First off, congrats on going all-in on online payments — your nonprofit is ahead of the curve, and that's worth celebrating! 👏
If you're reading this, chances are:
- you've already seen the efficiency and convenience that online payments bring
- you're ready to take the next step and ditch the last few checks still coming your way (we get it!)
You're in the right place. In this article, we'll cover:
- prerequisites for going completely check-free
- situations where checks keep showing up
- what you can put in place to avoid them
Let's dive in!
Prerequisites for going completely check-free 🥊
Your form settings
It may sound obvious, but start by making sure "Check" is not selected on any of your forms (Step 4 - Payment methods).
If you do accept other payment methods (e.g., gift vouchers because you know your community relies on them), select "Other" and make sure to specify in the "Information for cash, check, or other payments" field that you do not accept checks.
A clear message
Prepare a clear explanation of why you've made this decision, and make sure everyone who handles memberships, donations, event ticketing, or any other financial transactions is on the same page.
You can also post it on your website.
Here's a sample message you can use:
We have decided to stop accepting payments by check.
Processing checks took too much time — and we're a 100% volunteer team. In the interest of efficiency and simplicity, we've moved to online payments by credit or debit card only.
We use a fully secure payment solution, so there's nothing to worry about: your data is protected. And by paying online, you're helping take care of our volunteer team! 🙏
Of course, feel free to adapt this to fit your nonprofit's voice and situation.
Situations where checks keep showing up
Based on conversations with nonprofits like yours, we've identified a few situations where checks tend to keep coming in:
- People who show up in person to sign up and hand over a check on the spot
- Collections scheduled for future, specific dates
- Security deposits: a check held and only cashed under certain conditions
- Deposits to reserve a product or service
- Partial payments toward a product or service
The first two are by far the most common; the others are fairly rare.
If you run into other situations where checks are still slipping through, let us know in the comments — we'll work on finding solutions together 💪
What you can put in place
The answer, in short: Payment Link.
As a reminder, the Payment Link is the easiest way to collect card payments from one or more people. Funds go directly into your E-wallet, and just like with form payments, your choice between payment fees and tip applies. The payer receives an email confirmation once payment is complete.
Case 1: Someone comes in person to sign up and hands you a check
This is the perfect opportunity to explain your check policy — which is exactly why having a clear message ready comes in handy 😉 — and to walk them through paying via Payment Link.
Here's the process we recommend, using a membership as an example (the same applies for a donation, an event, etc.) when someone comes in and you have a computer with internet access on hand:
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Manually add the person to the form from the registrant list by clicking the "Add a member" button
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Fill in the person's information and click "Next"
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When prompted to record the payment, click "Do it later" → the membership is saved, but payment is not yet recorded. The person technically has an outstanding balance. Make sure the transaction is linked to the correct contact in your community.
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Go to Payments > Payment Link and send a Payment Link for the amount owed
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If they have access to their email on their phone, ask them to pull it up and walk through the payment together — it's quick, simple, and secure
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If they don't have email access, simply copy the link and open it in a new tab. Let them enter their card details themselves — they'll see it only takes a minute to complete the secure payment.
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Don't forget to tear up the check and thank your new member for saving you the hassle!
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All that's left is to match the membership with its payment in your books (we explain how here)
Case 2: Handling collections scheduled for future dates
The process is the same as above — you just need to send multiple Payment Links on the dates agreed upon with the person.
Note: it's not currently possible to schedule Payment Links in advance.
A simple workaround is to set calendar reminders for the agreed payment dates. You can even invite the payer to those reminders so they're not caught off guard when the Payment Link arrives. Yes, it takes a moment to set up — but you'd have had to do that for checks anyway, on top of the trip to the bank, deposit slips, and everything else.
Another option for memberships or event sign-ups:
- Configure your form to offer installment payments
- When the person comes in to sign up, open the form link in a private/incognito window and go through the process with them, selecting installment payments. They just need to enter their card details once — everything else is automatic after that.
Case 3: Security deposits
When someone leaves a security deposit check, you usually end up shredding it rather than cashing it.
If you do need to collect it, simply send a Payment Link to request the funds. In the "Add a message" field, include:
- the reason for the Payment Link
- what happens if the person doesn't pay before the link expires in 15 days
The bonus: you can collect only part of the deposit if needed — something you simply can't do with a check.
Case 4: Deposits and partial payments
Here again, the Payment Link works perfectly for both situations.
Just create one from Payments > Payment Link and describe the purpose in the message field.
Then, reconcile it in your books (as explained here).
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We hope these tips are helpful.
If you come across other situations, share them in the comments below and we'll work on solutions together. See you soon! 👋
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