7 Reasons To Use A Church Giving Kiosk In Your Community
Whether we like it or not, we’re fast becoming a cashless society. Digital payments are safer, cleaner, and more secure. And congregants are used to having a range of payment options. It’s important to provide various ways to give.
While giving online and via apps is more popular than ever, there’s another way — and it involves the best of both worlds. Giving kiosks for churches take digital payments, but they also act as a physical reminder to give.
Using the latest church tithing software, giving kiosks are more mobile and versatile than ever. This is because they now rely on a tablet/laptop and a card reader.
There are many ways your local community can benefit from a giving kiosk using church tithing software, but here are seven of the most compelling.
1. Few people than ever carry cash
Various factors are turning congregants and the general public away from cash. Safety, simple accounting, and hygiene are just three reasons. According to a recent survey conducted by U.S. Bank, more than half of the respondents said they carry cash less than half the time. And when they are carrying cash, more than 75 percent said they never carried more than $50.
By providing a giving kiosk in your church, you’re ensuring your congregants don’t have to make an unnecessary trip to the ATM. You’re also helping them to stay safe.
2. People want to give, but they often forget
Congregants lead very busy lives these days. It’s easy to forget to give when there just aren’t enough hours in the day. But a giving kiosk is an obvious physical reminder. Position your kiosk in the right place, and it will catch the attention of all your congregants — whether they’re arriving or leaving. These versatile giving stations also remind pastors, church workers, and volunteers to mention donations regularly.
3. People want the process to be simple
It’s important to remember that a lot of older congregants aren’t confident when it comes to technology. And it’s also worth noting that people’s time is more precious than ever these days. If your giving processes aren’t quick and simple, people will avoid them.
Church tithing software allows you to turn an everyday tablet or laptop into a giving kiosk. Just a few button presses take you to the final payment screen. And a quick wave of a credit or debit card completes the process.
But that’s not all. Setting up recurring payments via giving kiosks is as simple as clicking “Yes.” When a congregant agrees to a weekly or monthly payment, they never have to worry about forgetting to give again.
4. Giving opportunities in more places
When giving kiosks first arrived, they were large and cumbersome — reminiscent of ATM machines. Today, however, they’re as portable as an everyday tablet computer. You can move them around your church at will. This ensures they never become an “invisible” part of the decor.
Every time your church holds an event, you have an opportunity to raise much-needed funds. Don’t leave your giving kiosk to gather dust in your church; take it with you. You can set it up in a few minutes and give your community another opportunity to give.
5. Not everyone is comfortable with smartphones
A church community usually reflects a large cross-section of the wider community. So it’s inevitable that there will be people who aren’t yet confident using smartphones. And when money is changing hands, those people begin to feel reticent about giving.
A giving kiosk is a great compromise. It’s a physical station that doesn’t require passwords or any technical knowledge. The user just presses the appropriate buttons when prompted. And if there’s ever an issue, there are church workers, volunteers, and congregants on hand to help.
Who knows? Introducing your older congregants to a tablet computer in this way might inspire them to learn more about smartphones and other technologies.
6. Kiosk giving can be fun
Giving via a kiosk can be entertaining and rewarding in the right circumstances. There are now several ways to increase engagement using giving kiosks. When they’re executed properly, they often result in higher donations.
Your giving kiosk doesn’t have to be just about giving. It can play the sound of change hitting an imaginary collection plate when a digital payment completes. It can also show a brief thank you video or animation after payments.
Some churches allow people to use their kiosks to read the bible or submit prayer requests. Congregants can send messages to church staff or set up push notifications so they never miss an important service or event.
7. Reduced risk
Nothing is more important to a tight-knit community than public safety. Street crime and petty theft are always a concern — particularly to the vulnerable and elderly. Taking cash away from your church reduces the risk of crime. It also means people don’t have to carry money on their person unnecessarily.
Giving kiosks for churches are the perfect middle ground between giving in the offline and online world. Church tithing software from Donor Werx provides the functionality your church needs, without any of the technical stuff that puts so many people off. Contact us today to find out how we can integrate kiosk giving in your church.
