Non-governmental organizations, popularly known as NGOs are significantly present across the nation. They work for different causes without the support of the government and their causes span education for girls to animal welfare. There are a plethora of causes that NGOs cover.
To get things in order, NGOs make use of donations and funding that are given to them by the stakeholders or people who donate regularly to their cause. But, for the massive flow of cash, a good payment solution is of utmost importance. The collection of donations and funding cannot be done without an efficacious payment solution.
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Donations and funding are sent across by donors through various methods. It is not always possible for donors or people who are involved with your non-governmental organization to make the donations manually.
Online payments are soaring in popularity due to their ease of execution and effectiveness. Hence, it has become a necessity to integrate a payment solution with your website or your app. Technological advancements in the online payment gateway domain have proved to be a blessing for NGOs for the purpose of collection of funds and donations.
Not only this but there are numerous other payment methods that can be incorporated with your NGO to make receiving funds and donations easy. Read till the very end to know about the modes of payment ideal for NGOs.
Choosing the right payment solution is child’s play if you know whom to trust your money with. We have compiled an extensive guide for you that will help you choose the right online payment gateway for your non-governmental organizations.
How to choose the right online payment gateway to collect donations for NGO
If you are an integral part of a non-government organization, you know how imperative it is to collect donations from trusted donors for the purpose of facilitating the cause you stand for, in the direction of success. Choosing the best payment gateway for your NGO can be a pesky task. There are various payment gateways available in the market. The following parameters should be considered to choose the right solution for your NGO.
Transaction fees
You should not have to pay hordes of money just for the purpose of collecting funds and donations online. A payment gateway is a service provider that provides its services on e-commerce forums; it validates credit card payments and so on for online stores and businesses.
This service automates the transaction between the buyer and the seller. It is usually a third-party thing that is a system of online processes in the merchant’s name through encrypted internet connections.
Here, we will interchange the buyer and seller terminology with donor and NGO finance manager. Always choose a payment gateway provider that does not charge a hefty transaction fee for each transaction you receive. A provider that charges a huge transaction fee every time you receive a donation will burn a hole in your pocket.
The security factor
Compare between a few payment solutions and see what security practices are undertaken by them. Safety should be regarded on the highest pedestal when it comes to making digital payments. Buyers are required to put their personal financial details during online transactions; a lot is at stake. Payment gateways usually use the following technology/techniques to secure transactions:
- Data encryption technology: Data encryption is a process that involves the encryption or encoding of sensitive and volatile data into ciphertext which is a secure form of text which can be deciphered only by authorised entities.
- Secure Electronic transfer protocol (SET): The SET protocol is an instrument that makes sure that payments are processed using credit cards are carried out safely without undesirable happenings.
- Tokenisation: Tokenisation is a process that involves the hiding of sensitive, volatile details such as authentication codes of credit and debit cards into a unique set of codes that are popularly known as tokens.
- Anti-fraud tools: Every transaction that is made through payment gateways are scanned and supervised via fraud prevention tools.
- Payment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS) compliance: This compliance helps sellers and financial entities provide safe payment solutions.
Choose a payment gateway that has at least some of the abovementioned security practices.
The Time of Processing
If you are a non-governmental organization, you know how important the timely receival of payments is vital. Non-governmental organizations run solely on fundraising campaigns, funds, and donations. Hence, you cannot afford to integrate a payment gateway that is not prompt and take substantial time for processing payments. You will need faster payouts especially when your NGO is hosting an event.
International Payments
Always make sure that the payment solution that you have chosen is capable of facilitating international payments, funds, and donations. Non-governmental organizations tend to have stakeholders and beneficiaries all across the globe and receive payments from international sources pretty much all the time.
Multiple payment methods
You must regard the comfort and convenience of your beneficiaries and stakeholders on the highest pedestal because an NGO is nothing without its donors. Always choose a payment solution that offers multiple payment methods such as UPI, Net Banking, Credit and debit cards, and so on.
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Donors that wish to make substantially larger solutions can make use of the NEFT feature to process the payments. Strive to choose a payment solution that accepts money in different forms and also accepts different currencies. This will ensure that you receive payments without any hassle.
The Transfer limit
See the amount of money you can receive at a time. If you are planning to raise funds, the amount of money could be large. Consider everything and choose a payment gateway that has a transfer limit that fits your needs and demands.
Conclusion
Now that you know the parameters that need to be kept in mind for choosing the right online payment gateway for your NGO, it is time you made the right decision for yourself. Do not choose the first payment solution you come across. Drawing comparisons between multiple options is a great way to make well-informed decisions. Choose the best payment gateway for you, choose Payomatix
