Forms: Using $0 as a payment option in a payment form

In this article:

Overview

Payment forms are designed to allow only paid submissions to sync automatically to LGL. This ensures that only valid, completed payments are synced to your database. 

It is also the case that offering a “pay now or pay later” option in an LGL form is not possible. 

However, it is possible to offer a $0 payment option in a payment form. This adds some flexibility in terms of enabling event registrants to sign up for a free event ticket using your form or offering a limited number of free tickets to an event, for example.

Below are the specific instances when offering a $0 option in a payment form can be used. LGL forms can accommodate, and provides support for, all of these scenarios:

  • Offering a newsletter signup with an optional donation, set up so submissions flow through to LGL even if no payment is made
  • Using a discount code offering a $0 dollar option
  • Capping submissions while offering a $0 option on a payment form so that tickets/seats can be reserved without payment

There are a few steps you’ll need to take to enable these scenarios for your form, and some caveats to consider. You can follow the instructions below to accomplish each option that is available.

If you want to set up any scenario that is different from what is described here, LGL will not be able to provide technical support.

Offering a newsletter signup with an optional donation

To offer an optional donation in your newsletter signup form, add an Amount field to your form with your donation amounts provided. Make sure the Amount field is set up to allow the form to be submitted, whether or not the Amount field is completed, by unchecking the “Required?” box (shown in the screenshot below).

Caveats to keep in mind

When you’re using this method, please be aware that: 

  • For any Amount field where you want to offer a free option, you must have a $0 option available. This also means that anyone who sees the form can opt for the $0 option whether they have been invited to or not. 
  • In every case where you are offering a $0 option, you will not be able to set a minimum amount in the Amount field.
  • We recommend always testing your form by making your Amount field optional and then creating a test submission. 

Using a discount code to offer a $0 option in an event registration form

If you are offering a discount code for your event, multiple Amount fields will be required for your form, at least one shown when the discount is active and the other/s when not, depending on your scenario.

When you’re offering any $0 dollar option in a form, all Amount fields in that form will need to be optional. You’ll need to add a $0 option to one of your Amount fields and then make sure it, and any other Amount field in your form, is optional by editing the field and unchecking the “Required?” boxes, as you can see in the screenshots shown below.

NOTE: We recommend always testing your form by making your Amount field optional and then creating a test submission. 

Capping submissions while offering a $0 option in an event registration form 

You can offer a free but limited number of tickets using a cap, as long as your Amount field is optional. 

Caveats to keep in mind

  • Remember that you can't enforce a minimum dollar amount. This also means that anyone who sees the form can opt for the $0 option whether they have been invited to or not. 
  • If you make the payment field optional, this will allow those who pick $0 to have a fully submitted form, which will count toward the cap.
  • Your form will work for $0 submissions per the screenshot below only when the person filling out the form selects the $0 option.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It will never be possible for the submitter to choose a dollar amount above $0 in order to make a pledge to pay later. The only way the form setup will work as described is if the submitter selects $0.

Here is how to set up the field to not require payment: 

Making the 3% additional fee coverage option conditional upon payment 

When you're offering $0 as a payment option in your form, we recommend making the 3% fee conditional upon payment, so it will only show when a gift amount is being submitted. You can do this by editing the field...

...and then selecting the "Show fee coverage only when amount has been entered" checkbox, as shown here:

If your scenario is not described in this article…

Any other options for configuring LGL forms mapping to collect an optional payment that are not described in the article sections above are not supported by LGL. 

A common question we hear is whether it’s possible to offer event registration to someone who wants to make a pledge to pay later in an LGL form. This is not possible. A pledge form would be required in this case, and pledge forms do not offer event registration options because they are nonpayment forms.

The only way to collect both pledges and payments through LGL forms is to create two forms:

  1. One to collect payment
  2. Another to receive no payment but instead to collect information that will allow a pledge to be set up (NOTE: it is not possible to connect a later payment to this pledge automatically; that would need to be done manually for each payment that comes in.)

If this does not meet your event registration needs, we recommend looking to a different event registration solution (which would allow importing data into LGL) and using that solution instead of LGL forms.