How can a charity ensure secure payment processing?
We spoke to Jürgen Imm, head of the IT management department, about his experiences. In an interview, the experienced IT specialist explains how Caritas uses Novalnet services to process donations and what requirements a full-service payment provider should fulfil.
Caritas Association: Help for people in need
You have probably heard the name “Caritas” somewhere. Caritas helps people in need directly and immediately, for example by providing emergency and disaster relief together with partners from the international Caritas network. The German Caritas Association is the umbrella organization of the Caritas and welfare association of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany and is active on a national level. Caritas Germany, on the other hand, acts worldwide and supports victims of natural disasters.
Caritas Germany is financed by donations, among other sources. As with any charity that must process millions of transactions annually, ensuring donations are processed securely is an ongoing challenge. At the same time, there are more and more payment methods and regulatory requirements, making accounting more complex. More and more people are using payment providers such as PayPal or a credit card to make a donation.
Looking for a secure and flexible payment processing solution
“In the event of natural disasters, we are always there with Caritas Germany as a large aid organization,” says Jürgen Imm about the work of the aid organization. It quickly becomes clear: For the organization to be able to act quickly, efficient processing of donations is of great importance.
“Before, there were two ways to donate online on our website, direct debit and credit card. As part of our SAP conversion, we wanted to integrate new payment methods, including PayPal,” explains the IT expert. An important topic, according to Imm, was the topic of safety. “It got more complex every year. That’s how the idea came about to hand over this area completely,” says Jürgen Imm.
The cooperation with Novalnet resulted from the search for a payment service provider that can cover all areas. “The donations are processed via Novalnet and then transferred to us at regular intervals. The individual donation is very important for us. We receive an accompanying file in MT940 format, which is read in by the accounting department and contains all the important data,” the IT specialist explains the process and adds: “It’s a well-thought-out digital process.”
In addition to the numerous payment methods, Jürgen Imm sees Novalnet’s security technologies as the greatest advantage: “Novalnet takes care of the entire PCI DSS certification, which is the next step for us. There’s a lot that needs to be considered.”
Comprehensive support and complete payment security
Experience has shown that the introduction of new solutions and IT systems is always associated with effort and a certain period of getting used to. There are usually a few challenges as well.
Nevertheless, Jürgen Imm looks back positively on the switch to working with Novalnet: “Novalnet’s technical support was always available to our team with advice and action. Novalnet was also able to convince us when it came to the security of the donations. The company is fully accredited by the BaFin and other supervisory authorities, so that any remaining concerns could be quickly dispelled.”
Thank you for the nice conversation!
You can find more information about Caritas at:
www.caritas-international.de
Antony Robinson is an experienced IT expert, information architect and a customer experience evangelist. He has over 30 years of experience in web technologies, user experience, media, and marketing. Antony is currently the CMO of Novalnet AG, a fintech company in Germany. As CMO, he leads the company’s marketing strategy and fosters collaborations. Antony’s expertise and dedication to technology and innovation make him a valuable leader in his field.