This article explains how to use HiRaiser’s automated PayPal Follow-Up Tool.

But first, some context.


How PayPal Works 

The PayPal integration differs from the one-step donor experience when paying via credit card using a gateway like Stripe or Authorize.net. A PayPal transaction is a two step process, where:

  1. The transaction is submitted on your HiRaiser donate/campaign page, creating a donation record in HiRaiser with the status of “pledge.”
  2. The donor is redirected to PayPal, completes the transaction there, and is directed back to the donate/campaign Thank You page. The transaction is recognized as complete by HiRaiser, with the donations record status automatically changed to “paid.”


The problem occurs when step 2 is not completed, either due to the donor’s choice, a technical problem, or human error.

The result is an incomplete PayPal donation, a.k.a. an unpaid pledge, which you will see in your HiRaiser dashboard and in downloaded Reports. Following up on these can be a tedious (and sometimes awkward) process of contacting each donor individually by phone or email.


Using the PayPal Follow-Up Tool

Using the PayPal Follow-Up Tool, you can send a customizable, automated email to the donor. The email will be from your organization, with your branded email banner. The style and wording strikes the right balance by being a standardized system message with a little personalization. 





Personalization

The last part of the email can be customized. You can add your personalized message in the campaign “Content” tab, in the Acknowledgement Email section, in the field called “Signature for PayPal follow-up emails”.)


How to Use It

You can send the email by simply clicking the link at the at the bottom of the Donation Record for any donation marked as an unpaid PayPal pledge.


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This link will be available when relevant. That’s it. You click the link, and the email is sent asking the donor to complete their donation. 


When to Use It

  1. Identify an unpaid PayPal pledge in the HiRaiser dashboard or Report.
  2. Double-check to make sure the same donor did not make a new donation. HiRaiser should automatically account for this and cancel the original pledge, but it’s always good to check manually to make sure.
  3. Click the “Send PayPal Follow-Up Email” link and wait for the "Sent" confirmation. 
  4. If the donor uses the PayPal link in the email to complete the donation, HiRaiser should automatically mark the original unpaid pledge as paid.  If the donor uses another method to pay, a new donation will be created and the original unpaid pledge should be manually marked “cancelled.”