Set up Stripe Connect

Scout uses Stripe to handle online gifts. Connecting your church's bank account is a one-time setup — about 10 minutes.

What you'll need

Have these handy before you start:

• Your church's EIN (federal tax ID)
• Bank account and routing number
• A photo of a government ID for the person setting up (Stripe's verification requirement, not Scout's)
• Your 501(c)(3) determination letter, if your church is registered

Walk through the connect flow

Go to Giving → Setup and click Connect with Stripe. You'll be sent to Stripe's hosted onboarding flow. Fill in the church's legal name, address, and bank info, then upload a photo of your government ID when prompted. Stripe brings you back to Scout when you're done.

Verification

Stripe verifies most accounts within a few hours. Some take a day or two. You can take gifts during verification, but payouts are paused until Stripe gives the green light.

You'll get an email when payouts are enabled. After that, gifts deposit to your bank on a 2-day rolling schedule.

Apply for the 2.2% nonprofit rate (don't skip this)

If your church is a 501(c)(3), Stripe will discount your processing fees from 2.9% + $0.30 to 2.2% + $0.30 on cards — about $1,400/year for a church taking $200K online. The discount isn't automatic; you have to apply with Stripe directly after your account is connected.

It takes 15 minutes. Walkthrough →

After it's connected

Test it: send yourself a $1 gift via your church's giving page. It should appear in Giving → Donations within a minute. Refund it from the same screen.

Once you've confirmed end-to-end, share the giving page link with your congregation.