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Everything you need to build, preview, and launch your first checkout — plus the best practices that turn a working form into a high-converting one.

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What a checkout is (and why it matters)

A checkout is the giving form your donors actually interact with — where they choose an amount, pick a frequency, select a fund, and enter their payment details. It’s the single most important conversion point in your entire fundraising program: every campaign, email, QR code, and “Donate” button eventually leads here. WeGive gives you one default checkout out of the box. This is the form that powers your standard giving experience, and it’s the right place to start. You can configure every part of it, preview exactly what donors will see, and then embed it on your website or share it as a link. This guide walks through the full journey: set up → preview → implement, with how-to steps and best practices for each settings section along the way.

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Before you start: a quick mental model

Your checkout has three “layers” worth understanding up front:
  1. What the donor sees and does — the steps they move through (choose amount → frequency → designation → contact info → payment → confirmation → thank you). You control which steps exist and what each one says.
  2. What you collect — amounts, fees, custom questions, mailing addresses, tribute info. The more you ask, the more you learn, but every extra field is a chance for someone to drop off. Balance is everything.
  3. How it’s delivered — a hosted link, an embedded iframe, or a pop-up on your site.
Keep that flow in mind as you work through the settings. Each settings tab maps to a piece of the donor’s experience.

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Finding and opening your checkout

From the dashboard, go to Checkouts and open your default checkout (it will be named something like “[Your Org] Default Checkout”). You’ll land on three tabs at the top:
  • Overview — at-a-glance stats: payments, recurring plans, supporters, sessions, and a map of where your donors are giving from.
  • Performance — conversion analytics and AI-generated Smart Insights (covered near the end of this guide).
  • Settings — where all the configuration happens.
A green ● Live badge next to the name means the checkout is active and accepting real gifts. The top-right corner has two buttons you’ll use constantly: Preview (see the donor’s view) and Implement (get the code to put it on your site).

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Setting up your checkout, tab by tab

Open the Settings tab. You’ll see a left-hand menu with each configuration section. We’ll go through them in order. Remember to click Save Changes (bottom-left of the settings menu) before leaving a section — changes aren’t saved automatically. Best practice: Configure top to bottom on your first pass — Overview first, Single Page last. The sections build on each other, and doing them in order keeps you from backtracking.

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1. Overview

This is your checkout’s identity and basic behavior. What to set:
  • Checkout name — an internal label. Donors don’t see this, so name it for yourself (e.g., “Website Main Donate” or “2026 Year-End”).
  • Slug — the custom, readable part of your public URL (.../checkout/your-slug). Set this thoughtfully early; it appears in every link and embed code you’ll ever share.
  • Type — choose Donations (tax-exempt) or service/non-tax-deductible revenue. This controls whether the gift is treated as tax-deductible, so get it right.
  • Checkout Navigation — Show full portal navigation includes your standard header; Hide portal navigation strips it for a cleaner, focused embed.
  • Custom Footer — optional footer text shown at the bottom of the checkout.
Best practice: Pick a short, human-readable slug like give or donate rather than leaving the long auto-generated one. It looks more trustworthy in shared links and is easier to say out loud at events.

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2. Information Card

The Information Card is the branded panel that sits alongside your giving form — your logo, a banner image, and a short message about why the gift matters. What to set:
  • Checkout Title — the header on the first step (e.g., “Choose amount to give”).
  • Card Avatar Image — your org logo. You can use your organization logo automatically, or toggle that off to upload a custom avatar. You can set separate images for One-Time vs Recurring.
  • Card Background Banner Image — the large header image on the card. Use a high-quality, on-brand photo.
  • Card Content — the persuasive text. Keep it short, specific, and impact-focused.
  • Card Footer Links — up to 3 custom links (e.g., “Our mission,” “Financials,” “Contact”).
  • Desktop placement — Left side or Hidden on larger screens.
  • Mobile placement — Show as its own step (a dedicated screen) or Show above the checkout (stacked on top of the form). You can also hide it on mobile entirely.
Best practice: Write impact-driven card content, not mission-statement boilerplate. “Your $50 provides a week of meals for a family” outperforms “We are dedicated to fighting hunger.” Lead with what the donor’s money does. Best practice: On mobile, Show above the checkout keeps donors moving toward the amount field faster; Show as its own step gives your story more room. Test both with the Preview tool’s mobile view.

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3. Amounts

This controls the donation amounts donors can choose. What to set:
  • Amount Input Type — allow cents (e.g., $10.99) or whole dollars only.
  • Amount Settings — choose how amounts work: a free-entry field, suggested amounts, or a fixed/exact amount only (locks the gift to one value).
  • Suggested Amounts — preset buttons or a dropdown. You can set separate suggestions for One-Time and Recurring, and add an optional impact description under each (e.g., “$100 — Funds one scholarship application”).
  • Show as dropdown — display suggestions as a dropdown instead of a button grid.
  • Enable AI enhancements — lets WeGive’s AI adjust the suggested ask amount based on donor context.
  • Amount Label — the wording shown with the suggestion control (e.g., “Suggested Amount”).
  • Minimum Amounts — separate floors for one-time and recurring gifts.
  • Custom Amount Descriptions / Impact Card — show an impact description even when a donor types a custom amount.
Best practice: Offer 3–4 suggested amounts, not 6. Too many choices creates decision paralysis. A common high-performing ladder is something like $50 / $100 / $250 / $500, with the second option being your target average gift. Best practice: Add impact descriptions to your suggested amounts. Tying a dollar figure to a concrete outcome reliably lifts the amount donors choose. Best practice: Set sensible minimums (the example checkout uses $5 one-time, $2 recurring) so processing fees don’t eat tiny gifts.

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4. Frequencies

Controls whether donors can give once, recurring, or both — and which recurring intervals are offered. What to set:
  • Frequency Settings — One Time Only, Recurring Only, or One Time and Recurring.
  • Default Frequency — which option is pre-selected (e.g., “Default to Recurring, Monthly”).
  • Frequency Display Style — Minimal dropdown list (compact) or Prominent select input (more visible buttons).
  • Available Frequencies — toggle which recurring intervals donors can pick: Monthly, Weekly, Every 2 Weeks, Daily, 1st and 15th, Yearly, Quarterly, Semi-annually.
Best practice: If growing recurring revenue is a goal, set the default frequency to Monthly. Donors tend to accept the pre-selected option, and a defaulted monthly ask measurably increases recurring sign-ups. Best practice: Don’t enable every frequency just because you can. Monthly and Yearly cover the vast majority of recurring donors. A wall of nine options adds friction for little benefit — turn on only what you’ll actually steward.

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5. Designations

Designations are the funds or programs a donor can direct their gift toward. What to set:
  • Require a designation — force donors to pick a fund before completing.
  • Designation Input Options — show the designation field regardless of other settings, and/or allow donors to select multiple designations (split gifts).
  • Available Designations — choose the model: Let donors choose any designation; Let donors choose from a set of designations; Set a fixed designation; Let donors choose from a predefined designation list; or Do not let donors choose their designation.
  • Designation Display Style — Minimal dropdown list or Prominent select input.
  • Optional Settings — customize the field label (e.g., “Fund”) and set a default designation.
Best practice: Fewer fund choices convert better. If you have dozens of funds internally, expose only the handful that matter to public donors and route the rest through a single “Greatest Need” option. Pre-select a sensible default designation so the field is never blank. Best practice: Only require a designation if you genuinely can’t process the gift without one. Each required field is a potential drop-off point.

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6. Contacts

Controls how donor profiles are created and what contact info you collect. What to set:
  • Guest Checkouts — Allow guest checkouts for recognized contacts (returning donors can give without logging in) and Force guest checkout for everyone (treat every session as brand new — no login or one-click).
  • Create New Profiles — allow company profiles and additional individual/company profiles.
  • Update Contact Information — prompt returning donors to review their info, with control over when to ask (e.g., after checkout completion).
  • Supporter Name — ask for it, only ask when missing, and/or make it required.
  • Mailing Address — ask for it, only ask when missing, and/or make it required.
Best practice: Enable guest checkout. Forcing account creation is one of the biggest causes of abandoned gifts. Let people give first; you can build the relationship after. Best practice: Use “Only ask when missing” for name and mailing address. Returning donors shouldn’t have to re-enter what you already have — it slows them down and signals you’re not tracking the relationship. Best practice: Only require a mailing address if you actually mail receipts or appeals. If you don’t need it, don’t require it.

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7. Billing

Controls payment methods and billing details. What to set:
  • Payment Methods — toggle each one on/off: Credit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe Link, Bank Login, ACH, and PAD (Canadian pre-authorized debit). Available methods depend on your payment processor.
  • Savings Messaging — Show cost savings when it’s over $1 to nudge donors toward lower-fee methods (like ACH).
  • Billing Address — Request full billing address vs. collecting only a postal/ZIP code.
Best practice: Turn on Apple Pay and Google Pay. Mobile donors complete these one-tap methods far more often than they fill out a card form. (Note: these require the proper embed attributes — see Implementation below.) Best practice: Offer ACH/Bank Login for larger and recurring gifts. Bank transfer fees are much lower than card fees, and the savings messaging helps donors choose it voluntarily. Best practice: Only request the full billing address if you need it for reconciliation. Postal-code-only is faster and still satisfies most fraud checks.

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8. Confirmation

Controls fee coverage, recurring end dates, anonymity, and error messaging on the final confirmation step. What to set:
  • Fee Cover — Show fee cover option lets donors add the processing fee so you receive the full gift. Sub-options: Checked by default (the cover-fees box is pre-checked, but donors can uncheck it) and Require fee cover (the fee is always added and can’t be removed — no opt-out).
  • Fee Cover Rates — by default WeGive calculates fees from your processor’s rates. Toggle Customize fee cover amounts to set your own: Card processing percentage + fixed fee, ACH processing % + fixed fee, and a Max fee amount that caps the fee a donor can cover.
  • Recurring Dates — Allow recurring end dates, then either let donors choose an end date or set a fixed end date for all plans.
  • Anonymous Payments — Show “Make me anonymous” option so donors can stay off public recognition lists.
  • Payment Error Message — custom text shown if a payment fails.
How fee cover is calculated: WeGive uses a “gross-up” so you net your intended amount. The formula is roughly (donation + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − total percentage), and the fee shown to the donor is the difference. For example, a $100 gift with a 2.9% + $0.30 card fee and a 1% platform fee grosses up to about $104.37 — so the donor sees a ~$4.37 fee, and you still receive $100. (The exact calculation lives in WeGive’s payment-processing layer rather than this repo’s backend, so treat the specific example numbers as illustrative rather than a guaranteed formula for every fee configuration.) Best practice: Enable fee cover with “Checked by default” rather than “Require.” Most donors happily leave the box checked when it’s pre-selected, which recovers fees without forcing anyone — forcing it can feel heavy-handed and cost you the gift. Best practice: Set a sensible max fee amount (the example uses $20) so a large gift never shows an alarming fee figure.

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9. Thank You

Controls what donors see after they give — the most under-used conversion and stewardship moment you have. What to set:
  • Thank You Step Behavior — Use WeGive’s thank you page (a branded page with your message, media, and call-to-action buttons) or Redirect to external page (send donors to your own URL).
  • Celebration Animation — confetti on completion.
  • Thank You Card Media — No media, Video (YouTube/Vimeo embed), or Custom image.
  • Thank You Message — the message on the thank-you card.
  • Confirmation Page Text — optional header and button text shown on the confirmation step before the thank-you page (e.g., “Confirm Registration”).
  • Thank You Action Card — a title and body that can include merge tags like {{transaction_amount}} and {{transaction_frequency_type}} (type @ to insert contextual transaction data).
  • Call-to-Action Buttons — View Profile and Give Again buttons.
Best practice: Use WeGive’s branded thank-you page rather than an external redirect on your first launch. It confirms the gift instantly, reduces “did it go through?” support emails, and gives you a place to drive the next action. Best practice: Put one clear next step on the thank-you page — share on social, become a monthly donor, or read an impact story. A thanked donor is your most engaged donor; don’t waste the moment. Best practice: Use merge tags to personalize (“Your monthly donation of $50 is processing!”). The specificity builds trust and reassurance.

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10. Custom Questions

Collect extra information from donors during checkout. What to set, per question:
  • Question Title and optional Question Details (rich text).
  • Question Type — Text, Number, Checkbox (multi-select), Drop Down Select, Multiple Choice (radio), File Upload, Email, Address, Date, Time, or a Communication List opt-in/out toggle.
  • Answer Options — the choices for select/checkbox/radio types.
  • Question Conditions — Always show or Show based on payment context (conditional logic).
  • Save To — Save answer to Supporter (the donor’s profile) or Save answer to Transaction (this specific gift).
  • Map Answers To — map the answer to a standard donor field or a custom field so it lands in the right place in your data.
  • Required and Save unanswered toggles.
Step-level settings:
  • Question Step Title — heading for the questions section.
  • Question Placement — Before or After the confirmation step.
  • Previously Answered — Ask Again or skip if the donor already answered.
There’s no hard limit on the number of questions, but restraint matters (see below). Best practice: Keep it to 1–2 questions max on a donation checkout. “How did you hear about us?” is the classic high-value, low-friction question. Every additional question measurably lowers completion. Best practice: Place non-essential questions after the confirmation step (or after payment) so they never block the gift itself. Use Save unanswered so you still capture partial data. Best practice: Always map answers to a field. An unmapped answer is data you have to dig for later; a mapped one flows straight into the donor’s profile or transaction record.

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11. Prompts (Recurring Conversion)

Prompts ask one-time donors to convert their gift into a recurring one — one of the highest-ROI features on the checkout. What to set:
  • Enable recurring prompts — turn the feature on.
  • When to Prompt — After the frequency selection (immediately after they pick one-time) or After successful checkout (on the thank-you page, which creates a brand-new recurring plan).
  • Audience — control which one-time donors see it (e.g., all of them, or only gifts under a certain amount so you don’t ask major donors).
  • Prompt Options — the upgrade choices, each a combination of an amount (e.g., 100% = same amount) and a frequency (e.g., Every Month, Every Year).
  • Prompt Content — the title and description that encourage recurring giving.
Best practice: Prompt after the frequency selection with a “give this same amount monthly instead” option. Catching donors in the moment of generosity converts better than asking after they’ve finished. Best practice: Write a benefit-led prompt: “Make your $100 go further — become a monthly supporter and provide year-round impact.” Avoid guilt; emphasize the donor’s ongoing role.

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12. Other Rules

Miscellaneous controls. What to set:
  • Currencies — Accept multiple currencies (options depend on your processor).
  • Tribute Giving — Let donors give in memory or honor of someone (adds a dedication option with name/message).
  • Supporter Notes — Allow supporters to add a note with their payment.
  • Checkout Limitations — Limit the total number of successful checkouts (cap the whole form) and/or Limit how many times one donor can complete this checkout.
Best practice: Use checkout limitations for capped campaigns — limited-edition event tickets, matching-gift challenges, or anything with a hard cap. Leave them off for general fundraising. Best practice: Enable tribute giving if you run memorial or honor campaigns; it’s a meaningful option that often accompanies larger gifts.

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13. Single Page

Controls whether the checkout is one scrolling page or a multi-step flow. What to set:
  • Force Single-Page Layout — show the whole giving flow on one page instead of separate steps.
  • Desktop Layout — include the information card and place it on the left or right of the form.
  • Mobile Layout — include the info card on mobile, shown above the checkout or as its own step.
  • Desktop Column Widths — fine-tune the checkout form width (default 700px), info card width (default 480px), and gap (default 48px).
Best practice: Multi-step (single-page off) is the safer default for most donation checkouts — it feels lighter, one decision at a time. Single-page can work well for simple, fixed-amount or event checkouts where there’s little to decide. Preview both before committing.

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Previewing your checkout

Before you share anything, preview it. Click Preview in the top-right of the checkout. This opens the donor’s-eye view exactly as they’ll experience it, including a Mobile View toggle and step tabs (Give, Recurring Conversion, New Payment Method, Custom Questions, Thank You) so you can jump straight to any part of the flow. Walk through this checklist in preview:
  • Does the information card look right — logo crisp, banner not stretched, message compelling?
  • Are your suggested amounts and impact descriptions showing correctly?
  • Is the default frequency what you intended?
  • Does the designation field show the right funds with a sensible default?
  • Does the fee cover line appear and calculate correctly?
  • Does the thank-you page render your message and merge tags properly?
  • Check the footer — org name, address, donor support email/phone, privacy and terms links.
  • Toggle to Mobile View and repeat. Most donors give on their phones.
Best practice: Before going live, run a test transaction end-to-end (see “Implement as a test checkout” below). Previewing shows the look; a test checkout confirms the plumbing — that payments, receipts, and recurring plans actually fire. No payment is actually processed when running a test transaction through the Preview button.

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Implementing your checkout

When you’re happy with how it looks, click Implement (top-right). The dialog gives you three delivery methods plus a few shared options. Shared options at the top of the dialog:
  • Campaign — associate the checkout with a campaign so gifts are attributed correctly.
  • Designation — pre-select a fund for this particular placement.
  • Payment Processor — if you have more than one (e.g., Payrix, Stripe), choose which handles these payments.
  • Implement this checkout as one page — forces the single-page layout for this placement, regardless of the checkout’s own setting.
  • Implement as a test checkout — generates a test/preview URL that processes dummy transactions, so you can rehearse the full flow without charging real cards.
  • UTM parameters — expand to add utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content for marketing attribution. These are stored on each session so you can see what drove the gift.
The simplest option. You get a direct URL (and an auto-generated QR code you can download as a PNG). Clicking the link opens a full-page hosted checkout. Use it for: email campaigns, social posts, text messages, “Donate” buttons that link out, and printed materials or event signage (via the QR code). You can also Create a Vanity URL for an even cleaner, brandable link.

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Method 2 — Embed

You get an iframe snippet to paste into your website’s HTML. The checkout renders inline on your page — donors never leave your site.
Notes for whoever embeds it:
  • The allowpaymentrequest="true" and allow="payment" attributes are required for Apple Pay and Google Pay to work inside the iframe — don’t strip them.
  • Give the container enough height (at least ~700px) for multi-step checkouts so nothing gets clipped.
  • The payment_processor query parameter reflects the processor chosen in the dialog.
Use it for: a dedicated “Donate” or “Give” page on your website where you want the form to feel native.

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Method 3 — Pop-up

You get two snippets: a script tag and an activator button. Clicking the button opens the checkout in a modal overlay on top of your existing page.
The script’s button-id must match the button’s id. There’s also a “Make popup background transparent” option if you don’t want the default dark overlay. Use it for: adding a “Give Now” button to any page (header, blog post, footer) without building a dedicated donation page. Donors stay in context. Best practice for web devs: Match the button-id exactly, and you can attach the activator to any element — not just a button. For embeds, set a generous min-height and test Apple/Google Pay on a real mobile device, since wallet buttons only appear on supported devices/browsers.

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URL parameters you can add manually

You can append these to any checkout URL:
  • ?single_page=true (or false) — override the layout.
  • ?preview=true — test mode.
  • ?designation=123 — pre-select a fund.
  • ?campaign=456 — attribute to a campaign.

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Reading your Performance tab

Once your checkout is live and collecting sessions, the Performance tab turns donor behavior into something you can act on. Use the time-range toggle (YTD, 12m, 3m, 30d, All time) to set your window. Core metrics:
  • Payments — total raised, with a trend comparison to the prior period.
  • Recurring Plans — recurring sign-ups in the window.
  • Conversion Rate — the share of sessions (with intent) that resulted in a completed gift. This is your headline health number.
  • Highest Drop-off Step — where the most people abandon, and what percentage drop off there.
The step funnel tracks donors through each stage — Give → Recurring Conversion → Login → Update Details → Questions → Financial Info → Confirmation → Thank You — showing how many landed on each step versus progressed to the next. Smart Insights are AI-generated summaries that interpret the data for you, including:
  • Summary — overall performance (sessions, conversion rate, recurring rate, average completion time).
  • Drop-off Insights — where and likely why donors abandon (e.g., “most drop-offs occur at the Giving step, suggesting clearer guidance on amounts”).
  • Recurring Conversion Insights — how authentication and donor type affect recurring sign-ups.
(Smart Insights refresh periodically rather than in real time, so very recent activity may not be reflected immediately.) Best practice: Treat the Highest Drop-off Step as your to-do list. If donors abandon at the Giving step, your amounts or messaging may need work. If they drop at Update Details, you’re asking for too much — revisit the Contacts tab and switch to “Only ask when missing.” If they drop at Financial Info, make sure the wallet/low-friction payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH) are turned on. Best practice: Watch average completion time. A creeping completion time usually means friction has crept in — too many questions, too many required fields, or a confusing designation list. Trim accordingly.

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A first-launch checklist

Use this as your go-live sequence:
  1. Overview — set a clean slug and the correct (tax-deductible) type.
  2. Information Card — add your logo, a strong banner image, and impact-focused copy.
  3. Amounts — 3–4 suggested amounts with impact descriptions; sensible minimums.
  4. Frequencies — One Time and Recurring; default to Monthly if you want recurring growth.
  5. Designations — expose only the funds donors need; set a default.
  6. Contacts — allow guest checkout; “only ask when missing.”
  7. Billing — turn on Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH.
  8. Confirmation — enable fee cover, “Checked by default,” with a max fee cap.
  9. Thank You — use WeGive’s branded page with a personalized, merge-tagged message and one clear next step.
  10. Custom Questions — at most 1–2, mapped to fields, placed after confirmation.
  11. Prompts — enable recurring conversion after frequency selection.
  12. Other Rules / Single Page — set tribute/notes as needed; keep multi-step unless you have a reason not to.
  13. Preview on desktop and mobile.
  14. Implement as a test checkout and run a full dummy transaction.
  15. Switch to the real implementation method (Link, Embed, or Pop-up) and go live.
  16. Check the Performance tab a week later and act on the highest drop-off step.

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The five rules that matter most

If you remember nothing else:
  1. Every field is friction. Ask for the minimum. Make optional things optional.
  2. Default to your goal. Pre-select monthly, pre-check fee cover, pre-fill a fund — donors accept defaults.
  3. Mobile is the majority. Preview on mobile, enable wallet payments, keep the first screen simple.
  4. Test before you trust. Run a real test transaction; don’t assume the plumbing works.
  5. Let the data lead. Your highest drop-off step tells you exactly what to fix next.
A great checkout is never “done” — it’s previewed, launched, measured, and refined. Start with these defaults, watch your Performance tab, and improve one step at a time.