Automatic Card Updates for Recurring Gifts

GiveCampus uses auto-updater technology to take care of your donors’ credit card updates (new card number, new billing zip code, etc.) behind the scenes so those recurring gifts keep processing seamlessly, even when the donor experiences a change in their credit card. This auto-updater technology has 'rescued' millions in recurring gifts for our partners that would have otherwise been interrupted due to credit card changes.

 

 

Managing Recurring Gift Payment Methods

How to send payment update links to donors

To send a donor a link to update their payment method:

1. Go to the Online Giving tab

2. Navigate to Manage Gifts Recurring Subscriptions

3. Search for the donor

4. Use the 'Send donor link to modify' option to send an update link

Updating payment details manually

If you have updated payment details for a donor:

1. Click the donation ID on the left in the recurring subscriptions view

2. Use the 'Edit Payment Details' option to update payment information

3. For non-indefinite recurring gifts, you may need to update the end date if the gift was in a failed state

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Troubleshooting missed installments and end date issues

When recurring gifts miss installments due to card issues, the end date may need to be adjusted for remaining payments to process. Administrators need to update both the next installment date and the end date for gifts to resume processing.

Why this happens

• If a subscription falls behind (for example, a missed payment stopped the schedule), the original End Date may arrive before the missed installments are recovered. The system will not process installments if the end date has already passed.

What to check first

1. Go to Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions and locate the donor’s subscription.
2. Confirm the subscription status and review the current values in the 'Next Installment Date' and 'End Date' fields.

How to fix a behind-schedule subscription

1. Open the subscription from Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions.
2. Update the 'Next Installment Date' to the date you want the next charge attempt to occur. This should be a future date when the donor’s card is expected to be valid.
3. Update the 'End Date' so it extends beyond the new Next Installment Date and allows time for any remaining installments to process. Both the 'Next Installment Date' and 'End Date' fields need to be updated when gifts are behind schedule.
4. Save your changes.

Notes and examples

• Example: A donor missed an installment in March and their original End Date remained April 27. Because the End Date had already passed, the remaining $15 installment did not process on 4/27. Updating the Next Installment Date and extending the End Date lets the system attempt the remaining payment(s).
• If a gift is set as indefinite (no End Date), you usually only need to update the 'Next Installment Date' so processing resumes on the correct schedule.
• After you update these dates, the normal retry and processing behavior resumes. If payment method issues persist, follow the standard steps for sending a payment update link or ask the donor to update their payment method.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

• Confirm you are on Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions.
• Verify the 'Next Installment Date' is in the future.
• Verify the 'End Date' is set to a date after the next installment you expect to collect.
• Save changes and monitor the subscription for the next scheduled processing attempt.

Restarting failed or expired recurring gifts

If a recurring gift has failed, the donor can restart it by updating their payment details through the link you send them. This will automatically restart the gift processing.

Changing recurring gift frequency

Administrators can update a recurring gift's frequency using the admin interface. Frequency options reflect the settings configured on the original giving form when the gift was created.

To change the gift frequency:

1. Navigate to Online Giving → Manage Gifts → Recurring Subscriptions.
2. Open the specific recurring subscription.
3. In the "Edit Recurring Gift" section, select the desired frequency from the dropdown.
4. Update any other details (for example, installment amount or number of installments).
5. Save your changes.

Only the frequency options enabled on the original giving form appear in the dropdown. If a desired option isn’t available, it wasn’t enabled at setup.

Only administrators with proper gift management permissions can make these changes.

Donors Without GiveCampus Accounts

Many donors who set up recurring gifts don't have GiveCampus user accounts, which prevents them from logging in to manage their subscriptions.

Signs a donor doesn't have an account:

• They don't receive password reset emails
• They can't log in to manage their recurring gift
• They don't remember creating a GiveCampus account

Solution: Send direct management links

1. Go to Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions
2. Search for the donor using their name or email address
3. Click "Send Donor Link to Modify" from the Actions menu
4. The donor receives a secure link to modify their subscription without logging in

What donors can do with the direct link:

• Update payment method (credit card or bank account)
• Change gift amount
• Modify frequency or end date
• Cancel the recurring gift

Additional notes on frequency options for recurring gifts

When donors update their recurring gifts using the update link, the available frequency options reflect the settings of the original giving form, showing only the enabled choices.

Administrators editing recurring gifts through the admin interface can select any supported frequency (monthly or yearly), regardless of the original form settings.

Accessing and using the recurring subscriptions page

The recurring subscriptions page provides an overview of all donor subscriptions. The table layout makes it easy to scan and manage recurring gifts.

Finding a subscription:

• Use the search box at the top to locate a subscription by the donor’s name or email address.

Tip:

• For donors without a GiveCampus account, use the donor modification link so they can update their subscription without signing in.

Bank transfer (ACH) confirmation timing and what to tell donors

When donors use bank transfer (ACH) for their gifts, confirmation may take longer than with credit card payments. This delay is normal because bank transfers require additional verification steps.

Key points:

• Bank transfer gifts can spend extra time in a pending authorization state while the donor's bank verifies the transfer.
• Unlike credit cards, which authorize instantly, ACH transfers go through steps like bank verification, micro‑debits, and settlement processes before being confirmed.

What to tell a donor:

If a donor asks why they haven’t received an immediate confirmation, you can say:

"Thanks for your gift! If you paid directly from your bank, it can take a few business days for the bank to verify the transfer. You may see a pending or temporary debit in your account before we send your official confirmation. Once the bank completes the authorization, you'll receive your confirmation email from GiveCampus."

How administrators can investigate a donor’s payment status:

1. Go to the recurring subscriptions management page in the admin interface.
2. Search for the donor by name or email and open their subscription record.
3. Review the transaction details and timestamps to check the payment status (e.g., pending_authorization, failed, or succeeded).
4. Note that if the transaction remains in pending_authorization, it is still being verified by the bank and may take additional business days to settle.

Common outcomes:

• Once the bank completes authorization, GiveCampus records the payment and sends the confirmation email.
• If the transfer fails (due to issues like insufficient funds or a bank block), the subscription may move to a failed state, triggering standard retry and dunning procedures.
• A pending debit on the donor’s bank account is normal and does not necessarily indicate a problem with the gift.

Key reminder:

Gift confirmation timing varies by payment method and by the banks or processors involved. When donors pay by bank, allow extra processing time and review the transaction details before providing a definitive update.

Test emails and the Manage Recurring Gift link

When testing a recurring gift email template, you may see the message "Link to Manage Recurring Gift not yet available." This occurs because test emails aren’t connected to a real subscription, so the system can’t generate a specific management link.

The $MANAGE_RECURRING_GIFT_LINK$ merge token produces a valid URL only when the email is sent for an actual recurring gift. In test emails, placeholder text is used instead.

To verify a working manage link:

1. Go to Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions and locate an active subscription.
2. From the subscription’s Actions menu, choose Send donor link to modify. This sends a live email that includes a functioning $MANAGE_RECURRING_GIFT_LINK$ leading to the donor’s secure management page.

Practical notes:

• To see how the link appears in a real message, use the live workflow rather than the template editor test.
• Other subscription-level merge tokens in test emails may also show placeholder text. Live emails display personalized values.
• Seeing placeholder text in a test email is expected and does not indicate an error.

FAQ: What happens to automated reminder emails when a subsequent installment fails?

Automated retry and reminders:

• When a subsequent installment fails, GiveCampus will retry the charge for up to 5 days from the original scheduled charge date. During this period, automated reminder emails are sent to prompt the donor to update their payment method.

Admin control:

• There is no setting to pause or suppress these reminder emails. They stop automatically once the retry window ends or the donor successfully updates their payment details.

Notifications to administrators:

• If the retry window expires (typically 4 or more days after the original charge date) and the subscription remains in a failed state, a final failure notification is sent to administrators with recurring subscription notifications enabled.

Communicating with donors:

• Inform donors that the automated reminders will cease on their own when the retry window ends or when they update their payment method.
• If the donor is waiting for a new card, advise them that the reminders will naturally stop. Use the admin UI (Online Giving > Manage Gifts > Recurring Subscriptions > Actions > Send donor link to modify) to send a secure payment update link when their new card is available.

After a payment update:

• When the donor updates their payment details and a charge succeeds, the subscription is reactivated immediately and reminder emails stop.