Tithe.ly is the largest church-giving platform in the United States, powering recurring giving for more than 37,000 churches.
For a Christian deciding where and how to set up tithing, the question is twofold: is it a good experience for the giver, and is it a healthy choice for the church on the receiving end? What is Tithe.ly? Tithe.ly is a software-as-a-service company that provides churches with online giving, mobile giving apps, ChMS (church management software), websites, and live streaming.
Founded in 2014, it has become the dominant player in the U.S. church-giving space.
For tithers, Tithe.ly appears as either the giving page on the church's website, the church's branded mobile app, or text-to-give.
Tithe.ly fees in 2026 ACH (bank transfer): $0.30 per transaction, no percentage Debit/credit card: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Tithe.ly Pay (premium plan): reduced rates available The optional "cover the fees" checkbox is on by default at most churches — meaning tithers can voluntarily increase their gift to absorb the processing cost.
About 60% of givers leave it on.
The tither's experience — pros Frictionless recurring giving — set it once, give faithfully forever Multi-fund giving — split between general fund, missions, building, etc.
Year-end tax statements generated automatically Mobile app — your church likely has one Bank transfer (ACH) is essentially free — best stewardship choice The tither's experience — cons Card processing fees eat ~3% of every credit-card gift unless you cover them.
On a $500 monthly tithe, that's $174 annually lost to processing if paid by card. "Cover fees" defaults can feel like upsell pressure Recurring autopilot can subtly disconnect generosity from the spiritual act of giving Is Tithe.ly safe? Yes — Tithe.ly uses Stripe and Plaid for processing, both PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant.
The platform never stores raw card numbers, and ACH transfers are bank-level secured.
Best practices for using Tithe.ly faithfully Use ACH (bank transfer), not card.
The 2.9% card fee is real money the kingdom doesn't need to lose.
Set giving for the start of the pay period (firstfruits posture) rather than the end of the month.
Cover the fees if you can — even ACH costs $0.30, and the small uplift keeps your church's net at 100%.
Pause and review yearly.
Recurring autopilot is convenient but can deaden the spiritual act.
Reaffirm your tithe consciously each January.
Tithe.ly alternatives worth knowing Pushpay — competitor focused on larger churches; comparable fees Givelify — donor-app model, slightly higher fees, easy multi-church giving Church Center (Planning Center) — bundled with PCO churches, similar fees Direct ACH from your bank — completely free, no platform involved For churches choosing a platform, Tithe.ly remains the most well-rounded option in 2026.
For tithers, the platform is a tool — what matters is the heart and the discipline behind the click.
See how to tithe biblically .