Mobile giving is an essential piece of any church’s giving structure, particularly if you want to see an increase in overall contributions. However, not everyone is convinced that this modern form of accepting funds is important, or that it’s here to stay.

Let’s look at a few of the most common arguments we hear against mobile giving and explain why we’re confident in calling them misconceptions.

Misconception #1: Mobile Giving Is Just a Fad

Some may be tempted to think of mobile giving as something passing or fleeting, like Beanie Babies or fidget spinners. Sure, there is an aura of newness with anything smartphone-related. However, mobile giving isn’t actually brand new; it came into widespread use back in 2010 when over $20 million was raised for Haiti relief.

Mobile giving usage is increasing. The number of donors who use mobile devices to donate to a charity’s website has grown 80% since 2013, and one survey found that users are 34% more likely to give on websites that are mobile friendly.

Reality: Mobile giving is a stable platform seeing steady growth, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

Misconception #2: Text to Give Is Alive and Well

Lots of companies are out there pushing text to give as the best kind of mobile giving. For a couple years, it was — but only because it was the only kind of mobile giving on the market. The companies that invested early in offering text to give got a head start on the competition, and they have a vested interest in promulgating the myth that theirs is the best option. Here are two reasons it isn’t:

Reality #1: Text to give isn’t truly mobile. With this method, donors have to know the code before they can give. This means the code has to be given out or presented at the time of giving, maybe on video screens or printed in the bulletin. Donors can’t really give from anywhere; they can only give when they have the code in front of them.

Reality #2: Mobile giving via app is safer and gives donors more peace of mind that their funds are going to the right organization. With text to give, typing in the wrong numeric code will send a donor’s funds who knows where, and (perish the thought) what if the code has a typo in the church bulletin?

In contrast, an app like Givelify demystifies the giving process by showing in ultra-high resolution exactly where donors’ money is heading. They can see the church name, where it’s located, and cover photos that are easily recognizable as belonging to their church.

Misconception #3: Mobile Giving Is Too Confusing

This misconception is strong among two groups: the tech averse (category 1) and those afraid of the tech averse (category 2). Most people in category 1 still carry a smartphone or own a tablet, but they don’t go much beyond the basics. They assume mobile giving will be really difficult and complicated. Category 2 people think, incorrectly, that huge swaths of the population are in category 1.

Reality: If a mobile giving platform is designed well, it will be easy to use. Givelify has mastered this with its 3-tap giving experience. If a user can open a smartphone app, he or she can give using Givelify’s app. If they can click a link in an email, they can give using a Givelify member organization’s social giving link.

To sum up, it’s time to embrace mobile giving as a current giving platform that’s gaining popularity. But don’t settle for something built for past generations of phones, like old-fashioned text to give. Implement a modern, smart, app-based mobile giving platform today.