that easyTithe conforms to the absolute highest set of security standards in the payment processing industry. All this terminology sounds great when you begin to explain security measures to your faithful givers, but they’re still probably going to wonder what exactly it means to be PCI Compliant.
To help you explain this to your congregation, and why we take such pride in being Level 1 PCI Compliant, we’re going to address the three most frequently asked questions regarding online giving security.
1. Who sees donor information?
All personal, credit card and banking information is encrypted with the strongest form of protection, eliminating possibilities of personal data being seen. This means that all account managers, end users, and employees won’t have access to a donor’s sensitive information and lead to an unauthorized transaction. As a Level 1 PCI Compliant Provider, we restrict physical access to all cardholder information, while regularly updating anti-virus software.
2. Where is personal information stored?
Personal information is stored in a secure data center with monitored networks. You may be wondering what exactly that entails. Card entry, camera-recorded server room access, and a perimeter security system are in use at all times to protect the data center facilities. Maximum security measures are used when it comes to all online giving personal and private information.
3. What happens if a donor makes a mistake?
If in any circumstance one of your valued givers were to make a mistake while giving, their funds would still be safe and can be returned to their account upon request. For example, say a member of your church wanted to give $100 but accidentally entered $1,000 when giving online. Hey, it happens! If notified before the payment is processed, the secured system allows the transaction to be canceled. If the transaction has already processed, the funds can be returned to the donor within a couple of business days.
Overall, churches who are experienced with online giving continue to confirm that any initial fears regarding online payment processing security were alleviated after learning more about security measures. They also confirm that online giving has added a real value to their members’ giving experience. So next time members of your church family consider donating via credit or debit card for the first time, you will be able to help put their minds at ease.
If you should have any questions regarding easyTithe online giving or our security measures, give us a call at 888-778-4843 or email sales@easytithe.com.
