Stripe Link

Stripe Link & Digital Wallets on GiveCampus

Today, nearly 70% of donors on GiveCampus give using a digital wallet. Digital wallets are now the most common way donors complete online payments, offering faster, more secure checkout experiences without requiring donors to manually enter payment details.

The most popular digital wallets used on GiveCampus include:
    •    Apple Pay — ~650 million users globally
    •    Google Pay — ~520 million users globally
    •    PayPal — ~430 million users globally
    •    Venmo — ~80 million users (primarily U.S.-based)
    •    Cash App — ~55 million users

Digital wallets improve checkout performance because they reduce friction. By eliminating manual entry of card or bank information, donors can complete their gift in just a few taps or clicks—leading to higher conversion rates and more completed donations.

In fact, a large global study by Stripe found that offering Apple Pay increases conversion by an average of 22.3% and boosts revenue by 22.5%.

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Introducing Stripe Link on GiveCampus

GiveCampus upgraded our Stripe payment widget on November 5, 2024 to support Stripe Link.

Link is Stripe’s accelerated checkout solution that securely saves and autofills donors’ payment information—similar to Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. Donors can store:
    •    Credit cards
    •    Debit cards
    •    U.S. bank accounts

Once saved, donors can use Link to check out faster at any Link-enabled business or organization, including GiveCampus.

Link by the numbers on GiveCampus
    •    $150M+ processed via Link
    •    330,000+ donors have used Link
    •    69% of Link transactions come from returning Link users
    •    31% of Link transactions come from first-time Link users
    •    Since January 2025, we’ve seen a nearly 50% increase in donors arriving on GiveCampus with an existing Link account

This makes Link one of the fastest-growing and most widely used digital wallet options on the platform.

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How Do Donors Get a Link Account?

Most donors who use a digital wallet already created their account at some point in the past and then choose to use it when making a donation.

Today, 39% of donors who gave on GiveCampus already have a payment method saved to a Link account—and that number continues to grow as Link becomes more common across thousands of Stripe-supported businesses.

Donors can create or use a Link account in two ways:
    •    Existing Link users
    •    When checking out on GiveCampus, Link automatically detects their account.
    •    New Link users
    •    When checking out with any Link-enabled business or organization (including GiveCampus), donors can save their payment method and create a Link account during checkout.

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What Is the Donor Experience with Link?

1. During checkout, Link detects whether a donor is enrolled using their:
       •    Email address
       •    Phone number
       •    Browser cookie
2. The donor receives a one-time passcode via text message or email.
3. After authentication, Link:
       •    Autofills saved card or bank details
       •    Autofills shipping and billing information (when applicable)
4. After enrolling, donors can:
       •    Add backup payment methods
       •    Update addresses
       •    Manage their saved information

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Benefits of Stripe Link
    •    Boost conversion: Up to a 14% increase in conversion rates
    •    Accelerate checkout: Checkouts up to 3× faster
    •    Better donor experience:
    •    39% of GiveCampus donors already have a Link account
    •    80% of Link account holders complete checkout using Link

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Digital Wallet Accounts & Communications

When a donor creates a digital wallet account (such as Link, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or Google Pay), they agree to the terms of service of that digital wallet provider and form a direct relationship with that provider.

This relationship:
    •    Is not specific to GiveCampus
    •    Allows donors to use the same wallet across any supported business or platform

For example, a donor who creates a Link account while paying for Uber or Airbnb can use that same Link account to make a gift to their alma mater on GiveCampus.

Communications from Digital Wallet Providers

Digital wallet providers may send account holders:
    •    Transaction confirmation emails
    •    Periodic summaries (e.g., monthly statements)
    •    Occasional promotional communications

GiveCampus does not control these communications. Most digital wallet providers allow users to:
    •    Configure notification preferences
    •    Opt out of certain emails
    •    Unsubscribe from promotional messages

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How Does Link Impact Reporting?

Stripe Link has no impact on GiveCampus reporting.
    •    Gifts appear like any other donation
    •    The Card_Type field reflects the underlying payment method (e.g., Visa)
    •    No additional reconciliation or reporting steps are required

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Is Stripe Link Secure?

Yes. Stripe Link is backed by the same secure infrastructure that already processes credit cards, bank transfers, and recurring donations on GiveCampus.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What if a donor accidentally set up a Link account?

If a donor unintentionally creates a Stripe Link account, they can easily close it.

Why are donors getting emails from Link after they give?

Short answer

When a donor uses Stripe Link to save their payment details during checkout, Stripe sends emails directly to them. These include welcome messages, transaction confirmations, promotional emails, and periodic summaries. These emails are generated by Stripe/Link—not by GiveCampus or your school.

What happens during checkout

• Donors may opt to save their card, bank account, or billing information via Stripe Link.
• The Link option appears automatically in Stripe’s payment widget when it is available.
• If the donor enrolls, Link sends authentication messages (like one-time passcodes) and subsequent follow-up emails as part of its standard process.

What schools and administrators can (and cannot) do

• GiveCampus cannot create, modify, or close a donor’s Link account.
• All account setup and email communications are managed solely by Stripe.

How to explain this to a concerned donor

You can say:

"Those emails are from Stripe Link because you chose to save your payment details during checkout. GiveCampus did not send those messages—Stripe did. If you prefer not to use Link, you can cancel your account using the link in the welcome email or visit the Stripe Link Help Center at https://support.link.co/ for help."

How donors can manage Link notifications

• Use the cancellation link provided in the Stripe welcome email.
• Adjust notification preferences or remove saved payment methods in their Link account settings.
• Visit the Stripe Link Help Center for more details.

Why this is normal and safe

These emails are part of Stripe Link’s routine process for managing saved payment information. They confirm that the donor’s credentials are securely stored by Stripe, and they do not indicate any additional sharing of donor data outside the usual payment processing framework.

    •    The initial welcome email from Stripe includes a link in the footer that allows the donor to cancel or manage their Link account.
    •    Donors can also contact Stripe Link Support directly for assistance with closing their account or managing settings.

Stripe Link Support:
👉 https://support.link.co/

Because Link is a Stripe-managed digital wallet, GiveCampus does not have the ability to create, modify, or close Link accounts on a donor’s behalf.

Clarifying Link Enrollment and Donor Notifications

Link emails are sent by Stripe (or link.com), not by GiveCampus or your school. This means that school administrators can’t create, modify, or close Link accounts for donors.

What donors can do:

• Use the management or cancellation link in the Stripe Link welcome email to close their account or remove saved payment methods.
• Visit the Stripe Link Help Center.

What this means for your records:

• Donations where a donor saved their card to Link appear like any other donation in GiveCampus reporting. Link simply stores the payment credentials.

Common scenario explained:

• If a donor says, "I didn't choose Link, but I received a Link email," it is because the email came directly from Stripe (or link.com), and the saved details are maintained in Link rather than within GiveCampus.

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Questions?

If you have any questions about Stripe Link or digital wallets on GiveCampus, please contact:

support@givecampus.com

Stripe Link Payment Option

In addition to Cash App Pay, GiveCampus also supports Stripe Link, which allows donors to use saved payment information across thousands of Stripe-powered websites.

What is Stripe Link?

• Allows donors to connect saved payment profiles from other Stripe-enabled sites (Uber, Airbnb, etc.)
• Provides faster checkout experience for returning users
• Shows as "Link" in your payment reports and gift data

Stripe Link Availability

• Available through Stripe automatically
• Cannot be specifically disabled (part of Stripe's payment element)
• Available for US-based schools
• Shows in Stripe deposits alongside other payment methods

Data Import Considerations

The "Link" card type may affect automated data imports. If you experience import issues:

• Update your data processing to handle "Link" as a valid card type
• Contact your IT team to modify intake jobs if needed
• This is the same as other Stripe payment methods in terms of data structure