Payment Methods

The Payment Methods section is where you manage all payment instruments for your church account. You can add credit cards and bank accounts, designate a primary payment method, set up an automatic backup, and maintain secure billing addresses. Our payment processing is fully PCI-compliant, meaning your sensitive card information is tokenized and never stored on 1st Flock servers.

Supported Payment Methods

We accept all major credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. You can also add bank accounts for ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments, which is ideal if you prefer direct transfers from your church's operating account. Each payment method is securely tokenized and stored in our encrypted vault.

Adding a New Payment Method

To add a card or bank account, click the "Add Payment Method" button and follow the tokenized payment form. For credit cards, you'll enter the card number, expiration date, and CVV. For bank accounts, you'll provide the routing number, account number, and account holder name. A billing address is required for all payment methods; this address is used for verification and appears on your invoices.

The payment form is hosted securely and uses industry-standard encryption. Your card or account information never passes through 1st Flock systems—it's tokenized directly at the payment gateway, and only a secure token is stored with your account.

Setting a Primary Payment Method

You must designate one payment method as your primary. This is the method that will be charged automatically when your invoice comes due. To change your primary method, find the payment method in your list and click "Set as Primary." The change takes effect immediately for future billing cycles.

Setting Up a Backup Method

We recommend adding a backup payment method. If your primary payment method fails—for example, your card is declined or expired—our system will automatically attempt to charge your backup method. This safety net ensures your subscription remains active and prevents service interruptions due to a single failed transaction. To set a backup, locate a secondary payment method and click "Set as Backup."

Managing Your Payment Methods

You can have up to five payment methods on file. Each method displays the last four digits, expiration date (for cards), and the name of the account holder. From your payment methods list, you can edit billing address information, update expiration dates, remove methods you no longer use, or change primary and backup designations.

Updating Billing Address Information

Keep your billing address current for invoice accuracy and payment processing. If your church's mailing address changes, find the affected payment method and update its billing address. This address appears on all invoices associated with that payment method.

Removing a Payment Method

You can delete any payment method except your primary one. If you want to remove your primary method, first designate another method as primary, then delete the original. Removed payment methods cannot be recovered, but you can always add a new payment method with the same details.

Security and Tokenization

All credit card and bank account information is processed through industry-leading tokenization. This means when you add a card, the actual card number is immediately encrypted and replaced with a unique, one-way token. 1st Flock never sees or stores your actual card numbers or banking details—only the token. This approach significantly reduces fraud risk and ensures your sensitive information is never exposed.

Payment Processing

When an invoice is due, our system attempts to charge your primary payment method. If that charge fails, we'll retry with your backup method (if configured). If both fail, you'll receive a notification to update your payment information. You can manually retry a failed payment from your invoices page, and we'll attempt to process it again immediately.

Privacy and Compliance

All payment processing complies with PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) and state and federal financial regulations. Your payment methods are encrypted in transit and at rest, accessible only through secure authentication.

Troubleshooting Failed Payments

If you see a failed payment notification, check that your primary and backup payment methods are valid and not expired. Update the expiration date, ensure the billing address matches your card issuer's records, and verify sufficient funds are available. Once you've updated your information, retry the payment from the Invoices page, and our system will process it immediately.

Need Help?

If you're having trouble adding a payment method or need to resolve a payment issue, contact support@1stflock.com. Our team can assist with payment processing questions and help ensure your account remains in good standing.