Happy Cookie Season!
This guide will run through all the ways Crowded’s platform can help a troop process cookie payments, and keep troop money secure.
There are a few ways to sell cookies with Crowded, and we’re walking you through the steps for each option!
Linked QR codes (Recommended)
Create a Collection for each cookie type that the troop will be selling. Share by QR, and print the QRs on a fun Girl Scout themed poster and hang at the cookie booth! When people want to buy cookies, they can simply scan the QR with their phone and complete their purchase.
Step 1: Select Collection Type
Choose ‘Fixed Amount’, as the cookies are sold at a set price.
Step 2: Choose Amount
Enter the amount that the box of cookies sells for. Girl Scouts typically do not charge their customers the processing fee, so leave the box unchecked.
Step 3: Create a collection name
Name the collection the name of the cookie you are selling, for clarity.
Step 4: Add a Description
Add some text about the cookies themselves or the troop in the description. This step is optional!
Step 5: Add an Image
Add an image of the troop or of the cookie being sold, to help connect with customers. We recommend that the image has a ratio is 16:9, is a JPG or PNG, and is under 10 MB. This is also optional, skip if not desired and add later.
Step 6: Share Collection Link
Now you’re ready to share your cookie collection!
Create QR code
Click the QR symbol on this screen to generate a unique QR code for this collection. Download the code, and print it out.
Get started by logging into the Crowded platform and creating collections!
Repeat this process for each of the cookie types you are selling. Separating collections by cookie type will allow you to track sales data, and see which cookies are the most popular! Once all the QR codes are printed, have the troop help in creating a fun poster for display at the cookie booth.
Another way to collect cookie payments is by using Crowded’s In Person Payments feature.
Collect Payments Through a Phone
Crowded offers an POS (Point of Sale) feature which allows users to accept payments from debit, credit and Tap-to-Pay directly from any smartphone!
Both admins and volunteers can use this feature, but it must be activated by the admin first for a volunteer to use it.
Here’s how the admin activates the feature:
- Log in to the Crowded app
- Click the “More” tab
- Select “Collect In-Person Payments”
- Click “Next” and wait for the app to initialize the payment terminal
And then, when the volunteer wants to collect payments at the cookie booth, they follow the same instructions but continue to collect payment:
- Log in to the Crowded app.
- Click the “More” tab.
- Select “Collect In-Person Payments.”
- Click “Next” and wait for the app to initialize the payment terminal.
- Enter the amount you would like the person to pay.
- Have the person tap their card or use tap-to-pay on their phone and wait until the transaction is complete.
- The money should arrive into the organization’s Crowded account in 2-5 business days.
The whole process is seamless and provides a quick and easy way to sell cookies. This isn’t our #1 recommended method, because the tracking of the sales data is not as detailed as using Collections.
Deposit Cash
We are big proponents of digital payments instead of cash for cookies (no theft, loss or liability)! But we understand that cash is still part of the cookie selling process. So, after a long day of selling cookies, deposit the cash conveniently into your Crowded account for safekeeping.
To deposit cash, your account must have a physical debit card for the ATM. Order a physical Admin card under the ‘Cards’ tab on the Crowded platform to add cash to the troop’s checking account. Order card
Deposit cash at any Allpoint+ Cash Deposit ATM in your area. See locations here and filter for Allpoint+ Cash Deposit ATM.
Connect P2P Apps
For troops still collecting payments on Venmo, PayPal and Cash App, connect those accounts to Crowded to seamlessly transfer those funds into your troops bank account*.
Note: We do not recommend collecting cookie payments on these apps, as they can create unnecessary tax implications for the tax-exempt troop. See more in our blog about Venmo for nonprofits.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to connecting an external app to Crowded
- Open the P2P payment app you’d like to connect
- Select the option to add a bank
- If the app offers Plaid, continue to Plaid and search “Crowded” and follow the steps to connect your account to Crowded
If this option does not work, or the app does not offer Plaid, connect to the accounts manually:
- Log in to your Crowded account (Go straight there)
- Go to the “My Accounts” tab
- Click on “Primary Checking Account”
- Copy the account number and routing number for the account, and paste that into the app for manual linking of the accounts
After each day of selling cookies, we recommend you transfer funds into Crowded as soon as possible, as the balances on those accounts are not FDIC-insured.
And that’s a wrap. As always let us know if you have any questions and have a great cookie season!
