{"id":8259,"date":"2018-11-23T11:38:42","date_gmt":"2018-11-23T16:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithandfinance\/?p=8259"},"modified":"2018-11-16T11:59:00","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T16:59:00","slug":"is-it-ok-to-tithe-with-a-credit-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithandfinance\/2018\/11\/23\/is-it-ok-to-tithe-with-a-credit-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it OK to Tithe With a Credit Card?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

O<\/span>ne of the latest waves in churches is to have online tithing<\/a>.\u00a0 It makes sense when you think about how the online payment processing industry has grown in the last few years.\u00a0 People are more comfortable putting their credit and debit card information on payment sites and it becomes a normal part of every day life.\u00a0 Why wouldn\u2019t a church want to get into this arena?<\/p>\n

If it makes it easier for church members to give tithes online, it seems like it would be a real service to everyone.\u00a0 I was happy when our church set up their online tithing system, but I was surprised with the feedback I got from people I knew.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Those Against Using a Credit Card<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt Feels Impersonal<\/h3>\n**** \ A friend of mine (in his 30\u2019s) said that he doesn\u2019t like tithing with a credit card.\u00a0 He says that it feels impersonal and that he would rather bring a check or cash to the church when he gives.\u00a0 I can see his point because it might feel awfully similar to an eBay or Amazon transaction.\u00a0 If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you probably shouldn\u2019t tithe with a credit card.<\/p>\n The Church Gets Charged<\/h3>\n This is a major reason why many people don\u2019t like the idea of tithing online.\u00a0 Depending on the online payment service that you use, the church can be charged anywhere from 0.5% to 2.5% per transaction.\u00a0 That can really add up and cost the church significantly.\u00a0 With many churches already facing lower tithes, adding one more cost for receiving online tithes can hurt an already low church budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those For Using a Credit Card to Tithe<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s Convenient and Easy<\/h3>\n**** ** ****Very few of us carry much cash or a checkbook and knowing that I can tithe with my credit card is just easier for me.<\/p>\n Giving is More Regular<\/h3>\n Tithing<\/a> with a credit card online helps me to stay accountable with my giving.\u00a0 I find that I give more regularly when I tithe with my credit card.\u00a0 But why don\u2019t I use a debit card instead? \u00a0I have used a debit card in the past, but since my wife and I pay off our credit card regularly, we just default to using a credit card.<\/p>\n The Points are Nice<\/h3>\n****** * Whoa.\u00a0 Did you actually say that?<\/em>\u00a0 Yes, yes I did.\u00a0 I know many people who tithe with credit cards and choose one card over another because it gives nice reward points.\u00a0 A word of caution \u2013 this should not be your motive for giving.\u00a0 If you give because you like to see your points add up, you\u2019re tithing for the wrong reason.\u00a0 My wife and I are responsible with our credit cards and never carry a balance.\u00a0 I don\u2019t see any difference if I tithe with a reward credit card or tithe with a debit card.\u00a0 It all comes out of our bank at the end of the month.<\/p>\n * Before You Tithe with a Credit Card . . .<\/strong><\/h2>\nConsider your motives.<\/h3>\n** ** Are you giving because of the points?\u00a0 That\u2019s not why we are called to give.<\/p>\n ** Consider the costs.<\/h3>\n ** Remember the church is paying upwards of 2.5% or more for a transaction.\u00a0 If you like the convenience of tithing with a credit card, you might increase your amount by a little bit in order to offset the cost incurred by the church.<\/p>\n ** Remember why you give.<\/h3>\n ** The ultimate reason why we give is to further God\u2019s Kingdom.\u00a0 If online giving helps to do that, I think it can be a great tool for churches.<\/p>\n ** What are your thoughts?\u00a0 Have you tithed online before?\u00a0 Do you think it\u2019s OK to tithe online?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ** ******One of the latest waves in churches is to have online tithing.\u00a0 It makes sense when you think about how the online payment processing industry has grown in the last few years.\u00a0 People are more comfortable putting their credit and debit card information on payment sites and it becomes a normal part of every day […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2550,"featured_media":8304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[66,99,345],"class_list":["post-8259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-and-money","tag-giving-2","tag-personal-finance","tag-tithe"],"yoast_head":"\nIs it OK to Tithe With a Credit Card?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of the latest 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