Text2Give
Text2Give is an SMS service that allows donors in the United States to make a one-time donation by sending a text message to their church's dedicated toll-free number. You must be an organization administrator to enable text messaging, which is required to use Text2Give. Once enabled, donors can text 'GIVE $5' to quickly make a donation via text.
Set-up instructions vary depending on whether you already have a toll-free number registered with Planning Center. Choose the option below that describes your account to find instructions for you!
First-time setup with a new toll-free number
If you're setting up Text2Give for the first time and do not already have a toll-free number, you must start by registering for a toll-free number.
Once you've completed the registration process and been approved, follow the steps below to finish setting up Text2Give. The approval process takes 3-5 business days.
Once your application has been approved, you can enable Text2Give.
Select the Manage page from the top navigation in Giving.
Select the Settings tab on the left of the page.
Select the Allow donors to make a donation by text checkbox in the Text2Give section.
Important
The following criteria must be met to accept donations via text:
You must have Church Center Web enabled in Publishing.
You must have a dedicated 10-digit number registered.
By default, incoming text message donations will go to your default fund, but donors can give to other funds by adding the name of their desired fund to their text donation (e.g., "GIVE $5 building").
If some of your fund names are long, you can set up shortcuts for your funds to help donors choose a fund more easily. For example, a "Domestic Missions" fund could be given a "Missions" shortcut.
Select the Manage page from the top navigation.
Select the Funds tab from the left side of the page.
Select the fund for which you'd like to create a shortcut.
In the Text2Give section of the Edit fund popup, select the In addition to [fund name], allow Text2Give donors to designate donations using this shortcut checkbox.
Type the shortcut name in the text box. Shortcut names must be at least two characters long.
Select Save.
Jump down to the Teach donors how to use Text2Give section of this article for instructions and keywords to share with your donors.
First-time setup with an existing toll-free number
If you're setting up Text2Give for the first time and already have a toll-free number, you must register your existing toll-free number with the mobile carriers again to add Text2Give.
The approval process takes 3-5 business days. While your application is under review, your existing toll-free number will still work for sending outgoing text messages.
Once you've completed the registration process and been approved, follow the steps below to finish setting up Text2Give.
Once your application has been approved, you can enable Text2Give.
Select the Manage page from the top navigation in Giving.
Select the Settings tab on the left of the page.
Select the Allow donors to make a donation by text checkbox in the Text2Give section.
Important
The following criteria must be met to accept donations via text:
You must have Church Center Web enabled in Publishing.
You must have a dedicated 10-digit number registered.
By default, incoming text message donations will go to your default fund, but donors can give to other funds by adding the name of their desired fund to their text donation (e.g., "GIVE $5 building").
If some of your fund names are long, you can set up shortcuts for your funds to help donors choose a fund more easily. For example, a "Domestic Missions" fund could be given a "Missions" shortcut.
Select the Manage page from the top navigation.
Select the Funds tab from the left side of the page.
Select the fund for which you'd like to create a shortcut.
In the Text2Give section of the Edit fund popup, select the In addition to [fund name], allow Text2Give donors to designate donations using this shortcut checkbox.
Type the shortcut name in the text box. Shortcut names must be at least two characters long.
Select Save.
Jump down to the Teach donors how to use Text2Give section of this article for instructions and keywords to share with your donors.
Teach donors how to use Text2Give
Donors initiate a donation by texting GIVE and the dollar amount of their donation (e.g., "GIVE $5") to your toll-free number, but the main setup is completed on Church Center. Standard message and data rates apply.
Donor experience
When a donor texts the keyword GIVE and an amount to your toll-free number for the first time, they'll receive a text reply with a one-time link to add a payment method for Text2Give, review the terms and conditions, and confirm the transaction online.
After completing this initial setup, donors can give by texting the keyword GIVE and an amount. After each donation, they'll receive a confirmation reply and an email receipt.
Giving to specific funds
By default, Text2Give donations go to your account's default fund. A donor can indicate a specific fund by adding the fund name after the donation amount. (For example: "GIVE $5 building")
Donors can also split donations between funds in a single text by listing the amounts and fund names. (For example: "GIVE $5 missions $6 building")
Text2Give keywords
Donors must use the keywords below when using Text2Give.
GIVE: Donors must text GIVE to initially opt-in to Text2Give.
Donors must also use the keyword GIVE with all donations, followed by the donation dollar amount (e.g., GIVE $25).
STOP: Donors can text STOP to stop receiving Text2Give messages.
The STOP reply immediately blocks all Text2Give messages sent to the donor, preventing them from donating via text. A final confirmation message will be sent to the subscriber to confirm their opt-out. The subscriber’s phone number is added to a blocked list, and no more messages will be sent.
Important
Opting out of Text2Give does not remove a donor’s information, donation history, or payment methods from a church’s database. The donor can manage this information by logging into their donor account on Church Center or using the Church Center mobile app.
START: If a donor has previously stopped receiving Text2Give messages, they can text START to lift any carrier blocks and start using Text2Give again.
SUPPORT: A donor can text SUPPORT to receive a link to a help page in Church Center with tips on using Text2Give.
Managing payment methods
Donors can change their payment method, add a new one, or disable Text2Give from their donor profile on Church Center.
Limitations and troubleshooting
Limitations for Text2Give
Recurring donations cannot be created using Text2Give. They must be managed in the Church Center profile.
A text donation cannot exceed $9,999. This is to avoid accidents, like adding an extra zero to the donation amount.
Troubleshooting
Larger carriers (such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) typically work well with Text2Give. However, smaller carriers (PCS Metro, U.S Cellular, C Spire, Freedom Pop) have limited SMS functionality. If Text2Give doesn't work for your donors, encourage them to give through Church Center.
If the donor tries to set up Text2Give and the return message is incomplete, the donor will have issues with Text2Give because most messages (and the URLs in those messages) exceed 140 characters.