How to pay tithing online?

[Gary_Miller]

I guess I missed the reason for the copier.

The subject came up because Tinman mentioned maybe making a copy of the bill pay check instead of a donation slip would work as a paper trail. But then stated they made a donation slip because it was a pain to go to the media center to make a copy.

The reason I asked for the copier was so I can make copies of bills that may need to be sent in with the payment/check. Most of these are for welfare expenses. It has also proven convenient for other things where all you need is 1 or 2 copies. Like I said our media center is upstairs in our building.

I have yet to figure out or understand why the clerks printer does not have copier capabilities. I can only guess that who ever is making the selection does not truly understand what the clerks office really needs.

We don't copy other checks from members. And when they forget to fill out a donation slip, we call them and fill it out for them.

If the member just forgot to put a slip in the envelope then we call them to find out where it needs to go and fill one out for them.

If its a bill pay check and it does not state specifically where it should go we put it all in tithing. Its enough that I have to take time to fill out a slip but I'm not going to take anymore time to call and find out where its to go.

My bank does not allow an extensive memo line, so if I were to use bill pay to create a check, I would have it mailed to my home and then turn it in with a donation slip.

This is what I did when I ran out of hard checks it took about five days to get the check but it was taken out of my account immediately.

[TinMan]

If the member just forgot to put a slip in the envelope then we call them to find out where it needs to go and fill one out for them.

If its a bill pay check and it does not state specifically where it should go we put it all in tithing. Its enough that I have to take time to fill out a slip but I'm not going to take anymore time to call and find out where its to go.

Just curious. Why do you call the member and fill out a donation slip if they forget to put one in an envelope, but you don't call a member when he forgets to fill out the memo line on a bill pay check? How is it different?

[Gary_Miller]

Just curious. Why do you call the member and fill out a donation slip if they forget to put one in an envelope, but you don't call a member when he forgets to fill out the memo line on a bill pay check? How is it different?

In most cases if we have a donation envelope without a slip its because the member usually filled out a slip at home then mistakenly forgot put it in the envelope. If it happens often then we would have chat.

On the other hand if your going to send it bill pay, I (the finance clerk) have to fill out the slip for you which takes time. If you can't take the time to type in the memo line where you want the money to go I'm going to assume its tithing.

I have spoken to all those who pay by bill pay (we only have a couple) and let them know our policy. If someone else starts paying by bill pay I will process it the same way and then speak to them about our policy.

While I'm a pretty responsive clerk and believe in providing good service. I also have a low tolerance for laziness I figure if you competent enough to use bill pay, which places the burden of filling out your donation slip on me, then you should be competent enough to let me know where you want the donation to go. Anything other than that is just laziness on your part and I'm not going to take time out of my busy schedule to call you every time you send in a check.

[davesudweeks]

While I'm a pretty responsive clerk and believe in providing good service. I also have a low tolerance for laziness I figure if you competent enough to use bill pay, which places the burden of filling out your donation slip on me, then you should be competent enough to let me know where you want the donation to go. Anything other than that is just laziness on your part and I'm not going to take time out of my busy schedule to call you every time you send in a check.

My experience was most members did not realize they were creating an extra burden. A friendly discussion about the extra work they were putting on the bishopric after church while everyone else in the ward was home with their families usually fixed it. We only had one member who had an automatic check mailed to the bishop - the bishop told them we would fill out the donation slip for them but if they did not specify on the check we would put the whole thing in tithing.

One or two was not a problem but if the bishopric had to fill out tithing slips for half the ward it would be a huge issue.

[wavedune]

To say we're not there yet in the US is simply not true. I have been paying tithing online for at least 2 years, my Bishop recommended it. The tithing goes straight to SLC, bypassing my ward. I get a statement from the church every month or so via email. My ward gets no record of my tithing payments, which frankly I like.

[jdlessley]

To say we're not there yet in the US is simply not true.

Because electronic donations are possible on a limited bases (small scale) in the U.S. does not mean the U.S. banking system is able to make the necessary adjustments for full scale electronic donations for every member without manual processing at church headquarters.

If you read the rest of this thread you will see that electronic donations are manually processed at Church headquarters. This is because of a limitation with the U.S. banking system. This manual processing is necessary to connect the MRN with the donation. It is because of this manual processing and the limited resources available to process those electronic donations that the finance department prefers that only those with special circumstances, such as military in combat areas, use this donation method.

[johnshaw]

I think we need to stop defining the why for the donations group, because we truly do not have the complete picture.

It is clear that the donations group will setup ANYONE that calls and asks, but they do not, for some unknown reason, want it to be the recommended position at this time.

[aebrown]

It is clear that the donations group will setup ANYONE that calls and asks

That is not at all clear. We have only anecdotal evidence that your statement may have been true for requests in the past, but there is no guarantee that it will continue to be true for any possible volume of requests in the future. All we do know is the official position of the Donations Department:

The preferred method for making donations continues to be through the local ward unit. Those who have questions about electronic bill pay donations may call the LDS Donations Department at 801-240-2554 or email donations@ldschurch.org. Thank you.

[lajackson]

. . . we truly do not have the complete picture.

I agree. Tithing is one thing. Other donations are another.

I do not wish to fork the thread, but when the Church opens up an online donation system for members in North America, it will need to be able to handle fast offerings, ward missionary funds, separate accounting rules for Saints and the Church in Canada, and a whole host of other situations if it is going to work properly.

It is not as simple a thing to do as people think, if the objectives of the Church are to guide the process.

That said, personally I do believe they are working on it. But I sure couldn't prove it in a court of law. [grin]

[johnshaw]

I offer only my observations :

I'm in at least 3 separate groups in facebook with members cut from a cross-section of the US... my anecdotal evidence is personal phone call speaking to the donations department as the stake clerk (my calling - I do not and have not posted the information in my stake choosing to follow the information here on the tech board and not what the person on the phone told me) and my observations of people (facebook groups) who are contacting the donations department not a single person reported being turned away or turned down. I'm not saying the church is ready, or even wanting it to happen, but it is soon to be an explosion. I've seen the form published on 3 facebook forums and I'm sure it's making it out there in the wild.