Donation Problems

This page covers common issues with card (fiat) donations. For crypto wallet and transaction issues, see Wallet & Transaction Troubleshooting.

Card Payment Failed

The Helcim payment window didn’t open

Check your browser’s popup blocker. The Helcim secure payment window opens as a modal overlay. Some ad blockers or popup blockers may interfere. Try disabling them for giveprotocol.io temporarily.
Wait for the payment form to load. After clicking Donate, a “Loading secure payment form…” message appears while the Helcim script loads. If it takes more than 10 seconds, click Retry Payment Setup.
Try a different browser. If the payment form consistently fails to load, try Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

“Payment System Offline” error

This means the Helcim payment script could not be loaded. This is usually temporary:

Wait a minute and try again.
If the problem persists, try a crypto donation instead (toggle to Wallet in the donation modal).
If you’re using a VPN or corporate network, the Helcim domain (secure.helcim.app) may be blocked. Try from a personal network connection.

Card was declined

Verify your card details (number, expiry, CVV) are correct.
Check that your card has sufficient funds or credit available.
Some banks block international or online-only transactions by default. Contact your bank to authorize the transaction.
Try a different card.

PayPal payment didn’t complete

For non-USD donations processed through PayPal:

Make sure you completed the payment in the PayPal popup window. If the window closed before you finished, try again.
Check your PayPal account for any pending authorization or payment holds.
Ensure your PayPal account has a confirmed payment method (card or bank account).

Receipt Not Received

Check your spam or junk folder

Donation receipts are sent from notifications@giveprotocol.io. Some email providers may filter these into spam or promotions.

Allow up to 5 minutes

Receipts are sent immediately after payment confirmation, but email delivery can take a few minutes depending on your email provider.

Guest donations

If you donated without signing in, the receipt is sent to the email address you entered in the donation form. Double-check that you entered the correct email.

Signed-in donations

If you were signed in, you can also access your donation history and download records from your Give Dashboard.

Still missing?

Monthly Donation Issues

How do I cancel a recurring donation?

From your dashboard: Go to your Give Dashboard, find the scheduled donation, and click Cancel.
From your receipt email: Each monthly receipt includes a cancellation link.

Cancelling stops all future charges. Donations already processed are not refunded.

I was charged but didn’t get a receipt

Check your spam folder first. If the receipt is truly missing, contact info@giveprotocol.io with your email address and the charge date.

I want to change the amount

Cancel the existing recurring donation and set up a new one with the desired amount. There is no way to modify an active schedule in place.

This error appears when the donation data consent checkbox is not checked. This consent is required for all donations — it authorizes Give Protocol to process your donation record under GDPR Article 9(2)(a), because your donation to a specific charity could reveal a religious, political, or philosophical affiliation.

Read the consent statement carefully. If you have questions about what it means, see the donation data consent explanation.

Age confirmation required

You must confirm that you are 16 or older to donate. This is a legal requirement under our Privacy Policy. If you do not check the age confirmation box, the donation form cannot be submitted.

Amount or Currency Issues

Minimum donation

There is no strict minimum enforced by Give Protocol, but payment processors have their own minimums. For very small amounts, the processing fee may exceed the donation value.

Currency not available

USD is processed by Helcim (card payments).
All other currencies are processed through PayPal.

If your preferred currency isn’t in the dropdown, select a close alternative or use crypto instead.

Fee calculation looks wrong

The optional fee offset adds 3% of your donation amount to cover processing costs. For example:

$50 donation + 3% = $50 + $1.50 = $51.50 total charge

The charity receives your full intended donation amount. The fee offset covers the payment processor’s charges so nothing is deducted from your gift.

Refunds

Card donations

Contact info@giveprotocol.io with your transaction details. Refund eligibility depends on the payment processor’s policies and the charity’s agreement.

Crypto donations

Blockchain transactions are irreversible. Once a crypto donation is confirmed on-chain, it cannot be reversed by Give Protocol. Contact the charity directly if you need to discuss a return of funds.

Still Need Help?

Email us at info@giveprotocol.io. Include:

What you were trying to do — donate by card, set up monthly gift, etc.
What happened — error message, screenshot, or description.
Your email address — so we can look up your donation record.
Transaction reference (if you have one) — from your receipt or dashboard.

We respond within one business day.