How do bank gifts work?

If you utilize Stripe, your donors will have the choice to make their gift with a bank account instead of a credit card.

If a donor wishes to make their gift with a bank account, they have two options: (1) they can verify their bank account information instantly (by logging in with their online banking credentials) or (2) they can manually verify their account information by entering their routing number and account number and confirming the amounts of one small deposit (aka "micro-deposit") that will be deposited into that account.

If a donor chooses the first option, there is no further action required.  If a donor chooses the second option, the donor must confirm the micro-deposit amount before the gift can be processed.  Here's how the micro-deposit verification process works:

Pending authorization for bank (ACH) gifts

A bank gift enters the pending_authorization state when GiveCampus and the donor’s bank are working to authorize the payment. This can occur during micro‑deposit verification or while the ACH transfer is clearing. The pending_authorization state appears before the gift is fully processed and does not indicate a failure.

Key points:

• pending_authorization is distinct from the general "pending" state used for other payment types; both states should be treated differently in reports and workflows.
• Gifts in pending_authorization are still in process. Once verification or clearing completes, the gift transitions to a paid or authorized state. If the donor does not confirm the micro‑deposits within the allowed window, the gift moves to a pledged_failed or revoked state.
• This state is a normal part of the bank payment flow and does not signify an error.

Reporting tip:

Add the ach_verified column to your donation reports to track donor verification: false means the gift is still pending verification, while true indicates it has been verified.

• The payment processor makes one micro-deposit into the bank account provided by the donor.  The micro-deposit is one small deposit under $1. It can take 1-4 business days to show up in the donor's bank account.
• The donor receives an email with instructions on how to verify the micro-deposit.  Until the donor completes this verification, the gift is not processed and the funds are not transferred (this is to prevent fraud and prove that the donor owns the bank account they used).  The donor has 30 days to complete this verification; after 30 days, the gift authorization is cancelled. The email that the donor receives comes from info@givecampus.com.
• Donors receive a series of reminder emails (containing the same instructions and link) until they confirm the micro-deposit amount.  If they do not confirm the micro-deposit amount within 30 days, the gift authorization is cancelled.

NOTE: if a donor would like to cancel their gift and has not yet received the micro-deposit, please email support@givecampus.com and we will be happy to cancel the transaction. If they have received the micro-deposit, then the gift will need to be processed and then refunded. 

Bank gifts that are set up for manual verification immediately show up in your donation report, with a "state" of "pending_authorization"; at this point, the donor has not confirmed the micro-deposit and no funds have been transferred to your bank.  The "state" of the gift transitions to "paid" when the donor confirms the micro-deposits.  If the donor does not confirm the micro-deposit within 30 days, the authorization on their account is cancelled -- and the "state" of the donation in your reporting will transition from "pending_authorization" to "pledged_failed" or “revoked.”  At this point, that gift is no longer recoverable through GiveCampus.

The vast majority of bank account donors take the required action within five (5) business days.  We recommend that you contact any donor who has not taken the required action (i.e. confirmed the micro-deposit) within 7-10 business days, to ensure the gift can be processed within the 30-day timeline.

FYI: Some of the reasons donors occasionally do not take the required action and confirm the micro-deposit(s) within 7-10 days include: 

• The donor mistyped their email address on the giving form, and thus is not receiving the emails that prompt them to confirm the micro-deposit.
• The emails are being ignored by the donor or are being filtered into Spam.
• The donor has not set up online banking and therefore cannot confirm the micro-deposit until they receive their next paper statement in the mail. 
• The donor does not remember which bank account they used and therefore which statement they need to check.

Please don't hesitate to contact support@givecampus.com if you/a donor is having trouble taking the required action to finish making a bank account gift!

FAQ — donor used the wrong email address: what should admins do?

Q: A donor entered the wrong email address when giving with a bank account and I corrected it on the donation record. What happens next?

A: The next steps depend on the verification method the donor used:

Instant verification (Plaid)

• Behavior: The donor completed instant verification with their online banking credentials. No micro-deposits are sent nor is a separate verification email generated. The gift clears via ACH within 1–3 business days with no additional action needed.
• Admin action: No further action is required. There is no verification email to resend.

Manual micro-deposit verification (manual ACH)

• Behavior: The donor provided routing and account numbers and must confirm two small micro-deposits. GiveCampus sends an initial verification email (from info@givecampus.com) and daily reminder emails until the donor confirms or the 30-day window closes.
• Admin action: The original verification email cannot be resent. However, since the automated reminders use the current email address on record, the next scheduled reminder will go to the corrected address. If the donor needs immediate assistance, advise them to:
  • Check the inbox (or Spam/Junk folder) of the original email address for any verification emails already received, or
  • Search their corrected inbox for messages from info@givecampus.com.

Q: How can I tell which verification path a gift used?

A: Add the ach_verified column to your donation reports:

• false indicates the gift is pending micro-deposit verification (manual path).
• true indicates the bank account has been verified. Instant verification gifts will show true immediately after checkout.

Q: Does the 30-day confirmation deadline apply to instant-verified gifts?

A: No. The 30-day deadline only applies to manual micro-deposit gifts. Instant-verified gifts progress through ACH clearing (usually 1–3 business days) without donor action.

Q: The donor corrected their email but still can't find a verification email. What should they do?

A: For manual micro-deposit gifts, advise the donor to:

1. Check their bank statement for two small deposits (each under $1).
2. Search their email (including Spam/Junk) for messages from info@givecampus.com containing the verification link.
3. Use the link in any reminder email to confirm the deposits.

For instant (Plaid) verification, no micro-deposit email is expected.

Q: What reporting tips can help triage these gifts quickly across multiple records?

A: Add the ach_verified column to your donation reports. Gifts showing false require follow-up for micro-deposit confirmation. Gifts with true, including those verified instantly, need no further action.

If a donor enters incorrect micro-deposit amounts and the verification fails, the gift moves to the “pledged_failed” state and cannot be recovered through GiveCampus. This failure process is separate from the 30-day expiration: if a gift remains unconfirmed when the deadline passes, its state changes to “pledged_unpaid.”