Because Cheddar Up is such a flexible platform - used for so many different things by so many different people - we’ve coined some terms along the way to allow us to speak a common language. If you’re new to Cheddar Up, this handy terminology guide will help you acclimate.
If you only learn one thing
- Collection
- This is the core of Cheddar Up. This is the page that organizers (you) create and payers pay on.
Things you can create to collect money
- Item
- Organizers create items, which have a dollar value attached to them and people can pay for them (e.g., registration, t-shirt, dues, etc.).
- Item variation
- Items with variations (e.g., colors, sizes, etc.) allow different images, prices, and quantities.
- Fixed amount item
- Has a set (or “fixed”) dollar amount.
- Open amount item
- Has no assigned value, allowing payers to determine the amount on their own (often used for donations).
- Recurring payment
item - Has a payment schedule associated with it. Payers agree to pay for it once, and then subsequent payments happen automatically behind the scenes based on the agreed upon payment schedule (often used for recurring donations, monthly dues, etc.).
Things you can create to collect information
- Item question
- An optional piece of information you can request that is directly associated with the specific item someone is paying for (e.g., registrant name, t-shirt size, etc.). On the collection, this appears as a small form once someone clicks “add to cart” on an item. An organizer can choose from six different question types (open text, multiple choice, checkbox, time, date, and phone number).
- Form
- A separate form that requests information and can consist of multiple questions (ideal for contact information, etc.).
- Form question
- An optional piece of information you can request on a form on your collection. An organizer can choose from seven different form question types (open text, multiple choice, checkbox, time, date, phone number and e-signature).
- Waiver
- A waiver is a form type that allows you to enter paragraphs of text (if necessary) that will be displayed on your collection. A waiver automatically requests and requires the payer’s name and e-signature (perfect for permissions slips, policies, etc).
- Sign Up
- A sign up is a form type that allows you to collect volunteer sign ups for just about anything. There are two types of sign ups - the Sign Up List and the Sign Up Schedule. The difference between the two types is the ability to add multiple times and dates on the Sign Up Schedule. You can add a sign up to a collection with or without items (with or without collecting payments).
Things you can add to customize your collection
- Banner image
- When building your collection, you can add a banner image within Build > Details. This is the large image that appears at the top of your collection.
- Item image
- An option when creating an item (great when selling something). When using item variations, you can add a different image per variation.
- Category
- A way to create visual separation on your collection by creating named groupings of items. Categories can also be used to create a navigational menu on your collection, which allows payers to easily filter items.
- Collection description
- A block of text you can add and format that will appear near the top of your collection.
- Item description
- A block of text you can add that will show within an item modal when a payer adds it to their cart.
- Category description
- Text you can add that will appear below a category name on your collection.
- Form description
- Text you can add that will appear below a form or waiver name on your collection.
- Question description
- Text you can add that will appear below a question on your collection.
Alternate payment methods you can add to your collection
- Echeck
- An additional payment method you can add to your collection’s checkout. It is an ACH debit from a payer’s bank account, which involves payers entering their bank account and routing numbers.
- Cash/check
- An additional payment method you can add to your collection’s checkout. If selected, the payer is responsible for sending you the payment offline. When you add this payment method to your collection, you can include instructions on where the payer should send the cash/check. On your Manage view, we also have tools to help you manage these payments (record if and when the cash/check was received, etc.).
Terms related to in-person payments
- Point of sale
- A separate payment flow built into Cheddar Up’s mobile apps that allows organizers to manage the checkout process from their mobile device to easily collect in-person payments. This can be done by entering a credit card manually into the mobile app, using a Cheddar Up Bluetooth card reader, or using Tap on Mobile.
- Manually added
payment - When you accept point-of-sale transactions and do not collect customers’ contact information, you’ll see “manually-added-payment@cheddarup.com” recorded as the payer email address (as a placeholder).
- Record order
- An option on your collection’s Manage view that allows you to record payments (typically cash/check) or forms that you receive offline.
Miscellaneous terms
- Manager
- Someone you can invite to your Cheddar Up account to help manage (and, in some cases, create) collections. Inviting a manager allows them to have their own login credentials, but does not allow them to withdraw funds on your account. You can control Manager permissions, including the ability to create, edit, view payments, and receive notifications on collections.
- Available quantity
- When you create items (and item variations) you can choose to limit the quantity available for each.
- Group Page
- A branded landing page for your group that allows you to showcase your collections, customize your page with information about your group, and share one universal URL. It's essentially your group's very own webpage for fundraisers, events, and registrations. Include sections that highlight your team's mission, team members, sponsors and more. Learn more.