Beyond the donation: embedded payments done right for non-profits with Tithe.ly’s Chris Phillips

Embedding payments into a faith-based and mission-driven vertical isn't just a product decision, it's one that’s based around personal values. 

For vertical SaaS platforms serving nonprofits and churches, payments aren't about commerce. Every single transaction is an act of generosity. That changes everything, from how you design the user experience to how you think about reliability, reporting, and what comes next in your fintech stack.

In this episode, Chris Phillips, CFO at Tithe.ly, joined host Becky Kopplin, VP Payments at Rainforest, to share what his career across vertical SaaS, and now Tithe.ly, has taught him about building payments that serve a mission, not just a bottom line. He also shares what building payments for 50,000+ churches actually looks like.

They discussed:

• Why failed transactions in a non-profit vertical hit completely differently than any other 
• How to adapt your payments playbook for a vertical where giving is personal, not transactional
• Why fund accounting and tax-exempt reporting make church payments uniquely complex
• How reducing onboarding friction gives churches hours back to focus on their mission
• Where Tithe.ly's fintech stack is headed next and the north star guiding every decision

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