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Americans are rapidly moving to a paperless way of doing business by electronically depositing paychecks, paying bills, and buying products. Churches, too, are making arrangements to receive offerings via the internet as an alternative to dropping envelopes, checks, or money into a collection plate.

Some churches receive contributions by linking to payment processing vendors such as PayPal, or by setting up automated clearinghouse (ACH) systems with each donor's bank. Other congregations are choosing to purchase electronic giving systems designed specifically to the unique needs of churches. These systems can either stand alone as contribution management tools or can be tied to other functions. Here are three variations of these e-giving systems worthy of consideration:

SecureGive was founded in 2003 by Marty Baker, the lead pastor of Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Georgia, who wanted to find an easier way for people to donate on-site by using bank cards instead of cash or checks.

The solution: set up giving stations called kiosks in the church lobby. These stations, some of which resemble bank ATM machines, have a monitor and receipt printer. Donors enter the information needed to make their contributions, swipe their debit or credit cards, and receive a printout. At the same time, the church receives an electronic record of the donation.

The screen presents an electronic version of the traditional donor envelope by offering ways for donors to designate a specific account for their contributions. The SecureGive system has the capacity to handle up to eight separate fund designations. To receive tax credit, the donor fills out an address form using a virtual keyboard. If someone wishes to give anonymously, they can skip the address part and still make the contribution. Churches can set up kiosks to accept credit cards only, debit cards only, or both types of cards.

SecureGive operates on Microsoft Windows software. The kiosks will work with a wireless connection, but hardwired connections give more consistent performance.

SecureGive offers a variety of kiosks, ranging from countertop and podium-mounted models, to the Metropolis, which is a standup machine that can include an LCD display monitor. Each kiosk can be custom-designed to display a church logo.

The largest startup cost is the acquisition of the kiosk. The models range in price from $2,500 to $5,500 per unit. If a church wants to begin using the system but feels it cannot afford to purchase a kiosk, SecureGive will provide other options, including setting up a lease arrangement through a third-party company.

Monthly service fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on the size of the church. If a donor uses a debit card on a kiosk, the processing fee assessed to the church is 85 cents per transaction. Credit card transactions are assessed a 25-cent fee, along with a tiered percentage rate that starts at 1.79 percent (tiers are determined by the type of card used, with rewards cards and corporate cards commanding higher rates).

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