For churches in the United Kingdom
Welcome to GoodBox
Everything you need for your first weeks: setting up your terminals, briefing your team, how gifts reach your church, and claiming Gift Aid.
Setting up, step by step
Most churches are ready in an afternoon. Start a week or two before you plan to launch.
Unpack and switch on
Each terminal arrives with at least 50% charge, so you can switch it on straight away. It’s already set up for your church, with nothing to install.
Log in to the GoodBox Portal
Log in at portal.goodbox.com with the details from your welcome email. This is where you’ll see every gift and every payout.
Make a test gift
Give £1 on each terminal with your own card, then check it appears in the GoodBox Portal.
Choose where each terminal goes
Put terminals where people already pause: the welcome table by the door, the porch, a collection plate or basket during the service, or a podium at the entrance. Check the signal in each spot; if it’s weak, the terminal can still take gifts offline.
Name your terminals in the Portal
In the GoodBox Portal, open Manage Devices and give each terminal a name that says where it lives, such as “Welcome table”, “Collection” or “Candles”. You can also see whether each one is online and when it last connected.
Agree who looks after them
Name who keeps terminals charged, who brings out and puts away any used in collection baskets, and who reconciles gifts each week.
Brief your team and announce it
Share the sidesperson and welcomer briefing, and use the ready-made announcements for services, the pew sheet, parish magazine and email. Both are in your launch toolkit.
Launch, then check your first payout
On launch day, ask sidespeople and welcomers to point people to the terminals and help anyone who’s unsure. Your first payout arrives on the Wednesday after.
Day to day
Stands and podiums
- Can stay in the same spot all the time, even when no one is around
- Visitors can give any day the church is open, not just at services
- Usually kept plugged in; if not, charge it overnight
Collection baskets
- Bring the terminal out for the collection
- Pass it with the basket or plate as usual
- Put it away safely and back on charge afterwards
Keep people giving
- Mention it briefly from the front
- UK taxpayers can scan the QR code to add Gift Aid
- Tell the parish office about anything unusual
If something goes wrong
The screen is blank
Check the terminal is switched on and charged.
There’s no signal
The terminal can still take gifts in offline mode. Carry on as normal; gifts are processed once it reconnects. We recommend reconnecting it within 24 to 48 hours, for example by moving it somewhere with Wi-Fi or signal.
A gift doesn’t appear in the Portal
Check the terminal’s status and last connection time under Manage Devices in the Portal. Gifts taken offline appear once the terminal reconnects. If one is still missing, email support@goodbox.com with the date, time, amount and terminal name.
It still isn’t working
Put it safely aside, use the plate or basket instead, and email support@goodbox.com after the service.
Payouts, fees and Gift Aid
Payouts
Gifts are paid into your church’s bank account every Wednesday for the previous week’s giving. Each gift and payout is listed in the GoodBox Portal.
Card fees
1.59% plus 10p per gift. If your church pays the fee, it’s taken before the payout. If donors cover it, it’s added on top of their gift and you receive the full amount.
Gift Aid
UK taxpayers can scan the QR code after giving to make a Gift Aid declaration, adding 25p to every £1 they give. Your treasurer then claims it from HMRC as usual, using a report from the GoodBox Portal.
Small donations: claim on contactless gifts without a declaration
Under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme, churches that also claim ordinary Gift Aid can claim a 25% top-up on contactless donations of £30 or less, with no declaration needed. Annual limits apply, so check the current rules on GOV.UK with your treasurer. Keep the gift records from the GoodBox Portal as your terminal records.
Reconcile each Wednesday’s payout against the previous week’s gifts, and record it as a separate line alongside your collection count. The treasurer’s sheet in your launch toolkit has the full steps. Donor details are collected only if a donor chooses, used for Gift Aid and to thank them, and handled under UK GDPR and your church’s privacy notice.
Resources for your church
Launch toolkit
A launch checklist, announcements for services, the pew sheet and parish magazine, a sidesperson and welcomer briefing, and a treasurer’s sheet covering Gift Aid.
Download (PDF) →Terminals, accessories and artwork
Adding a terminal, a countertop stand, a collection basket, a podium or new artwork for an appeal? Our team can help.
Order more from our team →View artwork packages (PDF) →