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How to Set up Donations with Gift Aid

Set up Gift Aid donations by adding a donation extra or product, tagging eligible units, and collecting required details.

Updated this week

Gift Aid is a UK scheme that lets charities reclaim basic-rate tax on individual donations, increasing a gift's value by 25% at no extra cost to the donor. To qualify, the donor must be a UK taxpayer and make a Gift Aid declaration, confirming they have paid enough Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the tax year to cover the amount reclaimed.

📗 TIP

Learn more about Gift Aid at GOV.UK.

To configure donations with Gift Aid, you need:

  • A donation extra on a product or a donation product (a product that represents the donation itself)

  • Questions using the HRMC-prescribed wording for the Gift Aid declaration

Product Setup with a Donation Extra

Follow these steps to configure a regular product with an extra that acts as the donation (pre-selected for the customer).

Configure Donation Extra

This extra captures the donor's opt-in/opt-out choice to make a donation.

  1. In the Ventrata dashboard, go to Products > Products.

    Products

  2. Select an existing product or create a new one.

  3. On the Extras tab, press the + NEW EXTRA button and configure:

    New Extra

    • Name - for example, Charity Donation (clearly indicate the purpose)

    • Description - explain how donations are used; donations are typically optional, but provide reasons to donate

    • Tags - create two tags: Donation and Eligible (type a name and press Enter)

      📒 NOTE

      Tag names are arbitrary — you can choose any naming convention — but we used Donation and Eligible for clarity. In this setup, tags are used in two ways:

      • Link configuration elements

        Apply the Donation tag to both the Extra and the Question so the system shows the correct declaration with this donation.

      • Identify items eligible under a condition

        Apply the Eligible tag to Units that qualify for the 25% Gift Aid uplift. If you are using Swiftaid, also add this tag in your Swiftaid registry so all tagged items are included in the uplift calculation.

    • Selected by Default - enable if should be pre-selected on the web checkout

    • Prevent Automatic Cancellation - enable to avoid auto-refunding the extra if the attached booking is cancelled

    • Sources - select where the donation will be offered

      ⛔️ WARNING

      DO NOT SELECT Direct API or Concierge. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on donations made by a third-party, because the donation must come directly from the individual UK taxpayer who makes the Gift Aid declaration.

      You may, however, create a separate extra to capture third-party donations that are not eligible for Gift Aid.

    • Percentage - enable if the donation amount should be calculated as a percentage of the ticket or booking

    • Tax Rates - apply the appropriate tax rate

      📗 TIP

      In the UK, most charity income is tax-exempt with limited exceptions. See GOV.UK for details.

  4. Press the Create Extra button.

    Create Extra

    Create Extra

  5. On the Retail tab, set the donation percentage or fixed value.

  6. Press the SAVE CHANGES button.

    Donation Value

    📗 TIP

    Learn more about extras and other configuration options here.

Configure Units (Eligible for Uplift)

Tag all units eligible for the 25% Gift Aid uplift.

  1. On the Tickets tab of the same product, select a unit or create a new one.

    Tickets

    📗 TIP

    Charities can also claim Gift Aid on the ticket price when units are eligible. Select units which are eligible for the claim.

  2. In the 'Tags' field, add the Eligible tag (or equivalent). To add a tag, start typing and select the appropriate tag when it appears.

    Tags

  3. Press the Update Unit button to save your changes.

    Update Unit

  4. Repeat for each eligible unit.

Configure Required Fields

Collect customer details required for Gift Aid submission.

  1. Go to the Fields tab of the same product.

    Fields

  2. At the bottom of the section, select a source to define required fields.

  3. Tick the following fields as 'Required' (choose Per Ticket or Per Booking as appropriate).

    • First Name

    • Last Name

    • Street Address

    • City

    • Country

    • State/Province

    • ZIP/Postal Code

    📒 NOTE

    These fields are required for the Gift Aid submission. You may collect additional fields if needed.

  4. Press the SAVE CHANGES button.

  5. Repeat these steps for each source where donations are available.

Configure the Gift Aid Question

Use the HMRC-prescribed wording so donors opt in or opt out of the Gift Aid declaration.

  1. In the Ventrata dashboard, go to Products > Questions.​
    ​

    Products - Questions

    Questions
    ​​

  2. Press the + New Question button in the action bar.
    ​

    + New Question

    New Question
    ​    ​​

  3. Enter a name for the question, such as 'Gift Aid Donation'.
    ​

    Internal Name

  4. Add the Donation tag. To add a tag, start typing and select when available.

  5. Check the 'Match Tags' box so the question appears only for bookings where the donation extra carries the same tag.

    Tags

  6. Upload a cover image for the question, which will be displayed on the web checkout.

    Cover

    📗 TIP

    You can upload the watermark typically used to advertise Gift Aid here.

    ​

  7. Fill in the following information:

    • Label - the title for the Gift Aid declaration

    • Hint - paste the exact HMRC wording for the declaration (include any Swiftaid wording if used).

    • Answer Label - provide the exact opt-in/opt-out text and map to Yes/No Answer Values

    Label, Hint & Options

  8. Enable the 'Badge' option to display a badge with the selected answer on the Booking level.

  9. Select a badge color.

    Badge

    📗 TIP

    The badge is optional but helps you easily identify Gift Aid orders.

  10. Enable the 'Required' field so that customers must answer this question during the booking process.

    Required

    📒 NOTE

    You can make the Gift Aid question optional by leaving the 'Required' checkbox unchecked, if you prefer to reduce friction for customers.

  11. Ensure the question is set to appear on the ‘Order’ level.

    Question on Order

  12. Select which sources will offer the donation.

    Sources

    ⛔️ WARNING

    DO NOT SELECT Direct API and Concierge. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on donations made by a third-party, because the donation must come directly from the individual UK taxpayer who is making a Gift Aid declaration.

  13. (Optional) Whitelist select destinations and products, where Gift Aid donations can be requested. Alternatively, blacklist destinations where Gift Aid is not applicable.

    Whitelist Destinations and Products

  14. Press the Create Question button to save your settings.

    Create Question

    Create Question

Donation Extra Flow

Watch the full flow

Product Setup without Donation Extra (Donation Product)

Use this when the product itself represents the donation.

Configure the Donation Product

The customer selects this product to donate.

  1. In the Ventrata dashboard, go to Products > Products.

    Products

  2. Select an existing product or create a new one.

  3. In the 'Tags' field, one by one, type the names of new tags:

    • Donation

    • Eligible

    Tags

    📒 NOTE

    Tag names are arbitrary — you can choose any naming convention — but we used Donation and Eligible for clarity. In this setup, tags are used in two ways:

    • Link configuration elements

      Apply the Donation tag to both the Product and the Question so the system shows the correct declaration with this donation.

    • Identify items eligible under a condition

      Apply the Eligible tag to Units that qualify forf the 25% Gift Aid uplift. If you are using Swiftaid, also add this tag in your Swiftaid registry so all tagged items are included in the uplift calculation

  4. Select where the donation product is offered.

    Available for Sale

    ⛔️ WARNING

    DO NOT SELECT Direct API and Concierge. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on donations made by a third-party, because the donation must come directly from the individual UK taxpayer who is making a Gift Aid declaration.

  5. Press the Update Product button to save your settings.

Configure Units (Eligible for Uplift)

Tag all units eligible for the 25% Gift Aid uplift.

  1. On the Tickets tab of the same product, select a unit.

    Tickets

  2. In the 'Tags' field, add the Eligible tag (or equivalent). To add a tag, start typing and select the appropriate tag when it appears.

    Tags

  3. Press the Update Unit button to save your changes.

    Update Unit

  4. Repeat for each eligible unit.

Configure Required Fields

Collect customer details required for Gift Aid submission.

  1. Go to the Fields tab of the same product.

    Fields

  2. At the bottom of the section, select a source to define required fields.

  3. Tick the following fields as 'Required' (choose Per Ticket or Per Booking as appropriate).

    • First Name

    • Last Name

    • Street Address

    • City

    • Country

    • State/Province

    • ZIP/Postal Code

    📒 NOTE

    These fields are required for the Gift Aid submission. You may collect additional fields if needed.

  4. Press the SAVE CHANGES button.

  5. Repeat these steps for each source where donations are available..

Configure Question

Use the HMRC-prescribed wording so donors opt in or opt out of the Gift Aid declaration.

  1. In the Ventrata dashboard, go to Products > Questions.​
    ​

    Products - Questions

    Questions
    ​​

  2. Press the + New Question button in the action bar.
    ​

    + New Question

    New Question
    ​    ​​

  3. Enter a name for the question, such as 'Gift Aid Donation'.
    ​

    Internal Name

  4. Add the Donation tag. To add a tag, start typing and select when available.

  5. Check the 'Match Tags' box so the question appears only for bookings where the donation extra carries the same tag.

    Tags

  6. Upload a cover image for the question, which will be displayed on the web checkout.

    Cover

    📗 TIP

    You can upload the watermark typically used to advertise Gift Aid here.

    ​

  7. Fill in the following information:

    • Label - the title for the Gift Aid declaration

    • Hint - paste the exact HMRC wording for the declaration (include any Swiftaid wording if used).

    • Answer Label - provide the exact opt-in/opt-out text and map to Yes/No Answer Values

    Label, Hint & Options

  8. (Optional) Enable the 'Badge' option to display a badge with the selected answer on the Booking level.

  9. Select a badge color.

    Badge

    📗 TIP

    The badge is optional but helps you easily identify Gift Aid orders.

  10. Enable the 'Required' field so that customers must answer this question during the booking process.

    Required

    📒 NOTE

    You can make the Gift Aid question optional by leaving the 'Required' checkbox unchecked, if you prefer to reduce friction for customers.

  11. Ensure the question is set to appear on the ‘Order’ level.

    Question on Order

  12. Select which sources will offer the donation.

    Sources

    ⛔️ WARNING

    DO NOT SELECT Direct API and Concierge. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on donations made by a third-party, because the donation must come directly from the individual UK taxpayer who is making a Gift Aid declaration.

  13. (Optional) Whitelist select destinations and products, where Gift Aid donations can be requested. Alternatively, blacklist destinations where Gift Aid is not applicable.

    Whitelist Destinations and Products

  14. Press the Create Question button to save your settings.

    Create Question

    Create Question
    ​

Donation Product Flow

Watch the full flow

Assets

Gift Aid logo

Download

Gift Aid declaration (Question)

Expand to view HTML-formatted copy

Field

Content

Notes

Title/Label (optional)

By adding Gift Aid, you'll increase your donation by 25% - at no extra cost to you!

✅ Always keep

Consent text (Hint)

<p>If you are a UK taxpayer you can make your donation go further by applying a Gift Aid declaration on the value of your ticket and donation. Over &pound;1billion in tax relief is missed every year by charities and donors. [charity_organisation] (registered charity number xxxxxxx) have partnered with <a href="https://www.swiftaid.co.uk/info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Swiftaid</strong></a> to help fix this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>By opting in I accept Swiftaid&apos;s <a href="https://www.swiftaid.co.uk/legal/terms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Terms</strong></a> and<strong>&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.swiftaid.co.uk/legal/privacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Privacy Policy</strong><a/>.

<p>In order to claim Gift Aid on your donation we need your name and address. We will use your name and address provided in this order.</p>

❌ Remove highlighted part if not using Swiftaid

Yes Answer Label (opt-in)

I confirm that I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

I also confirm that any tickets ordered in this transaction are for either my personal use or for use by family members and understand that the value of my ticket and donation is non-refundable.

✅ Always keep (required for legal compliance)

No Answer Label (opt-out)

I am not a UK taxpayer or do not wish to make a Gift Aid declaration.

✅ Always keep

Related Articles
How to Create and Manage Extras
How to Set up the Product Level
How to Set up Roles
Tracking Manual
How to Connect Swiftaid
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