Gracely lets you accept online donations through Stripe, PayPal, or both. This article helps you decide which one (or both) is right for your church.
The short answer
You don't have to choose just one. You can connect both Stripe and PayPal in Church Settings → Integrations, which gives your donors the widest range of ways to give. If you'd rather keep things simple, connecting one is perfectly fine.
How they compare
Stripe | PayPal | |
Donors give with | Credit/debit cards and digital wallets | A PayPal account or card |
Donor familiarity | Cards everyone already uses | Donors who prefer PayPal |
Setup | Connect from Integrations | Connect from Integrations |
Recorded in Gracely | Yes, automatically | Yes, automatically |
Fees | Set in Gracely (see Online Giving Fees) | Set by PayPal |
⚠️ Note: Online giving fees in Gracely are configured per church and apply to your giving funds. See Online Giving Fees and How to adjust online giving fees for the available rates and how to change them.
When to use Stripe
You want a simple card-based giving experience for most donors.
You're a registered nonprofit and want to apply for a reduced fee tier (see How to apply for Stripe's Nonprofit Program for your church).
When to use PayPal
A meaningful share of your givers already use and trust PayPal.
You want to offer PayPal alongside cards as an extra option.
When to use both
You serve a mixed congregation and want to remove every excuse not to give.
Connecting both lets each donor pick whatever they're most comfortable with.
💡 Tip: Whichever you choose, every donation flows into Gracely the same way — recorded under Giving, matched to a profile, and included in reports and tax statements.
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