Online Giving Frequently Asked Questions

What is Online Giving? Online Giving is an easy and convenient way to support the ministries of Swansboro United Methodist  Church. You may give from anywhere (with an internet connection) at a time convenient to you. You don't have to write checks and you may set up recurring donations.

How does SUMC's Online Giving work? A click on the Online Giving button takes you to a secure donation page hosted by Vanco Payment Solutions. Contributions can be set up in one of two ways.

• To make a one-time donation (no profile required), you enter your name, address, payment method, payment amount and other essential information and then submit a donation.
  
• For recurring donations, you first create a password-protected profile on the donation page by entering your name, address, payment method and other required information before setting up a recurring donation. On future visits, you log in to make, change or view donations without the need to re-enter personal profile information. Recurring payments can be set up as weekly or monthly.
  

For both methods, you will see a printer-friendly confirmation page and may also request an automatic email confirmation.

What payment methods are offered at SUMC? We can accept direct debit payments from a checking or savings account using Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) as well as from a credit or debit card. This reduces the work required by the our financial administrator to process traditional paper checks and cash.

What is a profile and why create one? A profile with Vanco stores your name, address, phone and email so that you do not have to re-enter that information every time you wish to make a donation. A profile is required to create recurring donations and to track your online giving through Vanco. Even if you prefer to make one-time donations, a profile will make it quicker to go through the screens when you make subsequent donations. (If you use both online giving to SUMC and online payments for SUMC Child Care, you will need to create two profiles. You may use the same email address and password but you will need to do the initial setup twice.)

How does SUMC process online donations? Vanco Services processes the transaction from your bank account to SUMC's bank account. Vanco sends SUMC electronic notifications about donations that are then recorded by our financial administrator just as donations given directly to SUMC by cash or check. 

How secure is online giving? Vanco Services provides a secure way to make a payment using your bank account or credit card information. This information is processed only on Vanco Services' secure system which is verified by GeoTrust, Inc. Vanco Services is a PCI (Payment Card Industry) Level 1 compliant service provider. That means all transactions are handled in accordance with the most rigorous security standards. You can see more information about Vanco Services security here.

How can I keep track of my online giving? SUMC will continue to send you regular giving statements that list all of your donations (online and/or in person). If you have an account with Vanco Services, you can elect to receive a record of online donations through email. Electronic transfers will also appear on statements issued by your financial provider.

Can I make an anonymous donation? Vanco Services does not have the ability to process anonymous donations, so it is not possible to make anonymous donations through Online Giving. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, you may leave it in the offering plate on Sunday, in the church office, or mail it directly to Swansboro United Methodist Church, 665 W Corbett Ave., Swansboro, NC 28584.

Is there any charge or fee to me for this service? No, there is no charge to you. The dollar amount you enter is the amount that will be charged. The entire donation is tax deductible. SUMC pays a nominal fee to Vanco Services for the convenience and security of the services they provide. (If you would like to help offset the processing fee of 2.75%, there is an option to do so when you provide your payment information.)