Understanding How iGive and Our Partners Process Your Shopping Data
Learn how iGive processes your shopping data and why there may be a delay before it appears in your account.
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At iGive, we value transparency and want to ensure that our shoppers understand how their shopping data is processed and why there may be a delay before it appears in their accounts. This article will explain the data processing journey from the time you make a purchase to when it appears in your iGive reports.
How iGive Works
When you shop through iGive, a portion of your purchase is donated to your chosen cause. This process involves multiple steps and several partners, including online retailers and data processing systems. Here’s a detailed look at how your shopping data is handled:
The Data Journey
Making a Purchase: When you click on an iGive link and make a purchase at one of our partner stores, the store records this transaction. The store then tags this purchase with a unique identifier that links it back to iGive.
Data Transmission: After your purchase, the retailer collects and processes the transaction data. This includes details such as the date of purchase and the amount of the donation. The retailer then transmits this data to iGive, usually in batches. This transmission can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the store’s reporting schedule.
Data Validation: Once iGive receives the data from the retailer, we validate it to ensure accuracy. This involves checking the transaction details against our records to confirm that the purchase was made through an iGive link and that the correct donation amount is attributed to your chosen cause.
Processing and Reporting: After validation, the data is processed and added to your account. This includes updating your total contributions and generating reports that show your impact. This step may also involve reconciling any discrepancies and verifying that the correct amount is credited.
Returns and Reversals: It’s important to note that if you return a purchase, the associated donation will also be reversed. This is because the donation is a percentage of the purchase price, so if the purchase is cancelled or refunded, there is no longer a basis for that donation. If you notice a decrease in your total contributions, it could be due to a returned purchase.
Why It Takes Time
The process of data transmission and validation involves several steps and multiple parties, each with its own processing times and schedules. Here are some reasons why there may be a delay:
Retailer Reporting Schedules: Each retailer has its own schedule for transmitting data to iGive. Some send data daily, while others may do so weekly or monthly. This variability can affect how quickly your donation appears in your account.
Batch Processing: Retailers often process transactions in batches rather than individually. This means that even if you make a purchase today, it may not be transmitted to iGive until the next scheduled batch.
Data Validation and Reconciliation: Ensuring the accuracy of your data is crucial. This validation process can take time, especially if there are discrepancies or if additional verification is needed.
Our Commitment to Transparency
We understand that waiting for your shopping data to appear in your iGive account can be frustrating. However, these steps are necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data. We are committed to transparency and are continuously working to streamline our processes and reduce delays.
How You Can Help
While we handle the data processing, there are a few things you can do to help ensure your transactions are tracked accurately:
Use the iGive Link: Always start your shopping trip through the iGive website, browser extension, or app. This ensures that your purchase is tagged correctly and attributed to your account.
Check Your Browser Settings: Ensure that cookies are enabled in your browser. Cookies help track your shopping trip and link it back to iGive.
Keep Records: Save your purchase confirmations and receipts. If there’s a delay or issue with your transaction data, these records can help resolve it more quickly.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about your shopping data or if you notice a missing transaction, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team. We are here to help and ensure that your contributions are accurately recorded and credited to your chosen cause.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It’s easy! You start by shopping at iGive and a portion of your purchase is set aside and donated to your favorite cause, all at no cost to you or the cause or to you. We work with all types of causes — big or small, local or national, and regardless of whether they are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit or not.
Stores pay iGive a percentage of your purchase because they want customers like you to shop at their store.
This is different than when a cashier asks if you want to round up or add a dollar to donate when you checkout — in that case, you are paying slightly more to donate to the cause. With iGive, you pay the same amount you would if you didn’t use iGive, and your cause still receives the donation.
iGive has a wide range of participating stores, including popular online retailers across various categories such as clothing, electronics, travel, and more. A full list of participating stores is available on the iGive website here.
You can choose from causes big and small, even causes that aren’t 501(c)3s. including charities, schools, religious organizations, animal shelters, and more. You can choose to support any cause that is listed here or you can add a new cause in just a few clicks here. After you do that, be sure to tell your friends!
Causes are often added to iGive by members, so it’s important to note that a cause being listed on iGive is not an endorsement of iGive by the cause. Even so, we still direct your donation to the cause of your choice!
If you didn’t find the cause you want to support listed on iGive, you can simply add it to iGive by filling out the form here.
Make the biggest impact on your community with iGive by encouraging others to join and shop through iGive, thereby increasing the amount of donations generated for your chosen cause. Additionally, consider spreading awareness about iGive and your cause through social media and other channels. We have a suite of tools to help you tell people about iGive here.
That’s the best part of iGive — the biggest impact you can have is by doing what you already do! Whether you are buying groceries, pet food, or a birthday present for a grandkid… shop online with iGive and your cause receives a donation.
(And don’t forget to tell your friends, because when they join iGive to support a cause, it provides even more donations within your community!)
A browser extension is software that adds functionality to your web browser, like Chrome, Safari, or Edge on your computer (but not your phone!). Whenever you visit a participating store, and have the iGive Button installed, we’ll remind you to activate iGive so that your shopping benefits your selected cause. . Learn more about the iGive Button and install the browser extension by clicking here.
For phone or tablet users, iGive’s mobile app is a shortcut to our site and stores, so that every time you shop you help. Whether you’re an Android or Apple fan, it’s easy. You can install the iGive mobile app from the official iGive website here.
The iGive.com website is also fully mobile-friendly, so you can also start your shopping journey on your phone by visiting iGive.com, searching for the store where you want to shop, and then click the “Shop now” button for that store.
Our lawyers require us to say this upfront - we are not tax experts and cannot give you specific tax advice. Please contact a tax advisor to determine what applies for your particular situation.
Next, iGive has a wide variety of causes available to choose from — some of which are 501(c)3 designated nonprofits who have gone through the IRS formalities to receive the status and therefore generally permit tax-deductible donations. Others, though, are less formal (and just as important!) causes, and the IRS generally does not permit you to take a tax deduction for giving them money. If you choose a cause that isn’t 501(c)3 designated, you’re still supporting the cause with a donation, but you won’t be able to deduct it when you go to file your taxes.
If your tax advisor asks, here is how iGive functionally works -
The donation amount is a rebate on the price you paid for the purchase, by the retailer, and reduces the price, as a nontaxable event. You then direct iGive to give that rebated amount to the cause of your choosing, on your behalf. If, based on your personal tax circumstances and the cause’s appropriate status with the IRS, a cash donation to your selected cause would be deductible, then the amount you donated via iGive would generally also be deductible.
iGive is not able to provide specific tax or legal advice, and the information provided is not considered direct tax advice, because your tax situation is inherently unique.