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| Using Direct Debit Increases Donation Consistency |
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| Direct debit is Vanco's electronic funds transfer service used to automatically transfer funds from a donor's checking or savings account to your organization's account using the highly secure Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. More than 8,500 churches, schools and foundations of every size and type use our popular direct debit payment solution to automate the recurring donations and payments that are the lifeblood of every nonprofit organization. Direct debit works equally well for processing individual transactions including ticket sales, auctions and one-time gifts. |
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| Benefits |
| See how direct debit can increase revenue, promote consistent year-round giving and reduce administrative tasks while enhancing donor loyalty and satisfaction. |
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| FAQs |
| Get answers to frequently asked questions about direct debit. |
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| How It Works |
| View the steps involved, from initial authorization to payment confirmation. |
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| Get Started |
| Request information, download a startup packet or contact us to learn how easy it is to get started. |
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| e.service® Electronic Funds Transfer |
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| Benefits Back to Top |
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| Direct debit offers important benefits to both your organization and its donors. |
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| Improves Donation Consistency |
| By using direct debit to automate religious offerings, tuition and fund raising, seasonal slumps are avoided, donations and payments are received exactly as scheduled and overall cash flow becomes more predictable. |
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| Reduces Administrative Activity |
| Automating recurring transactions with direct debit eliminates the time spent manually processing checks and pursuing past-due commitments. Once a recurring transaction is entered and scheduled, it does not need to be re-entered again. |
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| Frees Up Staff Time |
| Direct debit adds to your organization's productivity by reducing the staff time spent manually processing checks. |
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| Notifies You of Returns Faster |
| Receiving notification of returns within two business days of the payment date allows you to address situations quickly. |
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| Enhances Donor and Patron Loyalty |
| Donors appreciate this simple, reliable and cost-effective method to manage their giving and other financial commitments. For weekly contributors, direct debit is an especially welcome way to simplify a 52-time a year task. |
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| Provides Security |
| Direct debit is more secure than checks, which can be misplaced, lost or even stolen at many points throughout the process. |
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| Improves Accuracy |
| Direct debit eliminates the errors arising from illegible and incomplete checks or from posting errors. |
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| Helps the Environment |
| Check use has declined dramatically in recent years in part because of the heightened awareness of the resources consumed in printing, processing and transporting checks. Direct debit is a paperless solution. |
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| How It Works Back to Top |
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Authorize |
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Donors authorize your organization to debit payments from their checking or savings accounts. This is typically done in writing using an authorization form. Another option is to utilize Vanco's Website Payment solution which allows donors to authorize a donation without using a paper form. |
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Enter the Transaction |
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After receiving a signed authorization form from your donor, the payment information needs to be entered into our system for processing. The easiest and most common way to enter payment information is through Vanco's online Service Center, a secure website designed for our clients to manage their electronic transactions. Once a payment is entered, the rest is automated. A friendly Vanco implementation specialist will help you get going and provide ongoing assistance. |
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Process |
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Prior to each scheduled donation or payment, Vanco transmits a file with payment information via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. |
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Deposit |
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A deposit is made to your organization's account for the total amount of the direct debit transactions. Recurring transactions with a fixed dollar amount will continue to process automatically as scheduled until cancelled or put on hold. |
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Confirm |
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Vanco generates a report confirming all deposits made to your account. Donors in turn see the transactions on their account statements from their financial institutions. |
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| Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top |
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| What is direct debit? |
| Direct debit is the secure electronic transfer of an authorized payment from your donor's checking or savings account into your account. Direct debit may also be referred to as electronic funds transfer (EFT), Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer, direct payment, automatic bill payment, automated debit and electronic payment. |
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| What types of companies and organizations offer direct debit? |
| Nonprofit organizations of every type and size now offer direct debit to manage recurring donations, tuition and payments. In addition to churches, schools and learning centers, direct debit is also used effectively by cultural, social service and healthcare organizations. |
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| Isn't direct debit just for large organizations? |
| Not at all. In fact, Vanco specializes in providing electronic payment solutions to small organizations. By combining the transaction activity from thousands of organizations of every size, Vanco is able to economically deliver big benefits to even the smallest organizations. |
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| Are there any special hardware or software needs? |
| No. Your only requirement is a personal computer with an Internet connection. You simply log into Vanco's secure, easy-to-use, online Service Center to manage your transactions. Friendly customer service representatives are available to help you with any questions. |
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| Does the service require a long-term contract? |
| No long-term contract is required. Our philosophy is to retain our clients with superior products and service. |
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| Will donors use direct debit? |
| Absolutely! Chances are the majority of your donors are already making or receiving at least one payment via direct debit. According to a December 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study, direct debit (ACH) is the fastest growing form of non-cash payment. |
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| How do donors know the dollar amount and date of deductions from their accounts? |
| For a recurring transaction, the amount and the timing will be exactly as specified on the original authorization form and will continue until a change is made. If the planned donation date is a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday, the deduction will occur on the first business day following that date. The debit will appear on the donor's statement from his or her financial institution. |
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| How can I successfully introduce direct debit? |
| Vanco's Donation Builder web page will give you many proven ideas for rolling out a direct debit option to your donors. |
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| Get Started Back to Top |
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| It's Easy To Get Started! |
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| Click here to request information or download a startup packet. |
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| You may also call 800-774-9355 and ask for a sales representative or send us an email at Sales@VancoServices.com |
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