We've compiled frequently asked questions including posts from the Online Express Support Community. To see what other users have asked, we encourage you to visit the community where you can post your own questions, share ideas, or get help troubleshooting an issue! As you get started with Online Express, you can also watch the help videos that are embedded throughout the program.
Q: What are the installation requirements for Online Express?
A: The Online Express installation checklist contains full, up to date information on the requirements. The main requirements are that you must use Internet Explorer 9 or higher to download and install Online Express and that your version of Raiser's Edge must be 7.92 or higher.
Q: What merchant service is used to collect gifts using Online Express?
A: Online Express uses the Blackbaud Merchant Service (BBMS). More details about BBMS can be found here.
Q: Does Online Express need to be installed on each workstation that will be using the program?
A: Yes, each Raiser's Edge user that will need access to Online Express will need to download and install it. However, the process only takes about a minute for each additional user.
Q: If Raiser's Edge is hosted, what is the process for activating Online Express?
A: Reach out to your Blackbaud Account Executive and they will enable the Online Express download link in your hosted environment.
Q: If you have multiple Raiser's Edge databases, can you have multiple Online Express accounts?
A: Generally no. Online Express works based off of a single Site ID so all Raiser's Edge databases would use the same Online Express account.
Q: How do I choose the best pricing plan for my organization?
A: The Online Express monthly pricing tiers are based on (A) the number of useable email addresses in Raiser's Edge that you plan to send emails to and (B) the maximum number of emails you plan to send per year.
Q: What is a useable email address?
A: A usable email address is any unique email address that doesn’t result in a hard bounce and is not opted out of your organization’s emails.
Q: What happens if I exceed the maximum number of useable email addresses?
A: If you exceed your pricing tier’s annual send limit, your account will be charged the additional overage amount in your selected plan. However, you will not be upgraded to the next plan tier if you are still within your allotted email address limit.
Q: What happens if I send more emails in a year than my pricing Tier allows?
A: If you exceed your pricing tier’s annual send limit, your account will be charged the additional overage amount in your selected plan. However, you will not be upgraded to the next plan tier if you are still within your allotted email address limit.
Q: Do donation forms support Gift Aid for use in the UK?
A: Yes, Online Express forms support Gift Aid
Q: Can Online Express forms be localized?
A: Yes, Online Express allows you to reception form fields to meet your localization needs.
Q: Does Online Express support receipting needs for Canadian nonprofits?
A: Yes, Canadian organizations can produce compliant receipts from Raiser's Edge.
Q: Does Online Express support international currencies?
A: Yes, your Online Express forms can collect funds from donors in nearly any country. Your Blackbaud Merchant Services (BBMS) account can be configured to collect funds in US Dollars (USD), Canadian Dollars (CAD), Pound Sterling (GBP), and Euros (EUR). Whichever currency you have set in your BBMS account configuration used with a given Online Express form is the currency that will appear to visitors who view that form.
Q: Do I need an SSL certificate on my website to use Online Express?
A: Yes, Blackbaud recommends making sure that any page of your website which contains an Online Express form is only accessible via SSL (https). In addition to being an online security best practice, online donors have come to expect that this security protocol be in place on sites they trust.
Even if you do not have SSL in place on your website, Online Express still processes credit card transactions through a secure (https) connection to our Blackbaud Payment Service. However, we still recommend that you only use Online Express forms on pages only accessible via SSL. View all Online Express security tips here.
Migration from NetCommunity Spark
Q: Will any information transfer automatically from Spark to Online Express?
A: No, your Online Express forms and email lists will not inherit from your Spark site.
Q: Can I save an email as a “template” in Online Express?
A: Actually, any email that you create in Online Express can be used as the design basis for creating a new email message. If you build an email that you like and want to use as a template, you can go back to that email as many times as you like to create new messages.
Q: Can I use email lists outside of Raiser's Edge?
A: No, all Online Express emails must be sent to recipients in Raiser's Edge. This is done via queries that you save in Raiser's Edge and which are accessible in Online Express.
Q: Can email opt-outs be reversed?
A: An email recipient that opts out of Online Express emails can opt back in anytime by simply signing up to receive emails via the organization’s Online Express email signup form. While the organization can uncheck the “requests no email” box that Online Express checks on an opted-out constituent’s record in Raiser's Edge, Online Express will still honor the recipient’s original opt-out request.
Q: Can I see if a constituent received or opened an email?
A: Yes, you can view detailed statistics on your emails including who received them, who opened them, and any resulting transactions. From the Email Dashboard, click View all messages. Then click the View stats link next to the appropriate email.
The numbers in the grid are clickable and open even more details. Click on the email address of any recipient to view details and statistics for that particular individual.
Q: Can I add additional gift attributes to my donation forms?
A: Yes, you can add any gift attributes that you’ve set up in Raiser's Edge to your Online Express event registration forms. On the Extras tab of the donation form editor, click the Add attribute button in the Select which gift attributes are available section.
Q: Can I add additional participant attributes to my event registration forms?
A: Yes, you can add any participant attributes that you’ve set up in Raiser's Edge to your Online Express event registration forms. On the Extras tab of the event form editor, click the Add attribute button in the Select which gift attributes are available section.