These days, church donation kiosks are far more capable and reasonably priced. These physical terminals serve as a digital gateway to your church’s website, offering members and guests options to connect with the church via solutions, event registration, and other means.
Although they may have aided in the development of digital giving in churches, are kiosks still the most effective method available today? Let’s examine their capabilities and limitations so that your church may choose if a giving kiosk is the best option for you.
These thirteen facts regarding church-giving kiosks will help you decide whether to utilize them as your primary means of promoting digital giving or as a complement.
The Visitor Management Kiosk sets the stage for a smooth and safe visit by effortlessly welcoming and guiding visitors thanks to its elegant design and user-friendly interface.
1. Giving may rise while using kiosks.
You’re losing out on a great opportunity if people can only donate to your church when they pass the offering plate. These days, fewer checks are written, and less cash is carried. This implies that some folks want to donate but don’t have anything to put on their plate every Sunday in their seats. (It seems logical that people are hesitant to write down and share their credit card information.)
By allowing users to donate with credit cards and electronic cheques, kiosks provide a method of tithing. This digital route is also significantly more accessible, given that seven out of ten Americans own at least one credit card. On their way to church, people need to intentionally remember to grab their checkbook or withdraw some more cash from the ATM. But since we use credit cards almost everywhere, they are seldom abandoned.
This assertion is somewhat modified by EasyTithe, Mogiv, MinistryLINQ, and SimpleGive: “Using giving kiosks has been shown to increase donations by an average of sixteen percent.” We’re not sure what context or how accurate the number refers to since none cite its source, but it’s most likely referring to churches without any alternative digital giving options.
2. They may make registering for events more accessible.
I’ve had to give children the same camp form three or more times as a youth leader before it ever reached their parents. (Let alone return it to me signed and requiring a down payment.) And what’s the alternative if there’s no readily available online registration method? Is it OK for individuals to print, sign, scan, and return a form by email?
That is much too many steps to expect them to take.
Another quick and simple way to register for an event is using a donating kiosk. Visitors and members may use the main menu to choose the event they want to write for, after which they can pay with an electronic check or credit card. Not only will you save paper, but no one will have to remember to bring a form. (The “extras” add up.) In addition to their eye-catching visuals, digital menu boards can change in real-time to display daily deals and promotions, making for a consistently inviting eating experience.
3. Giving money online is safer than giving it to someone in person.
Donations made online transfer funds directly from the donor’s account to yours. Donations have fewer chances of being lost or stolen, and there are fewer handoffs. Additionally, giving via a kiosk eliminates the possibility of an unintentional miscount.
Even though we’d all want to think that our churches conduct safe physical handoffs, locating instances of contributions being pocketed by congregation members is straightforward.
Most donating kiosks ask users to swipe their credit card to get a receipt; they don’t need input.
4. They can move around, kind of
People may contribute from wherever your kiosk is positioned. You may hide them to the side or place them in a busy location. They may accompany you to events as well. Once you have a kiosk, you may move them to any location and experiment with the best placement.
The issue is that they aren’t portable—some kiosks are more like carrying around a podium. They are roughly as portable as a laptop. Although it is theoretically moveable, relocating it isn’t practical.
Furthermore, individuals may use their phones to make digital donations if their church has a website, an app, or simply a straightforward form—a considerably more mobile experience than a kiosk. Smart lockers effortlessly combine cutting-edge technology with daily ease, revolutionizing how we receive and keep our items safely.
5. Before or after the service, people may use kiosks.
The handing down of the offering plate in churches has become a science. The ushers are ready and waiting. The cue comes from the individual making the announcements. In minutes, the baskets go back and forth along the aisles. Everything occurs so quickly that those who aren’t ready can’t keep up—writing a check takes time! Furthermore, even with the diligence of your ushers, the ritual still consumes valuable time throughout each ceremony.
And let’s say that someone is moved to contribute after a particularly poignant sermon. What choices do they have? Do you have a set place where they may contribute after “the offering”? A kiosk provides an area for giving before or after the service. “To whom should I give this?” is not an awkward question. You may explain to them the purpose and location of the kiosk, and it will provide them with clear instructions to assist them with the remaining tasks.
The kiosk closes along with your church doors, which is a drawback. This is another situation when gifting via mobile is more advantageous. People spend five hours a day on average on mobile devices. If your church has a mobile app, members may donate whenever they have free time, or their paycheck arrives.
6. Kiosks provide a tangible stimulus to donate
Kiosks need room. It becomes a reminder to donate when your staff makes it apparent to your congregation what that area is used for. People get in the giving mood whenever they see the kiosk at your entrance. It’s like an “Oh, yeah” moment.
Your giving kiosks will attract more attention if used often; it’s like passing the offering plate, except without the pressure to donate.
However, not everyone wants to donate in public. The choice to tithe, both in frequency and quantity, is very personal. It is a personal choice made by each believer and God.
An early adopter of a church donation kiosk made a joke out of the statement, “It’s not like we’re just sticking this near the altar.” The kiosk’s location may increase people’s sense of duty to donate and the discomfort of the donation procedure.
“Select a giving kiosk that has blinking lights or plays a happy tune after the donor gives” is what DipJar advises churches to do. At Linkitsoft, they may be programmed to be sent out every week or as soon as someone enters your campus, but only to those who have downloaded the app.