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Collection links

Updated

This article covers the following topics:

How do I create a Collect link?

Web portal:

  1. Log in: Sign in to your Crowded account and go to the "Collections" section in the main navigation bar.
  2. Create a Collection: Click on "Create collection"
  3. Decide whether to set the collection amount or leave it up to your payers: To set the payment amount, select "Fixed Amount". If you would like to let your payers to decide their payment amount, select "Open Amount". If you would like to create a donation/fundraising link, select "Fundraiser".
  4. For Fixed Amount collections, enter the individual contribution amount you're seeking from each payer. Hit "Next" to proceed.
  5. Covering Processing Fees: If you'd like your payers to cover processing fees for Fixed Amount collections, switch the corresponding switch, and the fee will be added to the total for the payers. If not switched on, processing fees will be subtracted from your collection amount, if payers do not opt to cover the fee.
  6. Choose a Name: Provide a clear and descriptive collection name to indicate its purpose. Then, click "Next."
  7. Add a Description: Describe your collection or share about your organization. This info will appear on the collect link! This step is optional.
  8. Add an Image: Share a picture of your organization to inspire more payments! Click the eye to preview how the image will look in your collection link. This step is optional.
  9. Sharing Your Link: Your collection link is now ready to be shared! Copy the link or QR code and distribute it to your contacts. Or, if you have contacts registered in the system, you can select them to send the collection link directly via email.

 

Payment Completion: 

Payers will fill in their personal and payment details to complete the collection. If it is an open collection or fundraiser, they will choose their desired payment amount at this time. They can also choose to pay multiples of the collection amount. 
 

Viewing Payments: 

Once people begin paying the collection,  you can track and manage them within the collections dashboard. 

What are the different types of Collect links?

There are three different types of Collect links to choose from when creating a collection:

Fixed Amount: You set an amount to charge payers, and they pay that amount, or purchase multiples. These collections can only be paid once by each contact.Ideal for fixed-priced scenarios like dues, event tickets, t-shirts, etc. 

Open Amount: Payers decide how much to pay into the collection. Payers can pay the collection multiple times. Good for flexible dues, invoicing, tipping, etc. 

Fundraise: Create a fundraising page for your organization and initiatives. Donors can choose from suggested donation amounts or choose “Other” to pay the amount they decide.

 

How do I share a collection?

Now that you've created your collection, it's time to let others know about it! Your payers won't be able to find your collection by going to bankingcrowded.com. Instead, you have a few simple ways to share it:

Three Ways to Share Your Collection:

  1. Share Your Unique URL: In the share step, copy your unique URL and share it with your group or community through your usual communication channels, like emails or messages.
  2. Send Crowded Email Invitations: In the share step, send an email invitation with your collection link to Crowded contacts (you can filter your contacts using Crowded's Tags feature). If you choose this option, you'll be able to view payments made by each of your contacts in your collections dashboard.
  3. Generate a QR Code: In the share step, click "Share a QR Code" to download a JPEG version of your code. QR codes are useful for putting on flyers, emails, or promotional materials, making it simple for others to access your collection.
  4. Link on Website: Copy the collect URL, and link to a button on your website, linktree, website profile, to maximize your reach. 

You can share your link at any time by navigating to the "Collections" tab from the main Crowded dashboard.

How can I email a collection link to my contacts?

To send an email with a collection link to your contacts via Crowded, follow these steps:

  1. Register Contacts: Ensure your contacts are registered on Crowded.
    1. If they are not registered, go to the "Contacts" section in the main navigation bar and click on "Invite Contacts."
    2. Share your unique invite link with your contacts for them to register themselves or upload a CSV with their contact information for instant registration.
  2. Select Contacts: Once your contacts are registered, you can send them the collection link directly.
    1. For an existing collection, click the downward-facing arrow next to the collection name, then choose "Share," followed by "Email Contacts."
    2. Crowded will automatically send them an email containing the collection link.

What payment methods are supported for collection links?

Using a collection link, you can accept payments through:

  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • ACH transfers (connect to a bank account through the Plaid network)

For check payments, please ask your payers to provide a physical copy of the check for mobile check deposit. Then, manually mark that contact as paid in the collection for tracking.

If a contact hands you cash in person, or pays through POS, you can mark that contact manually as paid in the collection.

How long does it take for incoming collection link payments to process?

The processing time for incoming collection link payments can vary and can take up to 3-5 business days, depending on the payment method the payer uses.

If you find that you haven't received the funds within this timeframe, please don't hesitate to contact our support team for assistance.

When a payment is marked as "Pending" on your collection tracking screen, it indicates that the payment has been initiated and is currently being processed (this status should change to "Paid" within 3-5 business days).

Where can I find my past collections?

You can access your previous collections by navigating to the "Collections" tab and locating the archive section at the bottom of the screen.

Simply click on "See archive" to review all the details of your previous payments and payer information.

Be aware that expired collections will not be able to process new payments. If you have any pending payments, we recommend creating a new collection link and sharing it with the individuals who still need to pay.

 

Can Payers purchase multiple times?

Payers have the option to buy multiples in one transaction with the numbered dropdown on the collect page. They select the amount to pay and the total will update accordingly.

For example: If a member wants to buy 4 movie tickets for $10 each, they select the number 4, and  the total amount due will be $40.00.

For fixed amount collections, this is the only way to buy multiples of a collection, these collection links can only be used once per person.

 

For open amount collections or fundraisers, where payers decide how much to contribute, those collections can be contributed to multiple times.

Enable Recurring Payments for Open amount collections so payers can make automatic repeat payments on a custom basis (either monthly or annual) (This is a Pro or Multi feature).

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