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Frequently
Asked Questions
Q.
What is EFT and how does it work at St. Mary Parish?
A.
EFT is the electronic transfer of funds directly from your bank or
credit card account, to the operating account of St. Mary Parish.
To process these transactions, we have partnered with ParishSoft
and CheckFree, a third-party bill-payment service provider that you may
already be familiar with if you pay bills online or through your bank’s
website. You do not need a
computer to enroll.
Q.
Is it safe?
A.
Yes! Your account information is encrypted when we send it to
CheckFree, which uses state-of-the-art security protocols.
Also, our parish database access is strictly limited to authorized
staff only.
Q.
Why should I participate in this program?
A.
This is an easy and convenient way for you to transfer your monthly
budgeted gift in support of St. Mary Parish.
It also eliminates the hassle of writing checks and preparing a
weekly envelope. It allows you
to contribute even while you are away, and makes personal budgeting easier
for you.
Q.
Will I continue to get offertory envelopes?
A.
Once you enroll, we will stop sending you offertory envelopes. This
will also save St. Mary Parish in printing costs. (Because
of the lead time required for the making a change, you may still receive
one more set of envelopes after you enroll).
Q.
I feel uncomfortable not putting an envelope in the collection basket at
Mass. What can I do?
A.
St. Mary Parish will provide index cards stating “I contribute my
offertory through the EFT program”. These
cards will be located at the entrances of the church.
If you would like some sent to you, please call the parish office.
Q.
Will this cost me anything?
A. No, St. Mary Parish does not charge a fee
for this service.
Q.
Which of my accounts can I have money withdrawn from?
A.
You may elect to have funds transferred from your checking or
savings account, or from any credit card bearing the VISA or MasterCard
logos. At this time we are not
able to accept bank debit cards, ATM cards, or any other type of credit
card.
Q.
How does using EFT help St. Mary Parish?
A.
This will help us with our budgeting as we can better forecast
income and balance cash flow. It
helps to ensure consistent income during the summer and other vacation
periods. Also, with fewer
checks or cash to process, it reduces staff workload and improves
security.
Q.
What if I need to stop paying this way, or if my account information
changes?
A.
Just give us a call at the parish office, and we’ll get your information
updated. If your circumstances
change and you need to suspend payment for a month or more, we can take
care of that as well.
Q.
So what do I need to do to get started?
A.
Prayerfully consider the gift that you wish to offer to St. Mary
Parish every month. Then fill
out the Authorization Form and return it to the parish office.
That’s it!
Further
questions? Comments? Please
contact Paul Firicano at the parish office 978-256-2374 or pfiricano@saint-mary.org
Download
St. Mary Parish
Electronic Funds Transfer Application |
