The full story on dues payments, fees, and reconciliation.
DuesSync sends each member a personal payment link via email. They pay by bank transfer or card from any device in under 2 minutes. The payment auto-matches to their account, updates the pipeline, and shows up on the Treasurer's reconciliation — no manual entry, no deposit runs, no chasing.
The member experience
What your members see
Email arrives
“Your 2027 council dues — $50.00” with a personalized payment link. No login required.
Choose how to pay
Bank transfer (free) or credit/debit card. If the council opts in, the card option shows the processing fee up front so there are no surprises.
Confirmation
Instant email confirmation with an itemized receipt. Account updates in real time. Done.
Members who prefer checks can still mail one or bring it to a meeting. The FS records it in DuesSync, and it flows into the same pipeline.
What it means for you
Every role benefits from online payments
For the Financial Secretary
You get your hours back.
Every check costs 10+ minutes. Online payments appear automatically. A 150-member council goes from ~200 hrs/year to ~25 hrs/year. 175 hours returned to brotherhood.*
For the Grand Knight
You collect more — even after fees.
Move from 70% to 85% collection* and net +$1,640/year for programs. Fees pay for themselves 40x over.
For the Treasurer
Every online payment reconciles itself.
No manual matching. Bank reconciliation goes from 2+ hrs/month to under 15 minutes.
For the Member
Pay from your phone. 2 minutes. Done.
Email → tap link → choose ACH or card → confirm. Instant receipt. Checks still welcome.
* Projected estimates based on workflow design. Will be updated with measured outcomes as Founding Councils complete their first dues cycle.
The real math
What online payments cost — and what checks really cost
| Method | Fee | Who Pays | On $50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 0.8% (capped at $5) | Council absorbs by default | $0.32–$0.48 on $40–60 dues |
| Credit/debit card | 2.9% + $0.30 | Council's choice — absorb or pass through | $1.46–$2.04 on $40–60 dues |
| Check (with scan) | $0 processing | FS snaps a photo | $0 |
Hidden costs of checks
| Hidden Cost | Per Payment | Per Year (150 members) |
|---|---|---|
| Printing, stationery, stamps, envelopes | ~$1.50–2.00 per notice | ~$500–800 (4 rounds, 150+ members) |
| FS time: record, receipt, deposit | ~10 min (2 min with check scan) | ~25 hrs/year |
| Treasurer: match deposits | ~3 min | ~6 hrs/year |
| Lost revenue: members who never mail the check | $50/member | ~$1,500 (est. 30)* |
* Lost-revenue estimate based on typical check-based council collection patterns. Will be updated with measured outcomes as Founding Councils complete their first dues cycle.
ACH costs $0.40 per payment — half a stamp.
Blended rate across all methods: ~0.56% of dues revenue.
Optional
Keep 100% of dues — let cards cover their own cost.
Turn on the cash-discount option and the member-facing payment page shows both prices up front: Bank transfer: $50.00 and Card: $51.75. Transparent, no surprises, and legal in all 50 states. Stripe's actual cost is never marked up.
Not a bolt-on
Payments are built into the billing cycle
FS sets up the billing cycle
Dues amount, notice schedule, payment options.
Notices go out automatically
Each member gets a personal email with payment link.
Members pay & get their card
Bank transfer or card. Payment auto-records and member receives a digital membership card instantly.
Treasurer reconciles
Upload bank statement, online payments auto-match.
Security
Your council's money is safe
- PCI-DSS compliant — all payment data processed by Stripe
- Stripe handles everything — money movement, fraud detection, compliance
- DuesSync doesn’t touch your bank account — statements uploaded manually
- Every payment has a trail — member, amount, date, method, transaction ref
Common questions
Payments FAQ
Is there a way to try this free first?
Yes — the Founding Council Program. 20 council spots, full platform free through June 30, 2027. Members pay dues normally during the founding year; the subscription is the part that's $0 for you until summer 2027. More at duessync.com/founding.
Do members have to pay a fee?
By default, the council absorbs the small ACH fee (~$0.40 on $50 dues) and presents card-payers with both options at checkout — bank transfer at the dues amount, or card at dues + processing fee. Members choose. If your council prefers to absorb card fees too, that's a one-click setting. Either way the member sees both prices before they pick.
Can the council keep 100% of dues?
Yes. Turn on the cash-discount option and members who pay by card see two prices up front — bank transfer at the dues amount, card at dues + processing fee. Stripe's actual cost is never marked up. Members who pay by bank still see a $0 fee and the council still nets 100%.
Isn't that a surcharge? Is that legal?
DuesSync uses the cash-discount framing (the same math as a surcharge but legal in all 50 states). We surface state-specific warnings on the settings page for CT, MA, CO, NY, and ME. Fees are hard-capped at Stripe's actual processing cost — no markups.
Can members still pay by check?
Yes, always. Snap a photo of the check and DuesSync reads the amount, date, and check number automatically. One tap to confirm, and it flows into the same pipeline as online payments.
When does the money actually hit our bank account?
Stripe payouts typically land in your council's bank account on a T+2 schedule — 2 business days after a card payment, 4 business days after ACH. Every payout is itemized on the Treasurer's reconciliation screen and tied back to the individual members who paid. No mystery lump-sum deposits.
What about the Stripe nonprofit discount?
Only applies to donations, not dues. That’s why ACH is the default — 0.8%, which is $0.40 on $50.
What if a payment fails?
Stripe retries automatically and sends a notification. The FS is notified, and the member’s status updates accordingly.
How do refunds work?
The FS initiates the refund. Stripe processes it back to the original payment method. Everything is logged in the audit trail.
Ready to stop chasing checks?
Start Your Free Trial →See how it fits your role → FS · Grand Knight · Treasurer
Your whole council benefits
Share the right page with the right person
Financial Secretary
Automated dues collection, digital vouchers, bank reconciliation, and compliance tracking. The FS sets everything up.
See the FSpage →
Grand Knight
Real-time visibility into council health. One-click voucher approval from email. Columbian Award tracker.
See the Grand Knightpage →
Treasurer
Digital payment queue. Bank reconciliation in minutes. Audit-ready records.
See the Treasurerpage →
Trustees
View-only access to every transaction and audit trail. Oversight without risk.
See the Trusteespage →
Recorder
The minute book online. Attendance auto-fills, motions become a searchable record, and a monthly bulletin writes itself.
See the Recorderpage →