We were ahead of our time!

[RamboPreacher]

The SQUARE scanner device is not attached to any account. They are dumb terminal objects. You plug in ANY Square vscanner to ANY iPhone/Android device and launch the appropriate free APP and log in. It is the login that ties it to a certain account, in this case one established by the local church.

We have used various Square scanners (several people in the church have them) on more than 2 or 3 different phones when someone is absent. Flawless performance. We take in significant percentages of our church tithes and offerings monthly via Square & Paypal.

We leave a Square equipped phone laying by the offering box at the entrance.

i understand how they work, but as mentioned, it is "my" iphone/ipad, and the perception is paying "me" - it's not generic enough unless we get one as a church and make a kiosk out of it as a church device, for the church use.

[Pastor Gary]

The SQUARE scanner device is not attached to any account. They are dumb terminal objects. You plug in ANY Square vscanner to ANY iPhone/Android device and launch the appropriate free APP and log in. It is the login that ties it to a certain account, in this case one established by the local church.

We have used various Square scanners (several people in the church have them) on more than 2 or 3 different phones when someone is absent. Flawless performance. We take in significant percentages of our church tithes and offerings monthly via Square & Paypal.

We leave a Square equipped phone laying by the offering box at the entrance.

i understand how they work, but as mentioned, it is "my" iphone/ipad, and the perception is paying "me" - it's not generic enough unless we get one as a church and make a kiosk out of it as a church device, for the church use.

Honestly, I think that may be just your perception. I don't think if you had a giving point designated at your church that anyone would care whosehone and device is used, as the screen clearly specifies who is receiving the money. You can even add a logo for the church + the emailed receipt states "Donation to XYZ"

[darylscook]

Those using PayPal, etc.

Ok, We don't give as many yearly receipts as we used too, but we do still produce enough. When someone makes a donation, via Paypal, for say $100. We get a deposit of $97.50. At first I told our Clerk/Treasurer to just put down a donation of $97.50. Is that how you guys handle it.

Or, how do you handle it.

Thanks!

[Billy n NC]

Those using PayPal, etc.

Ok, We don't give as many yearly receipts as we used too, but we do still produce enough. When someone makes a donation, via Paypal, for say $100. We get a deposit of $97.50. At first I told our Clerk/Treasurer to just put down a donation of $97.50. Is that how you guys handle it.

Or, how do you handle it.

Thanks!

Daryl, This is the (discussion) that has kept our church from going to electronic giving also. Let ask you this..

If someone gives $100 in a Church Envelope on Sunday AM and marks it as 45 tithes, 20 2nd Sunday offering, 35 Youth Dept.. do You give them a receipt for $99.99. the envelope cost something....


The Paypal fee is an expense.. So if on sunday you have $500 given for the general expense of the church via Paypal etc.. then $17.50 is expensed for Paypal , along with cost of lights, gas , water etc..

but the donors would get a receipt for the total amount they give..

[Full Quiver]

The giver should get a receipt for the full amount given/enclosed and thus tax deductible.

Billy is correct! When it comes down to it all funds go to the expense of the ministry otherwise it would be an expense versus profit thing and we aren't about profits.

[Pastor Gary]

I find it kind of funny... some pastors/elders find paying a %-age to Square or Paypal objectionable, but if they had a shut-in member who lived several miles away, they would not hesitate to get in their car, use $10 worth of gas to drive over and pick up their tithes if requested, and declare the gas used as an expense. We do tend to pick and chose what we accept, don't we?

I saw this link today to get a FREE Square scanner for smartphone:
Long URL via facebook.com for squareup.com

Moderator Edit: Shortened URL in post to prevent excessive horizontal screen scroll on some devices

[Pastor Gary]

https://squareup.com/

[Billy n NC]

Paypal is fixing to release there own Card reader..

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/credit-card-reader


And there Phone App is cool also..

and its free

[darylscook]

Those using PayPal, etc.

Ok, We don't give as many yearly receipts as we used too, but we do still produce enough. When someone makes a donation, via Paypal, for say $100. We get a deposit of $97.50. At first I told our Clerk/Treasurer to just put down a donation of $97.50. Is that how you guys handle it.

Or, how do you handle it.

Thanks!

Daryl, This is the (discussion) that has kept our church from going to electronic giving also. Let ask you this..

If someone gives $100 in a Church Envelope on Sunday AM and marks it as 45 tithes, 20 2nd Sunday offering, 35 Youth Dept.. do You give them a receipt for $99.99. the envelope cost something....


The Paypal fee is an expense.. So if on sunday you have $500 given for the general expense of the church via Paypal etc.. then $17.50 is expensed for Paypal , along with cost of lights, gas , water etc..

but the donors would get a receipt for the total amount they give..

thanks, I figured so. And, that is what we are doing. It just has to be documented a little differently because we only receive the 97.50 in our deposit. We have got it worked out.

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure.

Pastor Daryl

[Paully_44]

https://squareup.com/

I was in a tatoo shop the other day. first time I had seen one of these device in action. and a receipt is emailed out when payment is received, very slick.

[RamboPreacher]

PG and others - I agree. but I think the issue isn't really about the "expense", but rather a paradigm of tracking and how the books are kept. I do ours, so I have no problem in that kind of granular tracking, even if it doesn't physically come in the accounts.