How payment imports create forms
When you complete a payment import in Zeffy, new forms are automatically created to organize your imported data. By creating forms which are then added to the 'past' section of your campaigns, Zeffy keeps your imported historical data separate from your active fundraising campaigns while still allowing you to access and report on this information.
Important: Payments cannot be imported onto existing active forms. Each payment import creates new forms that are automatically placed in the "Archived" section of your dashboard.
Why are imported payments in the past campaigns section?
Payment imports are designed to help you manage historical transaction data alongside your current payments. By creating archived forms, Zeffy keeps your imported historical data separate from your active fundraising campaigns while still allowing you to access and report on this information.
Key points about imported payment forms:
- Imported forms appear under the "Past" section of your dashboard. You can access them by clicked 'Campaigns' on the left hand navigation pane, and then click the 'past' section at the top.
- These forms cannot accept new payments through public form links
- They serve as containers for your historical data and reporting purposes
Understanding duplicate form names
Each separate import creates its own set of forms, even if you use the same form name across multiple imports.
For example, if you complete your first payment import with multiple payments under a form called "Donations 2025," a donation form called "Donations 2025" will be created in your account. All payments from that import will be found under that form.
If you perform a second import and use the form name "Donations 2025" again, Zeffy will create a second form called "Donations 2025." The payments will not be combined under the same form—each import creates its own separate form.
💡 Note: This behaviour allows you to track when different batches of data were imported, which can be helpful for auditing and data management.
Using form names to filter and organize data
You can use form titles created during imports to filter your payments and contacts when pulling reports.
How to leverage imported form names:
- Use form names to identify specific campaigns or time periods
- Filter the "Payments" section by form name to view all payments from a particular import
- Generate reports for specific imported datasets using form filters
- Track donors who gave to particular campaigns or events
This allows you to segment your historical data effectively, even though the forms are archived.
Adding payments to existing active forms
If you need to add payments received outside of Zeffy to an existing active form, use the manual payment feature instead of importing.
Click here to learn about how to add in manual payment entries to an existing form.
The manual payment feature allows you to add individual transactions to active forms without creating new archived forms.
Viewing imported payments
Where to find imported payments:
- Go to the "Fundraising" tab in your main menu
- Click on "Payments", and search by donor name, email ect, by using the search bar at the top!
- All imported payments appear alongside your regular payments
- Use filters to sort and view specific imported payments
- Click on individual transactions to access payment details
Filtering by imported forms
Use the form name filter to pull reports of all donations and donors associated with a specific import or campaign.
Steps to filter by form:
- Go to the "Payments" section under "Fundraising"
- Click on the filter icon
- Select the form name(s) you want to view and click export to obtain a report or view the filtered results
Common questions and troubleshooting
Can I move imported payments to an active form?
No, imported payments cannot be moved from archived forms to active forms. Imported payments will always remain in the archived forms created during the import process. If you need to add payments to an active form, use the manual payment feature instead.
What if I have recurring donors to import?
If you have donors with recurring monthly or yearly donations, or members with active renewal payments, you cannot transfer their payment information to Zeffy to continue their recurring payments automatically. Their recurring transactions must be stopped on your current platform, and supporters will need to initiate new recurring transactions through a Zeffy form.
For assistance with transferring historical recurring payment data, click here: Importing members and monthly donors with recurring payments.
Can I undo an import?
Yes, you can undo an import. Please note imported payments cannot be deleted individually. If you wish to delete an imported payment, you will have to delete the entire import and re-import the data without the payment you wish to remove.
For instructions on how to undo an import see here: How to delete or undo a data import