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Setup Guide

Planning Center Tap-to-Give Setup

Already use Planning Center Giving? Add NFC tap-to-give in 3 simple steps. Members tap a plate with their phone and go straight to your giving page - no app download, no QR scanning, no typing URLs.

3 Steps
Simple setup process
No App
Works on any smartphone
$0/mo
No extra subscriptions

Why Add Tap-to-Give?

Planning Center Giving already handles online donations. But during a service, there's friction: members have to pull out their phone, open a browser, type your church URL, find the giving page, and then donate. Most people don't follow through.

NFC tap-to-give removes every step except the donation itself. A member taps their phone on a plate and lands directly on your Planning Center Giving page. No URL typing, no QR code scanning, no app needed. It works on every modern iPhone and Android device.

Faster than QR codes

Tap instead of scan

No app required

Works on any smartphone

More impulse giving

Remove friction, increase donations

1

Get Your NFC Giving Plates

You need NFC tags that are durable enough for church use - pew backs, chair seats, lobby tables, welcome centers. Cheap NFC stickers peel off and look unprofessional. You want rigid PVC plates that hold up week after week.

The Easy Way

Tap.Giving makes NFC giving plates specifically for churches. You get:

  • Custom branded plates with your church logo and design
  • Pre-programmed to your Planning Center Giving URL
  • QR code backup printed on every plate for older phones
  • Free shipping and no monthly fees - $3.50-$4.50/plate

The DIY Way

You can buy blank NFC tags (NTAG215 or NTAG216) from Amazon or an NFC supplier and program them yourself using a free app like NFC Tools (available on iOS and Android). You'll need to:

  1. 1. Download NFC Tools on your phone
  2. 2. Open the app and select "Write" then "Add a record"
  3. 3. Choose "URL" and paste your Planning Center Giving link
  4. 4. Hold your phone to the NFC tag to write the data
  5. 5. Repeat for every tag you bought

The DIY approach works, but you'll spend time programming each tag individually, and plain NFC stickers don't look as polished as branded plates.

2

Set Up Your Planning Center Giving Link

Your NFC plates need a destination URL - the page members land on when they tap. With Planning Center, this is your Church Center giving page.

Finding Your Giving URL

1

Log in to Planning Center and go to Giving

2

Navigate to your Church Center settings

3

Copy your Church Center giving URL

It looks like: yourchurch.churchcenter.com/giving

Pro Tip

You can link directly to a specific fund if you want. For example, yourchurch.churchcenter.com/giving?fund_id=123 takes members straight to a tithe or building fund - no extra clicks.

Ordering from Tap.Giving? Just share your Planning Center Giving URL when you place your order. Your plates arrive pre-programmed and ready to use - no NFC Tools app needed.

3

Place Plates and Start Collecting

With your NFC plates programmed and your Planning Center Giving page ready, it's time to put them where people will actually use them. Placement matters.

Best Placement Locations

Chair Backs / Pew Backs

Right in front of members during the service. The most effective placement for giving during worship.

Lobby / Entrance Tables

Catch people on their way in or out. Great for first-time visitors who want to give.

Coffee Bar / Fellowship Area

Casual environment where people are relaxed and have their phones out already.

Welcome Center

Introduce new visitors to your giving platform alongside connection cards and event info.

Announce It

The first few weeks, tell your congregation about the plates. A simple "You can now give by tapping your phone on the plates in front of you" during the offering goes a long way. Once people try it, they'll use it every week.

What Happens When Someone Taps

  1. 1. Member holds their phone near the NFC plate
  2. 2. Phone displays a notification with your giving link
  3. 3. They tap the notification and your Planning Center Giving page opens
  4. 4. They choose an amount, select a fund, and complete their gift

The whole process takes under 30 seconds. Phones that don't support NFC can scan the QR code printed on the plate instead.

Common Questions

Do I need to change my Planning Center Giving setup?

No. NFC plates simply open your existing Church Center giving page. Everything stays the same on the Planning Center side - same funds, same payment processing, same reporting.

Does this cost anything monthly?

The NFC plates are a one-time purchase. There are no additional monthly fees from Tap.Giving. You continue paying whatever you already pay Planning Center for their giving service.

What phones does it work with?

NFC works on iPhone 7 and newer (iOS 14+), and virtually all Android phones made since 2015. For older phones, the QR code on each plate serves as a backup.

Can I change the URL later?

If you ordered from Tap.Giving, contact us and we can help you reprogram your plates or set up URL redirects. DIY tags can be reprogrammed with the NFC Tools app anytime.

Can I use this with other giving platforms too?

NFC plates work with any giving platform that has a web URL - Tithe.ly, Subsplash, Pushpay, Givelify, and more. Planning Center is just one popular option.

Ready to Add Tap-to-Give?

Get custom NFC giving plates pre-programmed to your Planning Center Giving page. Free shipping, no monthly fees, plates start at $3.50 each.

Works with Planning Center, Tithe.ly, Subsplash, Pushpay, and any giving platform with a URL