Thread: Cash Or Credit? Church Now Takes Plastic

BOSTON -- God is now extending credit at one Boston church.

St. Anthony Shrine in Boston claims to be the first Catholic church in the world to install a kiosk that allows worshippers to make electronic donations.

“I think it’s been a pretty big hit, actually,� Friar David Convertino, the shrine’s guardian and executive director told The Boston Herald.

Convertino told the paper that he had the kiosk installed after watching a customer pay for a cup of coffee at a convenience store with a debit card.

SecureGive.com, a company that developed wireless kiosks for churches, installed the device.

“We look at the plastic as an evolution of the financial system of the church,� said SecureGive CEO Marty Baker, pastor of the Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, Ga.

The kiosk was installed just before Christmas and it's been a hit.

“The response has been very positive,� said spokeswoman Diane Monaghan.

A cartoon image of a smiling Franciscan friar holding an empty basket was painted on what the church calls the Franciscan Giving Center. It is placed behind a stand containing holy water.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/13976760/detail.html

Actually, this is not new except the Kiosk thing. Many churches accept credit cards for monthly offering amounts rather than have parishioners use cash every Sunday. Or some churches are even set up to take it right out of people's checking account (with their permission of course).
It's actually a good idea because it gives the person who gives by credit card proof of a donation at year end tax time and also gives them a way to find out at tax time instantly how much they gave to charity.
Is there any difference between giving to a church with a credit card or any other charity? I'll bet a lot of you have given to the Cancer Society with a credit card.
I think the articles is just trying to make churches look like they shouldn't be doing that for some strange reason.

What they really need to do is put in a system like the paypass deal on your car when you go through the toll booth.

i never carry cash. i also never go to church

what is the excuse goign to be now for being a cheapo in church

After hundreds of years of collections in millions of churches. That god must be getting pretty friggin' rich.

"COJOMAY" wrote:

Actually, this is not new except the Kiosk thing. Many churches accept credit cards for monthly offering amounts rather than have parishioners use cash every Sunday. Or some churches are even set up to take it right out of people's checking account (with their permission of course).
It's actually a good idea because it gives the person who gives by credit card proof of a donation at year end tax time and also gives them a way to find out at tax time instantly how much they gave to charity.
Is there any difference between giving to a church with a credit card or any other charity? I'll bet a lot of you have given to the Cancer Society with a credit card.
I think the articles is just trying to make churches look like they shouldn't be doing that for some strange reason.

Yeah, that isn't new at all.
Our old church used to allow you to set up your offerings by electronic payment.
It was nice for us, because we are out of town some Sundays (can you guess why), but we budget a certain amount for church offerings.
We never had to worry about making a double offering if we miss a Sunday.
It was also nice for the church because it gave them more of a concrete number to budget with.
The pledge sheets were never even close.

Our new church is small and doesn't have that yet, but I am hoping to talk them into it.

"jessejames09" wrote:

After hundreds of years of collections in millions of churches. That god must be getting pretty friggin' rich.

Only if there were never any expenses.
Actually, the Catholic church is substantially wealthy, as are a few of the protestants.
I'm ELCA, and unfortunately for our pastors and bishops, we are not one of the rich ones, despite being one of the largest.

Right out of my checking account every week.
And for the record, not that it really matters, I am Catholic.