Before you start: link your campaigns
If your event includes a live auction or paddle raise, make sure that campaign is linked to the event on the backend first — otherwise its pledges and bids won't show up here to collect. This is done from your event's Settings → Linked Campaigns tab on the dashboard. See "How to link campaigns to your event" for the steps.
Please Note: If you expect to see a pledge or bid under "To collect" and don't, this is the first thing to check.
The To Collect tab
Once your campaigns are linked, the To Collect tab shows everyone with an outstanding balance — how many people, and the total amount owed across all of them. Tap Search for an attendee to find someone specific, or tap directly on a name to start collecting from them.
What you can collect a payment for
Tapping into a person's Collect payment screen shows their unpaid items — pledges and bids tied to your linked campaigns, each with a checkbox. Check off the items you're collecting for; the total updates as you go.
If you need to collect something that isn't already tracked as a pledge or bid — for example, a merchandise purchase or an extra donation — tap + Add an amount or donation. You can start from a saved template or fill in the details yourself: a description of what it's for, a unit price, and quantity. You can also add tax and shipping if they apply.
Ways to collect payment
Once you've selected what you're collecting for, tap Continue to payment to choose how the person will pay:
Tap to Pay on iPhone: The guest holds their contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Wallet near your phone.
Card on file: Charge a card that was saved at check-in or that the guest added to their BetterWorld account.
Cash: Record a cash payment. If the guest hands you more than the amount due, the app calculates their change.
Before a card payment goes through
For Tap to Pay and card-on-file payments, a processing fee is added to the total. You can toggle the Donor covers transaction fees on or off. Before you confirm the charge, you’ll see a screen showing the full breakdown and the email address where the receipt will be sent. Cash payments don’t include this fee and no receipt is generated.
Requirements for charging a card on file
You can only charge a card on file if your organization is a verified nonprofit, and the guest has turned on “Allow organization to charge my saved cards” in their account settings. If you don’t see the option to charge a card on file, check that your organization is verified and ask the guest to confirm that setting is on.
Viewing collected payments
Switch to the Collected tab to see everything you've already been paid for this event. You can filter by Paid, Pending, or Failed, and search for a specific transaction. Each entry shows who paid, how much, the payment method, and when.
