Understanding eCatholic Payments Fees and Payout Timing
Every gift processed through eCatholic Payments has a processing fee deducted before the funds reach your parish's bank account. This article explains how that fee is calculated, how donors can choose to cover it, and where to find fee and payout details for your own records.
How the Processing Fee Works
The fee depends on how the donor pays, and it's the same fee whether your parish absorbs it or the donor covers it for you. There's no separate eCatholic fee stacked on top, what you see below is the whole cost.
- Card payments: 2.8% + $0.30 per transaction.
- Bank account (ACH) payments: 1% + $0.35 per transaction, plus a one-time $1 fee the first time a donor links a bank account.
Note About ACH Fees
That one-time $1.00 fee only applies the first time someone enters their bank account and routing number. After that, any future donations made using the saved bank account details won’t include the fee.
All fees are deducted automatically as soon as the payment is processed. You don't need to calculate or apply anything yourself.
Letting Donors Cover the Fee
On the donation form, donors can check a box that reads "I would like to cover processing fees." This adds the fee on top of their donation amount so your parish receives the full intended gift. If a donor leaves the box unchecked, the fee is deducted from their donation amount instead.
| Scenario | Donation | Total Payment | Calculation | Fee | Parish Receives |
| Donor covers the fee | $100.00 | $103.19 | 2.8% * $103.19 + $0.30 | $3.19 | $100.00 |
| Parish absorbs the fee | $100.00 | $100.00 | 2.8% * $100 + $0.30 | $3.10 | $96.90 |
Example based on a $100.00 gift
Payout Timing
Reconciliation reports are generated on a weekly basis. For card payments, funds follow a T+2 schedule, meaning they arrive two business days after the transaction. For example:
- Monday: the transaction is authorized and captured.
- Tuesday: the transaction settles.
- Wednesday: the funds arrive in your parish's bank account.
ACH (bank account) payments take a bit longer. There's an additional hold on top of the card timeline above before those funds are available.
Where to Find Fee and Payout Details
- The Daily Reconciliation export, which lists the gross amount, fee amount, and net amount for every transaction. See Exporting Transactions and Getting Reconciliation Reports (Merchant Portal).
- Individual order details. See Viewing Orders and Order Details.