Monthly donors

Erica Esson:
I was wondering how other Raiser's Edge users manage monthly donor's who's credit card is about to expire. Do you send out alerts to the donors?

If I have an email on file I usually start with that.  Ask for new expiration date by reply email or phone call.  If whole # has been reissued ask them to let me know and I will send them authorizatoin form to complete and return or they can call with new info.  We're a smaller community org, not a huge # of expiring cc so this works for us.

Patricia Coty:

You may want to consider sending out an email or letter before the card expires.

I recommend setting up a query to find the active monthly donors whose credit card will expire next month, and send them a letter a month in advance, with the options to reply by mail (insert a BRE with the letter), by email (reminding them to email the date only, as it is not secure) or by phone. I also include the option to switch to direct debt. The lifetime of a direct debit monthly donor is greater than a credit card monthly donor.

 Keep in mind some donors use the expired card as a way to cancel - they just don't renew.

[;)] Before you send the letter, make sure they have another payment due next month if it's a pledge.  With the limited # of pledges we have with cc payments, I've had several times when last payment was the month before card expired.  I thought it was a nice coincidence that I didn't have to track down new exp date for one more payment. [:O]