To keep up with evolving consumer trends, houses of worship are updating their collections methods and some are now accepting credit cards or electronic transactions. A growing number of people are carrying cash less often, since debit and credit cards are taken almost anywhere. To ensure tithing stays strong, some religious establishments are investing in terminals that enable them to the accept more convenient payment methods, according to The New York Times.

Some churches don't like the idea of swiping a credit card for contribution, so developers have introduced kiosks that enable donations via a system similar to direct deposit, the Times explains. Rather than paying with plastic, worshippers can fill out a slip resembling a dry cleaning receipt. They can then feed that paper through a machine that completes the transaction electronically.

The company that deploys the terminal claims that in establishments where the kiosks have been installed - it estimates around 1,000 - giving has increased by between 20 and 30 percent from visitors who opt into the service.

In addition to new payment processing methods, establishments might find they can better manage contributions when they use a fundraising management program to track giving.