Do Recurring Donors Get a Receipt for Every Charge?
Yes. Each time a recurring plan charges successfully, the donor receives
a separate Donation Success email for that installment. There is no
combined or summary receipt — every charge is treated as its own
transaction and triggers its own confirmation.
What you need for receipts to send
Your organization must have a live Donation Success triggered message
configured. This is the template that controls what the donor receives
after a successful gift. If no Donation Success message is set up (or it
is disabled), no receipt email will be sent — for recurring or one-time
gifts.
To check: go to Communications → Triggered Messages and look for a
message assigned to the Donation Success event. Make sure it is
toggled on.
Why bank (ACH) receipts arrive later than card receipts
Card payments confirm almost immediately, so the receipt email follows
within minutes. Bank (ACH) payments take longer because the bank transfer
must fully settle before the system considers the payment successful.
This settlement window varies by bank and can take several business days.
The receipt email fires at the same point for both payment types — when
the payment is marked successful — but the time it takes to reach that
point differs. A donor paying by bank transfer will always see a longer
gap between the charge date and the receipt email compared to a card
donor. This is expected behavior, not a missing email.
Quick checklist if a recurring donor reports missing receipts
- Is there a live Donation Success triggered message?
Check Communications → Triggered Messages. If none exists, create one.
- Is the payment method a bank account (ACH)?
The receipt may simply be delayed waiting for settlement. Ask the donor
to check again in a few business days.
- Did the charge actually succeed?
Check the transaction status on the donor’s record. A failed or
processing charge will not trigger a receipt.
Last modified on October 15, 2026