Money Matters

Automatic payments

Our automatic payments (AutoPay) agreement outlines our service commitment to you in respect to the automatic payment arrangements made between Compassion Australia (Direct Debit User ID 012178) and you.

It explains your rights, our commitment to you and your responsibilities to us in relation to the arrangements, including where you can go for assistance.

Automatic payments save Compassion more than A$470,000 a year in handling, printing and postage costs. This allows more money to go directly to the children.

Our commitment to you

Initial terms of the arrangement
In terms of the automatic payment arrangement made between us and signed by you, we undertake to periodically debit your nominated account for the agreed amount for your support of Compassion's ministry.

Drawing arrangements

  • The first drawing under this automatic payment arrangement will occur around the 20th of the month you requested.
  • If any drawing falls due on a non-business day, it will be debited to your account on the next business day following the scheduled drawing date.
  • We will give you at least 14 days notice in writing when changes to the initial terms of the arrangement are made. This notice will state any changes to the initial terms.
  • If you wish to discuss any changes to the initial terms, please contact our Finance Department by phone 1800 224 453 / 02 4935 5000 (during NSW business hours [AEST]), or email finance@compassion.com.au.

Your rights

Changes to the arrangement
If you want to make changes to the drawing arrangements, contact us at least five (5) business days prior to the next due date.

These changes may include:

  • Deferring the drawing;
  • Change of account details;
  • Altering the schedule;
  • Stopping an individual debit;
  • Suspending the automatic payment; and
  • Cancelling the automatic payment completely.

Enquiries

Please direct all enquiries to us, rather than to your financial institution, and these should be made at least five (5) business days prior to the next scheduled drawing date.

All communication addressed to us should include your supporter number. All personal customer information held by us will be kept confidential except that information provided to our financial institution to initiate the drawing from your nominated account.

Disputes

  • If you believe that a drawing has been initiated incorrectly, we encourage you to take the matter up directly with us by contacting our Finance Department by mail, phone 1800 224 453 / 02 4935 5000 (during NSW business hours [AEST]), or email finance@compassion.com.au.
  • If you do not receive a satisfactory response from us, contact your financial institution who will respond to you with an answer to your claim:
    - within seven business days (for claims lodged within 12 months of the disputed drawing); or
    - within 30 business days (for claims lodged more than 12 months after the disputed drawing).
  • You will receive a refund of the drawing amount if we cannot substantiate the reason for the drawing.
    Note: Your financial institution will ask you to contact us to resolve your disputed drawing prior to involving them.

Your commitment to us

It is your responsibility to ensure that:

  • Your nominated account can accept direct debits (your financial institution can confirm this);
  • On the drawing date there are sufficient cleared funds in the nominated account; and
  • You advise us if the nominated account is transferred or closed.

If an automatic payment item is returned unpaid by your financial institution, due to insufficient funds, we will contact you for permission to re-submit this item. We reserve the right to cancel your automatic payment if two (2) or more direct debits are returned unpaid by your financial institution. We will contact you to arrange an alternative payment method.

How to pay

Payment can be made by automatic payments (direct debit or credit card), cheque or money order. Automatic payments are safe, easy, convenient and provide savings to you and Compassion. This is our preferred method of payment, as it saves Compassion over A$470,000 a year in handling, printing and postage costs.

You can arrange for us to direct debit your bank, building society or credit card account (Bankcard, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club) at a frequency that suits you, for example monthly, quarterly or yearly.

By participating in the automatic payments system, you allow us to pass on more funds to the children. To pay by direct debit or credit card, please use our Payments and Renewals form or download, fill in and mail back the AutoPay Agreement request form (PDF).

Having difficulties

If you prefer to pay by cheque or money order, consider paying two, three or even six months at a time. This saves both you and Compassion time and money. Please make cheques payable to The Compassion Overseas Aid and Development Fund.

If you are having financial difficulties, we may have ways to help you. Children are disadvantaged when we fail to hear from sponsors who cease their support, or who move without telling us.

Income tax

All contributions of A$2 or more to The Compassion Overseas Aid and Development Fund are tax deductible. Receipts must be retained for tax purposes.

Compassion is unable to offer tax deductibility for donations to the Leadership Development Program and Bibles.

Receipts for payments by our automatic payment system are issued in December and June in order to minimise administration and postage costs.

Your support money is carefully managed

We are committed to 80 per cent of support money going directly to benefit the children as goods and services. 100 per cent of family and child gift money goes directly to the child and family, as appropriate gifts purchased by project staff in consultation with the family (nothing is withheld for administration). Independent and internal audits of our work are conducted to ensure support money is being used efficiently and with integrity. Copies of Compassion Australia's financial statements are available on request.

Sending your money gifts

We encourage you to send your sponsored child birthday and Christmas monetary gifts. You may also wish to give gifts at other times, for the child's family, or to mark their graduation.

Unfortunately parcels cannot be sent overseas due to possible theft, high custom charges and postage costs.

All gifts are purchased in your child's community by our project staff who will choose gifts appropriate to the child's or family's needs.

Suggested gift amounts are:

Child gifts: A$15 to A$50, maximum of two (2) per year. We recommend one of these to be a birthday gift.

Family gifts: A$25 to A$600 per year. These can be given quarterly to assist the family in a variety of ways.

Christmas gifts: We ask sponsors to give A$30 per child annually so a gift can be bought for each child.

Maximum gift amounts have been set due to the cost of currency exchanges, handling and possible jealousy or theft. You can include these gifts with your automatic payments.

For more information contact the Finance Department on 1800 224 453 / 02 4935 5000 or email finance@compassion.com.au