What Is Automated Gift Aid Recovery?
Automated Gift Aid recovery is the process of collecting Gift Aid declarations from donors, calculating the tax relief owed, and submitting claims directly to HMRC Charities Online without manual paperwork. Givr by MRVL automates this entirely for UK churches, claiming an estimated £560M in unclaimed relief annually.
How Automated Gift Aid Works
When a congregant gives via Givr, they tick a Gift Aid box during the donation. Givr captures their name, address, and postcode, then stores the declaration securely. At the end of each quarter, Givr calculates your eligible donations, prepares the claim file, and submits it directly to HMRC Charities Online on your behalf. No spreadsheets. No manual forms. No delays. The relief is claimed as soon as donations qualify, and HMRC pays it back to your church within weeks. As of 2026, Givr's Gather tier handles this submission automatically for churches using the platform.
Why Churches Leave Gift Aid Unclaimed
Most UK churches collect donations without asking for Gift Aid. Even those who capture declarations struggle with HMRC submission: the process requires charity registration number lookup, donor eligibility checks, and quarterly filing. Treasurers often lack the time or confidence to claim, so money sits on the table. Givr removes every barrier. Because the declaration is captured at the moment of giving (when donors are engaged), and submission is automated, churches reclaim relief they'd otherwise lose. A typical church might recover £2,000 to £10,000 annually, depending on giving volume and eligible donors.
The Gift Aid Recovery Process in Givr
Step one: a congregant scans your QR code and gives via any phone browser. No app needed. During checkout, they confirm their Gift Aid status. Step two: Givr stores their declaration securely and links it to their donation. Step three: Givr's dashboard shows you real-time Gift Aid eligibility (only UK taxpayers count). Step four: each quarter, Givr automatically generates the HMRC claim file and submits it. Step five: HMRC processes and pays the relief back to your church. The entire flow is passive on your side once Givr is set up. Your only job is to distribute the QR code.
Gift Aid Claim Eligibility and GASDS
Gift Aid recovery applies only to donations from UK taxpayers aged 18 and over. Givr validates this during declaration capture. For smaller donations (under £20), the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) lets charities claim relief without individual declarations up to £8,000 annually. Givr supports GASDS as part of its Gather tier, so you can claim on both declared and undeclared small gifts. This dual approach maximises recovery for churches that receive mixed donation sizes.
Performance Fee and Cost
Givr charges a platform fee (1% for Free, 0.5% for Gather, 0.35% for Grow) on every donation, plus a Gift Aid performance fee of 2% on the amount actually claimed and paid by HMRC. You only pay the performance fee when money lands in your account, so there's no upfront cost to claiming. For a £10,000 claim paid by HMRC, Givr takes £200. Most churches find this far cheaper than the time or accountant fees they'd otherwise spend on manual claims. The Gather tier (£25 per month or £245 per year) includes unlimited Gift Aid submission and GoCardless recurring giving.
Givr vs. Manual Gift Aid Claims
Manual Gift Aid requires your treasurer to maintain a spreadsheet, verify donor eligibility, prepare a claim file, log into HMRC Charities Online, and submit quarterly. Givr eliminates every step. Declarations are gathered at donation time (when donors are present and willing), eligibility is validated automatically, and submission is scheduled and filed on your behalf. Your treasurer gets a clean dashboard instead of a spreadsheet. You claim more relief because you claim consistently, not when someone remembers to do it. Givr also integrates with GoCardless for recurring giving, so monthly donors stay in your pipeline and their relief is claimed automatically.
Set up Gift Aid recovery for your church in minutes with Givr.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need HMRC approval to use Givr's automated Gift Aid claims?
No. Givr is not FCA-regulated; Stripe Connect (the payment handler) is FCA-authorised. You remain the registered charity, and Givr simply automates the submission process on your behalf using your charity registration number. HMRC treats Givr claims the same as manual ones.
What happens if a donor's Gift Aid claim is rejected by HMRC?
Givr validates donor eligibility (UK taxpayer, age 18+) before submission, so rejections are rare. If HMRC flags an issue (e.g., duplicate declaration or address mismatch), Givr alerts you and provides the HMRC message so your treasurer can follow up directly with the donor.
Can I claim Gift Aid on donations made by non-UK residents?
No. Gift Aid is only available for donations from UK-resident taxpayers. Givr's declaration form captures this, and non-eligible donors are excluded from claims automatically.
How often does Givr submit Gift Aid claims to HMRC?
Givr submits quarterly (every three months). You can view pending claims in your dashboard and request an early submission if needed, though HMRC processes claims in batches.
What's the difference between Givr's Free, Gather, and Grow tiers?
Free (£0) lets you collect donations via QR code but does not include automated Gift Aid submission. Gather (£25/mo or £245/yr) adds automated Gift Aid claims, HMRC submission, and GoCardless recurring giving. Grow (£55/mo or £549/yr) adds white-label custom domains and API access for integration with other systems.
Will Givr work if my church is very small or doesn't have many online donors?
Yes. Even one Gift Aid claim saves your church time and money. Givr's platform fee is low (1% on Free, 0.5% on Gather), and the Gift Aid performance fee only applies when HMRC pays you. If you're not ready for automated claims, the Free tier still lets you collect donations securely via QR code.