Payment Types in DonorDock

Payment Types in DonorDock identify how a gift was received. Selecting the appropriate Payment Type helps keep gift records consistent and makes it easier to filter, report on, and reconcile donations.

Payment Type is different from Gift Type. Gift Type describes what kind of gift was received, such as a Donation, Membership, Event Ticket, or Grant.

Default Payment Types

💡 System Payment Types are built into DonorDock and cannot be deleted. Administrators can create additional custom Payment Types when their organization needs to track another payment method.

Custom Payment Types

Administrators can create Payment Types specific to their organization's needs.

For example, your organization might create a Payment Type for a local payment service, internal transfer method, or another way gifts are commonly received that is not included in DonorDock's standard options.

Create a Custom Payment Type

1. Click the Settings Menu grid icon in the top right of DonorDock.

2. Select Settings.

3. Under Data and Fields, select Payment Types.

4. Enter the name of the new Payment Type.

5. Click Create.

6. A confirmation window will open. Leave the available option selected if you want the new Payment Type to appear in the dropdown when manually creating gifts.

7. Click Save.

Once created, the new Payment Type can be used when recording applicable gifts and is available for gift reporting.

Edit or Delete a Custom Payment Type

From Settings > Data and Fields > Payment Types, administrators can manage the custom Payment Types created for their organization.

• Select the pen icon to edit an existing custom Payment Type.

• Select the trash can icon to delete a custom Payment Type when available.

System default Payment Types cannot be deleted.

Payment Type and Payment ID

The Payment ID field stores an identifying value associated with the payment, such as a check number or transaction identifier.

When manually creating or editing a gift, DonorDock may change the friendly label displayed for this field based on the selected Payment Type.

For example:

Although the label displayed on the gift may change, the underlying DonorDock system field is always Payment ID.

This is important when working with reports, imports, or templates:

• In Gift Reports, the column is named Payment ID.

• The Transactional Template merge tag is named Gift Payment ID.

• The merge tag is {{gift.payment_id}}.

💡 If you are looking for a Check Number or Transaction ID in a Gift Report, add the Payment ID column.

Payment Notes

The Payment Note field can record additional information about how a gift was received when the Payment Type and Payment ID do not provide enough context.

For example, you might use the Payment Note to record additional reconciliation information, details about an unusual payment method, or other internal transaction notes.

Payment Notes are stored directly on the gift record.

Donor Covered Fees

Gift records also include a Donor Covered Fees field that indicates whether the donor elected to cover the processing fees associated with their donation.

This is a True/False field.

For donations made through a DonorDock Online Giving Page, this value is automatically set when the donor chooses to cover processing fees during checkout.

The Donor Covered Fees field is also available in Gift Reports.

Otto Tips

• 🐚 Payment Type and Gift Type are different. Payment Type tells you how the gift was paid, while Gift Type tells you what kind of gift was received.

• ⚓ Use Payment Notes for extra context. If the Payment Type or Payment ID doesn't fully explain the transaction, add details in the Payment Note.

• 🦑 Look for Payment ID in reports. Even when the gift screen displays Check Number or Transaction ID, the underlying field is always called Payment ID in reports.

• 🐚 Keep custom options consistent. Before creating a new custom Payment Type, check your existing options to avoid creating duplicate or slightly different versions of the same payment method.