The main difference between Tithely Pay and Square is that Tithely Pay is designed with the church in mind. It's affordable, simple, and integrates seamlessly with Tithely Giving–Tithely's flagship product.
Let's take a closer look at how the two payment platforms compare.
Church payment platforms allow churches to receive payment for merchandise, event tickets, books, food and beverages, and any other paid product. Payment platforms are different from church giving providers in that they're designed strictly for point-of-sale transactions–not donations to churches.
If you're looking for a church management software that can help you receive tithes and offerings as online payments, then you'll want to check out Tithely Giving.
Tithely Pay is a contactless payment system that allows an individual church to receive in-person payments with a credit card, debit card, or ApplePay. Although you can enter card details manually, you can also simply tap or use the chip card reader to receive payment.
Tithely Pay is a great option for churches that need a payment platform that integrates well with their existing Tithely Giving account. There are minimal fees per transaction: for a card swipe, you may 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction and for manual entry, you pay 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.
Square is a payment platform that can help small shops, mid size businesses, and even large corporations receive in-person payment for goods and services. Like Tithely Pay, Square can be used for contactless payments, anytime and anywhere.
Square is not designed for digital transactions at churches, but it can be used by churches, in theory.
The best Square alternative for churches is Tithely Pay. Let's take a closer look on why.
Tithely Pay and Square have some key similarities, and key differences. Remember that Square was created to receive payments for businesses, and is consequently designed with a business perspective in mind.
Here's a closer look on how the two stack up in terms of features and support, compatibility, and user experience.
When choosing a system that will work for you, it's important to look at key features. It's also important to consider whether that platform offers a competitive rate.
Tithely Pay allows you to:
Tithely Pay's platform pricing includes no monthly or annual subscription fees. The cost of processing payments is limited to the digital transaction fees listed above.
Finally, Tithely Pay comes with the assurance of having a super helpful and accessible support team that's ready and willing to help you resolve any issues.
Square allows you to:
As you can see, Square is designed with entire business models in mind.
Square has a free pricing plan with a transaction fee of 2.9% + 30¢ that offers limited functionality.
To unlock the full power of Square, you have to opt into one of their monthly plans (either $29/month or $79/month) which both have 2.9% + 30¢ transaction fees. In comparison, you can unlock the full power of Tithely Pay with NO monthly fee and a 2.9% + 0.30¢ transaction fee.
Tithely Pay easily integrates into your Tithely Giving account, keeping all your money information in a single, integrated platform.
Tithely Pay is compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and major credit/debit cards. As mentioned above, it also syncs seamlessly with Tithely Giving so that all your customer/church member data is stored in a single place.
Square is compatible with all major credit card companies. If you choose to use Square as a church, you'll need to find a way to link it to your church management system.
Tithely Pay is super simple to set up and use. You simply need to download the Tithely Pay app on your mobile device to get started. This should be smooth and easy if you already have a Tithely Giving account (Tithely's digital giving tools are required to use Tithely Pay).
Square follows a similar process. You'll need to set up an account first, and then download the application to use on your mobile device or tablet.
If you're a church leader looking for a payment tool, Tithely Pay is the better choice. It charges zero monthly fees, is designed specifically with ministry in mind, and has just what churches need to run point of sale transactions. It's also compatible with Tithely's donation platform (Tithely Give), which is critical for a smooth and simple process.
Businesses will most likely want to choose Square, as it's designed specifically for the operations and revenue models of a for-profit organization. Not only that, but their current pricing model is reasonable for small businesses.
Is Square free for churches?
No, Square isn't free for churches. They do offer a $0 plan (not including their transaction rates).
