> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wegive.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Accepting Payments at Your In-Person Event

> The three ways WeGive collects a gift at an in-person event — donor self-serve QR code, staff-assisted Virtual Terminal, and the event's own Giving Checkout — and when to use each.

Running a gala, a 5K, a fundraising dinner, or any gathering where people give on the spot? WeGive doesn't have a dedicated physical card-reader device, but there are three built-in ways to collect a gift at an in-person event, and most organizations end up using all three together. This guide walks through each one, how they connect to your event, and when to reach for which.

## The three ways to collect a gift in person

### 1. Donor self-serve: a QR code

Every checkout in WeGive automatically gets a QR code alongside its link — built specifically for "print materials and in-person events." Open your checkout and click **Implement** (top-right), and the QR code is generated right there alongside the direct URL, the embed code, and the pop-up snippet. Download it as a PNG and put it on a table tent, a program insert, a poster by the door, or a screen at the registration table — donors scan it and give from their own phone, no staff involvement needed.

This is the fastest way to collect gifts at a large or casual event, since it scales to any number of donors at once with zero staff time per gift.

For the full checkout setup and everything else the Implement button can do, see [Creating a Checkout](/external/support/elements/creating-a-checkout) or the narrative walkthrough in [Create Your Checkouts](/external/support/getting-started/create-your-checkouts).

### 2. Staff-assisted: the Virtual Terminal

When a donor hands a staff member a card, a check, or cash directly — the classic "can I give you my gift right now" moment — use the **Virtual Terminal** from that donor's supporter record (three-dot menu → **Charge a new payment**, or **Record an offline payment** for cash/check). Staff enter the card or bank details and charge it live, or record the check/cash without processing an actual transaction.

Two things make the Virtual Terminal especially useful at an event specifically:

* **You can link the payment straight to the donor's event registration.** The Virtual Terminal's **Related** section includes a **Registration** field — if the donor already registered for your event, search for their registration there and the gift gets tied to it directly, instead of showing up as an unrelated general donation.
* It's the only option for **cash and checks**, which a QR code obviously can't handle.

Full field-by-field instructions — including the offline cash/check flow, fund allocations, and tribute gifts — are in [How to Charge a Donor in the Dashboard](/external/support/giving/how-to-charge-a-donor-in-the-dashboard).

### 3. The event's own Giving Checkout

Every WeGive event requires a **Giving Checkout** to be set up before it can go live — this is a separate checkout from ticket/registration payments, specifically for additional donations collected at or around the event (a "round up," an extra gift on top of a ticket, a donation from someone who didn't register). Because it's a normal checkout, it gets its own Implement button and its own QR code too (see option 1 above) — so you can print a second QR code specifically for "make an extra gift tonight" separate from your main checkout.

See [Create and Customize Your Events](/external/support/campaigns/create-and-customize-your-events) for the full event setup walkthrough, including where the Giving Checkout is configured.

## Which one should I use?

| Situation | Use |
| - | - |
| Donor wants to give on their own phone, no line, no staff needed | QR code (checkout Implement button) |
| Donor hands you a card to charge right now | Virtual Terminal — live card charge |
| Donor hands you a check or cash | Virtual Terminal — offline record |
| You want the gift tied to their event registration | Virtual Terminal, with Registration linked in the Related section |
| You want a generic "give more" option printed on signage | The event's Giving Checkout QR code |

Most events combine all three: a QR code on signage for self-serve gifts, the event's own Giving Checkout for anyone who wants to add to their ticket, and the Virtual Terminal on hand at a check-in or donation table for anyone who wants to hand you a card, check, or cash directly.

## What WeGive doesn't have

There's no physical card-reader (swipe/tap) hardware integration today — "accepting a card in person" in WeGive always means either a donor-held phone scanning a QR code, or a staff member keying the card into the Virtual Terminal. If you need true tap-to-pay hardware at a point of sale, that's not currently supported.

***

*Need help setting any of this up before your event? Reach out to the WeGive support team.*


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