Understanding Credit Card and ACH Deposit Processing
Learn how credit card and ACH donations are processed with this article. Discover the intricacies behind deposit creation, including the role of payment gateways, banking systems, and transaction protocols. Gain clarity on the steps involved in facilitating these transactions and the factors influencing their speed and accuracy.
Historically, two separate deposits would be created for all credit card and ACH transactions due to longer processing times for bank transfers. However, our team has implemented updates using faster and more secure technology, allowing ACH donations to be processed more quickly.
Benefits of the New Giving Form
With the introduction of our new Giving Form and improvements to our backend processing, ACH donations are now settling much faster. For churches that haven't yet enabled the new Giving Form, you can follow this guide to unlock the ability to process one-time ACH donations more quickly.
Integrated Deposits for ACH and Credit Card Donations
Thanks to faster processing times, customers can expect both credit card and ACH donations to be included within a single deposit. This update will affect all batches sent through our Giving Integrations (such as Breeze, Elvanto, QBO) if they are set to "Deposit."
Faster Processing with Potential for Post-Deposit Failures
With these new processing speeds, ACH donations are deposited to church accounts sooner. However, due to the rapid processing, ACH transactions may still fail after they’ve been initially deposited. In such cases, Tithely will reverse the deposit and retrieve the refunded amount.
For example, if someone donates via ACH, the donation will be deposited to the church’s account. If the transaction subsequently fails, Tithely will reverse the deposited amount to account for the failure. This ensures that all donations are accurately reflected in your account, despite the faster initial deposit.