aware3 Gift Processing

Who are the players when someone gives through an aware3-powered giving channel?

Aware3 owns and manages the donor experience, and Nelnet Payment Services serves as the back-office payment gateway. For donors, all interaction is branded for your church.

Who processes gifts made through aware3 giving channels?

Our payment gateway partner is Nelnet Payment Services. All of our giving-related features and interfaces (e.g. app, text, web, campaigns, forms with payments) require a relationship with Nelnet Payment Services. You are not tied to a term agreement with Nelnet Payment Services and can cancel anytime without penalty. 

If my church uses a different payment gateway, are we required to switch?

You are not required to make any changes to your existing payment gateway relationship. The decision you are making here is related to aware3-powered giving channels alone.

What are my church's merchant account fees with Nelnet Payment Services?

As part of aware3's partnership with Nelnet Payment Services, you will only pay the standard transaction fees: 3% for credit/debit transactions and 1% for ACH/E-Check. There are no monthly, annual, PCI compliance fees, etc. If you don't process giving, Nelnet Payment Services does not charge fees; it's that simple!

How and when are processing fees charged?

Nelnet Payment Services remits the full gift amount to the bank account on file for your church. Credit and debit funds are remitted in 2 business days while ACH are remitted in 3. The fees are then auto-debited on a separate line item the following month. Learn more here.

How secure is my church's information through Nelnet Payment Services?  

All financial-related data is encrypted and stored by our payment gateway. Nelnet Payment Services is PCI Level 1 compliant. Level 1 PCI compliance is a set of rules stated by credit card companies and audited by an independent third party. Level 1 PCI is the highest possible rating. Additionally, all transmission to our banking partner and on our site is via an encrypted SSL connection. No financial information is stored on our servers or yours.

Do I need to reach out directly to Nelnet Payment Services?

No, you will receive a 10-minute online application as part of your onboarding with aware3. 

What kind of gift reporting does aware3 offer?  

You can view and export the details of each transaction in real time inside the aware3 portal. You can also reconcile transactions inside the portal. Nelnet Payment Services will supply additional report access.

Is my church required to use aware3 giving to have an aware3-powered app?

No, you can point the Give button inside your app to any external giving page. Aware3 giving is required to use aware3-powered capital campaigns, text-to-give, forms with payments, processing fee coverage, etc. You can pay $19/mo for a merchant account in order to use any of these features while pointing your primary Give button to an external giving page.

Can the donor cover the processing fees?

Absolutely. It is up to you whether or not your church's giving flows display an option for the donor to cover the processing fee on their gift. It is a tangible incentive for increased generosity.

If you have any questions or need help, send us a note at support@aware3.com!