1. Install and activate
Install Donor Merchant like any plugin: in your WordPress dashboard go to Plugins → Add New, search for Donor Merchant, install and activate. (Installing from a ZIP? Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.) Activation creates the donor database tables and adds a Donor Merchant menu to your admin sidebar.
2. Set your basics
Open Donor Merchant → Settings → General and set:
- Organization name - appears on the form and in receipts.
- Email address - the sender for receipts and where notifications go.
- Currency and how amounts are written (symbol position, separators, decimals).
Suggested amounts, the minimum gift and giving frequencies are under Settings → Forms; fee recovery is under Settings → Payments → Processing fees. Recurring giving and fee recovery are both on by default. See Form settings & fees. UK charities taking donations in pounds can also switch on Gift Aid under Settings → Forms.
3. Connect a payment gateway
Under Settings → Payments, click Manage next to at least one payment method:
- Stripe - cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank payments, one-time and recurring. Start with test mode.
- PayPal - PayPal, cards through PayPal and optionally Venmo, one-time and recurring.
- Offline gifts - donors pledge online and send a check or bank transfer.
4. Put the form on a page
Edit any page and add the Donation Form block, or paste the shortcode:
[donor_merchant]More placement options in Shortcodes & blocks.
5. Make a test donation
With Stripe in test mode, use card number 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry, any CVC. Submit a donation and confirm the full loop: the gift appears under Donor Merchant → Donations, the donor record is created, and the receipt email arrives.
6. Go live
Switch Stripe to Live mode with your live keys, set up the webhook (required for renewals, refunds and bank payments to be recorded), and you're accepting real donations. Using PayPal? Add its webhook ID too.
7. Check the Dashboard
Donor Merchant → Dashboard shows what you raised in the period you pick, compared with the period before, plus top campaigns, top donors and how donors gave. It also lists what needs attention: offline gifts awaiting payment, bank payments still processing, failed payments and refunds. New sites get a setup checklist you can dismiss.