I have classmates that sent me payments before we made this site (which is awesome by the way). However, it was just "deposits" and not the full price. I have entered their manual payments, and now they are adding in additional tickets (for their "+1" people) or finishing paying in full their tickets. However, when they get the invoice, it is giving the full amount for the 2 tickets and not minusing the deposit. I don't want to have to process numerous refunds just because these people were kind enough to make an initial deposit when we were trying to generate funds for venue deposits.

Any ideas?

The best way to do this without having to issue refunds is to email all those who sent deposits and tell them to select payment by check for the tickets when they register and simply deduct the deposit amount already paid from the amount they write the checks for. Then, when you receive the checks, just add the amount of the check to the amount of the deposit you've already received and put that sum into the Manual Payments Received field. The balance due will then show as zero.

But that means them having to send a second check for the balance - I am trying to stay away from having to go cash the checks, then go and put them from my personal checking account to the class account through paypal (I'm in NC - the class account is in another bank in NH). So this option is not a very good one for us. Any other suggestions

How about you add a "donation" ticket where the classmate can enter the amount they are going to donate. Inform those who made a pre-payment to use the "donation" and enter the additional amount for their tickets (purchase price - pre-payment deposit). Then you would then adjust those classmate's purchased items so that their donation is really a 100% discounted ticket. (add an additional item/ticket purchased and give it to them for 100% discount)

I can't do that because then we lose our "not-for-profit" status with paypal. They require no "donation" button.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that PayPal insists that you *not* accept donations if you're a non-profit?

Anyway, if the classmates select the donation option and pay by credit card processed through the site, PayPal would never know...

yes they said i can't have that donate button. they have the website and looked right at it and said that button had to be removed.

Are you talking about a donate button on your home page? That isn't what Eric and I have been talking about.

We are just talking about a ticket to your reunion that can be purchased for any price that your classmates pay. The classmates would just pay how much they owe. It wouldn't be a donation.

Christina,

I read that you called PayPal and had them look at your site. I had not looked around PayPal's site for some time until today. I see they now have "Online Fundraising Tools". That might be one reason for a CSR to say you cannot have a donate button.

As a single class year, it is not likely your class has non-profit status. You may visit sites by many of our fellow admins that are alumni sites with non-profit status. Most will have a notation such as "Association" in their name. These sites have submitted the proper paperwork and received non-profit status from their state.

If your site does not have non-profit status, I suggest making sure you add that fact to your request for help (donation request). I would at least post: *Donations/gifts are not tax-deductible."

Please note, I am not saying what you can and cannot do. That is not for me to say. I only recommend that anytime a site requests assistance with subscriptions or reunion costs, the notation be made that the amount given is not tax-deductible. That needs to be clear to the giver.