
Agree with our rating?
Leave a comment below
Agree with our rating?
Leave a comment below
Founded in 2013, Givsum is an online payment processing and donor management merchant account platform designed for non-profit payment processing.
Before we dive in, here’s a short summary of what we’ll cover:
The company offers a social feed and volunteer tracking system for donors, and it provides merchant accounts through Braintree Payments for charities. Braintree is a subsidiary of PayPal. Among the donor campaigns that Givsum offers are tournaments, raffles, races, walks, runs, shows and concerts, other ticketed events, peer-to-peer and team giving, and item-selling. They also offer tools to promote and track donations.
The company has launched a Point of Sale (POS) app and mobile card reader. These tools are intended to facilitate checkouts and transactions at in-person fundraising events.
Givsum provides case studies to showcase how their services have helped various organizations. These case studies aim to offer insights into the impact of their services on advancing missions.
The platform supports a range of fundraising events, including golf tournaments, poker tournaments, raffles, runs, walks, races, shows, and concerts. It also accommodates fundraising auctions and ticketed events.
Givsum offers additional tools like donation embeds, widgets, emails, surveys, and text messages. These are meant to enhance the fundraising and volunteer management experience.
The platform provides reports and data to help organizations track their fundraising and volunteer activities. This feature aims to offer analytical insights for better decision-making.
Shawn Wehan is the president and CEO of Givsum, which is headquartered at 3424 Via Oporto Suite G204, Newport Beach, CA 92663.
Key Points |
|
---|---|
Total Online Complaints | <10 |
Live Customer Support | Yes |
Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Recent Lawsuits | No |
We cannot find any negative Givsum reviews at this time, and there is no indication that the company is a ripoff or a scam. Givsum is still a relatively new company, so it may take some time for user feedback to appear in the usual consumer protection forums. For now, the company’s clean complaint record warrants an “A” but does not quite rank among the top merchant services providers for customer service. If you have your own Givsum review to make, please do so in the comments below.
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Givsum. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
Givsum offers phone and email contact information on its website, but these channels may not be dedicated to customer support. It’s possible that Givsum might refer users to Braintree for certain payment processing issues. Braintree generally has a reputation for quality customer support, so this should not be considered a negative factor.
The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile for Givsum at this time. We therefore will not factor a BBB rating into this review.
Key Points |
|
---|---|
Cancellation Penalties | No |
Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
Processing Rates | Variable |
Equipment Leasing | No |
Givsum charges 5% plus $0.30 per transaction. The company’s contract is an agreement through Braintree for month-to-month service with no early termination fees. There appear to be no other hidden fees for using Givsum, and we have not found any user complaints that mention excessive charges by the company.
The Starter Plan has no sign-up fee and offers a month-to-month subscription at $50 prepaid each month. An annual subscription is available at $500 prepaid for the year. The transaction fee is 5% + $0.30, which is paid by supporters, not the organization. This plan includes basic fundraising tools and member management features.
The Standard Plan also has no sign-up fee and costs $150 prepaid each month for a month-to-month subscription. The annual subscription is $1,500 prepaid for the year. The transaction fee remains the same at 5% + $0.30 and is paid by supporters. This plan offers a full platform use including advanced fundraising features, data analytics, and integrations with QuickBooks.
The Enterprise Plan has no sign-up fee, and the subscription and transaction fees are to be discussed directly with Givsum. This plan includes everything in the Standard Plan plus customization options. Volume discounts are available for organizations that conduct a large volume of transactions or have multiple clubs or chapters.
Givsum’s per-transaction pricing cannot compete with the cheapest merchant account providers, but its low-risk contract terms and specific expertise may be a good fit for some donation-based organizations. The best option will depend on each organization’s needs, but charities looking to save money might be best served by going directly through Braintree or by setting up an interchange-plus merchant account through a conventional credit card processor.
Key Points |
|
---|---|
Uses Independent Resellers | No |
Telemarketing | No |
Misleading Marketing | No |
Discloses All Important Terms | Yes |
Givsum appears to rely on traditional advertising and a growing referral network to market its services. There is no evidence at this time that the company employs independently contracted sales agents, and we have not found any Givsum reviews that describe unethical conduct by the company’s sales team.
Givsum’s “Pricing” page clearly lists its per-transaction rates and includes a cost calculator for ticketed events. Although the company provides sample rates from its competitors, it acknowledges that “competitor data may be inaccurate.” In our opinion, this cost calculator is neither deceptive nor especially useful for potential users. Potential clients are encouraged to make their own calculations using the rates displayed on the company’s website rather than use a comparison tool provided by the company.
Overall, Givsum’s sales practices are consistent with those of most other “A” rated providers on CPO. If you suspect that Givsum is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate hidden costs.
Givsum rates as a reliable credit card processing option for non-profit organizations. The company’s contract terms require very little commitment, and its clean complaint record is enviable even for top-rated payment processors. Charities are advised to educate themselves on Givsum’s feature suite in order to determine whether the benefits of Givsum justify its slightly higher-than-average transaction fees.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. (Digital Fingerprint: 0d38c6720f0d78a701b74d58653af608). Getting paid to re-write this page? Click here to earn a reward.
Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.
Pamela
I’d like to recommend GIVSUM as a wonderful tool for nonprofits. I had worked for a company that needed an online event and donation processing system. We had used another company for many years but I intensely disliked that system because it was clunky and difficult to use. I happily began beta testing with GIVSUM and was very pleased with many aspects of the program. From being able to write descriptions for upcoming events, tailoring donation request opportunities to suit our needs and tracking volunteers, I have been very satisfied with GIVSUM. Lastly, I think the response time for any questions or issues that I have had is remarkable. Most of the time I receive a call back in under 20 minutes and my questions or issues are resolved. They are a great company and I recommend them.
CPO
Hi Pamela,
Please reply to this comment with your business name and location in order to authenticate your testimonial. Thanks!
Pammy Sailor
Yellow Brick Consulting, LLC, Mission Viejo, CA