iATS Payments

Begin by wiring your donate button or form to iATS Payments, then run a few test gifts in the sandbox to confirm amounts, receipts, and account mappings. Choose which methods to accept (cards and online payments), enable PCI-compliant settings, and confirm encryption is active for every field that carries sensitive data. If you use embedded forms, drop in the provided code; if you prefer a custom flow, connect to the API and map fields to your CRM. Before launch, verify confirmation emails, tax receipt content, and settlement timing so finance can reconcile batches without manual work.

Set up a monthly giving program in minutes: create a Recurring Donations plan, define intervals (monthly, quarterly, annually), and set default amounts with donor-editable options. Activate CRM syncing so each new donor record, update, and gift is automatically logged—no spreadsheets. Use segmentation tags (e.g., campaign, source, appeal) to route follow-ups and move supporters into the right journeys. For community engagement, capture questions from your site or social channels and manage them in one place so staff can respond quickly and keep relationships warm.

Turn on Real-time Reporting to watch conversions during a live campaign. Track approvals, declines, and average gift size as they happen, filter by form or channel, and export a shareable snapshot for your team. Add Fraud Prevention rules to reduce bad traffic: set thresholds for rapid-fire attempts, flag mismatched data, and review suspicious activity without slowing legitimate donors. Keep compliance locked down—PCI controls and encryption protect cardholder data end to end—so audits and security checks don’t stall your calendar.

When an issue occurs, use Refund Management to process full or partial refunds, issue corrected receipts, and close the loop with the donor in one workflow. For duplicate submissions or cancelled pledges, search the transaction, select the line item, and confirm your refund reason for consistent reporting. If processing hiccups arise, check system status and switch forms to a backup payment method while support investigates; customer service can help trace the transaction and restore the donor experience. At month-end, pull a settlement report, match it to CRM totals, and file exceptions for any chargebacks you’ve flagged in Fraud Prevention—keeping finance, development, and support aligned without extra data wrangling.