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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTOMATED GIVING THROUGH PARISHPAY
It is an alternate way you may support St. Matthew’s Parish and fulfill your desire to be good stewards of the financial gifts God has entrusted to you. Instead of making a weekly contribution by cash, check or envelop, you may now setup a pre-authorized amount which is automatically deducted directly from your checking, savings, brokerage, or credit card account and deposited into St. Matthew’s account once a month. THERE IS NO COST TO YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. [top]
2. What are the benefits to you?
The benefits to you include: · Allowing you the opportunity to plan your giving in the same way you budget your other financial commitments; · Insuring a way to prevent missed offertory donations when you are out of town, on vacation, or ill; · Managing your automated contribution (up or down) in a way that is more reflective of the many gifts from God; and, · Eliminating a reactive need to write a check every week to St. Matthew. [top]
3. What are the benefits to St. Matthew’s Parish?
The anticipated benefits to St. Matthew’s include: strengthening offertory contributions; smoothing out seasonal dips in giving; and making giving easier for parishioners. The automated giving service selected by Msgr. Mike and the Finance Council is ParishPay, the nation’s largest automated giving service. ParishPay has been successful at introducing automated giving to over five (5) million parishioners of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic circumstances across the country. [top]
4. How does Automated Giving through ParishPay relate to the use of weekly envelopes?
The consequence of choosing Automated Giving through ParishPay is that this means of giving will replace your need for weekly envelopes. Eventually, you will no longer receive envelopes from St. Matthew’s as long as you are using ParishPay. [top]
5. What if I feel uncomfortable about not having something to place in the collection basket during Mass?
Special donation slips are available for those who enrolled in the Automated Giving program. The slips are available on-line or from Mike Finger or Carol Turner in the Administration Building. You may place a donation slip in the basket at Mass. [top]
6. What about Special Collections?
Besides your monthly gift you may specify additional automated gifts. When you join, or at a later time, you can designate a specific gift for Easter and Christmas as well as make a specific gift for designated second collections throughout the year. [top]
There are three (3) ways you can enroll. The first way is “do-it-yourself- on- line.” You simply go on-line and sign up directly on the ParishPay website at www.parishpay.com. (You can also reach ParishPay through the parish website at www.stmatts.org.) Once you reach ParishPay, you select “St. Matthew Catholic Church San Antonio Texas” and follow the remaining easy steps. Enrollment takes less than three (3) minutes. The second way is by phone. All you do is call ParishPay at 1-866-PARISH-1 (1-866-727-4741). A customer service representative is available at any time, on any day to enroll you. The final way is by using an enrollment form. You fill out an enrollment form and place it in the collection basket during Mass or drop it off at the Administration Building. Enrollment forms are found in the bulletin or at the Administration Building from Mike Finger or Carol Turner. Mike or Carol will then enroll you based on the information contained on your enrollment form. [top]
8. What payment methods does ParishPay accept?
ParishPay processes debits from checking accounts, savings accounts, or any other account, such as a money market or brokerage account. (While most Banks permit this type of transfer, you must verify with your Bank that it allows ACH transfers.) ParishPay accepts the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. [top]
9. On what day each month does ParishPay withdraw donations from your account when you enroll?
ParishPay processes authorized donations on the 5th of every month. Funds are transferred immediately to St. Matthew’s account. [top]
10. Can donations be processed weekly?
No. The convenience of using ParishPay is based upon a monthly transaction. By processing monthly, ParishPay helps keeps transaction costs as low as possible. [top]
11. How do you change your information, such as the amount of the donation, bank account number, new credit card number, or mailing address?
Changes to information may be done in the following ways: by going on line at www.stmatts.org and clicking on ParishPay or by going to St. Matthew’s section of www.parishpay.com; by completing a new enrollment form; or by calling 1-866-PARISH-1 and speaking with a customer service representative. (A ParishPay customer service representative is available at any time to make changes or answer your questions.) Changes may be made through the 3rd day of the month for the change to be effective during the current month. Otherwise, the change is effective during the following month. [top]
12. How do you discontinue the service?
You can discontinue the service in the following ways: by writing to ParishPay; by going to your account at www.parishpay.com; by e-mailing accounts@parishpay.com and stating that you wish to terminate the service; or by contacting Mike Finger or Carol Turner at the Administration Building. [top]
13. How long does your enrollments last? Do you need to re-specify your donation each year? Can contributions be adjusted for inflation?
No re-enrollment is required. Updates can be made at any time. During the enrollment process, you are given the option of adjusting donations to allow for inflation. For those who choose this option, inflation calculations are applied each January. [top]
14. How safe are ParishPay transactions?
ParishPay transactions are as safe as transactions at the highest security bank sites. ParishPay utilizes the most sophisticated security and encryption techniques permitted by the federal government. Every measure is taken to monitor and ensure that all transactions are safe. [top]
15. Is information about your bank accounts or credit cards disclosed to anyone?
No. ParishPay never releases any financial information to any party for any reason, except as required by law. [top]
16. What are the fees for ParishPay?
THERE ARE NO FEES TO YOU. All fees are paid by the parish. ParishPay's basic fees for automatic debits from checking, savings, and brokerage accounts are 1% of the donation each month plus $1 for each enrolled account each month. The parish incurs the same fees for credit card transactions in addition to credit card transactions fees ranging from 2% to 3%. Thankfully, ParishPay has negotiated some of the lowest fees available in the United States. [top]
17. Can I donate a one-time gift or pledge for a specific term?
Yes, one time gifts are graciously accepted. Participants can also arrange for a specific amount to be paid over a number of months. [top] 18. Do I receive receipts for tax purposes?
Users may log-on to their ParishPay accounts and print statements; or, you may contact ParishPay directly (1-866-PARISH-1 or 1-866-727-4741) and request ParishPay to send the tax information to your home address. [top]
Additionally, St. Matthew’s Parish will continue to send you tax information for those recordable donations made directly to the parish.
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