complicated nonprofit set up

[millipede]

I sent in an email to support but figured I'd poll actual users to see if I can learn anything here.
Side note: I filled out a support form, explained my issue, then was taken to another screen where it asked me how I wanted to reach support. I selected email, and I had to type it all out again. Weird.

I'm trying to set up digital payments for a writers conference that our writing group hosts each summer. Our group is a branch of a larger group. I got to a point in the setup process that I couldn't get past. Filling out info about the EIN, and the address of the nonprofit.
We use the larger organization's EIN/nonprofit status. This is how the group has been doing things for years. It makes things a lot easier, or even possible.
We have a different name than the larger group, and our name is not registered with the EIN, neither does our group have an address in general. So, I can't get past those spots in setup.
Hopefully support will have some feedback, but I'm curious if anyone is familiar with such a tricky situation and whether or not there's an actual solution.
For our conference, we send out the info and registration forms and ask people, each year, to mail them in with a check or money order. People do it, but, I also strongly believe this would hold some people back from attending. How many people still have checks? How many want to go through the process of getting a money order?
We really need a solution for accepting payments online, and the free device to scan cards at the door would be nice too. 
Anyone have any thoughts?
Support says it can take 1-3 business days to get back to us.
This seemed like the best solution for what we'd like to do, but if there's another option I NEED to look into, I'd like to get that figured out sooner than later. Conference is in July. Forms are already out.

[TheRealChipA]

Hey there @millipede.. Tricky, indeed.  Honestly, I'd be surprised if you can use Square (or any of their competitors) in this situation -- at least not in the way you seem to envision.  In order to set up a card processing account for you, all card processing companies (even middlemen like Square) are required to follow KYC (Know your customer) laws as defined by the Patriot Act.  This means being able to verify tax ID numbers, addresses, etc, in order to verify that we are, indeed legitimate businesses, for-profit or not.

The easiest way to accomplish what you want will probably be for the parent company to set up a Square account.  Then, they can set up locations for groups like yours to use.  If you do it this way, then the EIN can be verified and shared amongst all of the groups.  Also, I assume that each group has at least a mailing address used for payment purposes when someone does want to send a check.  While this might change from year to year, having locations would make it easy to change that mailing address as needed (though it CAN NOT be a PO Box, FYI.). Since locations can each have their own bank accounts for Square deposit transfer purposes, this should work for you.

Also, FYI, even traditional bank card processing companies are going to need to verify EINs, so I'm not sure there is a way (legally) to get around the fact that the parent organization needs to be heavily involved in this process no matter what payment processor you choose.  You are trying to do something here that has (in the distant past) been used to hide and launder money as well as collect money for nefarious purposes.  In this day and age, banks and card processors have to be on the lookout for this.  

Sorry that I can't be of more help, but this is the best solution to get things moving, I think.

[Candlestore]

@millipede ;

The only option I can see, would be as @TheRealChipA said the Parent Organization would need to be Heavily involved.  

Since you already have been doing this with the Parent organization you may need to set up a Branch for the Parent location like a DBA with your own paperwork with your states government.  

For example:  

My business is set up as a C-corp with its EIN number.  Your Non-profit Ein here.

But my Location is doing a DBA as Pocono Candle Store.  When I setup a Checking account at my local bank they wanted all this proof that I setup a DBA with my State.  Provided this for getting a local Checking account.  Now my checks Show Parent Compant : DBA as Pocono Candle Store.  Think of this as Your physical location using the Parent organizations EIN.  My DBA has its own State Sales Tax ID and files Income under the EIN of the C-Corp.  All Corespondence comes addressed to Parent : DBA...... for all taxes and offical paperwork.  

When I setup my Square Account I had to send the Federal EIN information in, The C-Corp information and all the Paperwork showing the DBA registration and Bank Account showing the DBA and C-Corp information.  This way You can use Square and other locations can use other methods if they want.

I mention this since My C-corp is similar to your Parent Non-Profit and you would be more like my actual Store as a DBA.  The other way might be as @TheRealChipA said would be to have the Parent Non-Profit use Square, and then use it for all other Locations including yours to keep everything together. 

These types of configurations are over the head of most of use Square users and would recommend talking to your Parent Organization and a Business Lawer or Accountant to set this up correctly for you.  Since State Laws are different how these are handled and we are unsure of your exact situation none of this is what you should do, but what you can look into to see if it is legal for your situation.  

[millipede]

@TheRealChipAwhile it might not be an answer I want to hear, it's actually helpful. It makes sense.
I will reach out to the parent organization, but I'm thinking this wont work.
1. Knowing what I know of them, they don't accept such payments already, I can't imagine them wanting to put in extra work to help us out. It doesn't hurt to ask, but I can't picture them being eager to go through that.
2. I just looked up stuff about setting up locations, and, again, lots of work on their end, and it seems that they'd have a lot of oversight ability, finances and such, for our group. I'd want it set up in a way where they couldn't poke around our  business. That probably sounds shady or something. It's not. I was just reading and it looks like they'd have all the power over the account. This would be a problem at times, I think. I could be wrong, but it seems they'd be doing a lot of that work. They'd have to set up our bank info(something that I'm not sure they have any access to right now). All seems weird, and, again... work. I can't imagine them wanting to help manage things.

@Candlestorethat is a bit above my head, I'll admit. I think I MOSTLY followed it. It's nice having an example laid out like that.

IF this ends up not working out, I had another idea but it has me wondering if I'd need to worry about the legality of it. My treasurer didn't like the idea. If I can't find a way to have something set up the way it should...   this is really all about being able to take digital payments for a writers conference. We offer $5 off if they register before a certain date. They'd need to pay, so, while people can pay at the door(cash or check, again, not everyone's first choice, but manageable) they wouldn't be able to get that discount.
So...
I'd be tempted to let people know that we want/expect most people to go ahead and mail payments like they've done in the past...
BUT...
If that option was going to actually cause someone to not bother, then I could make an exception and have them simply send me a payment via paypal or venmo on my personal account.
Would that be too shady sounding to discuss with anyone? Should we just leave it as it has been and, possibly leave some people out?
Everyone I've talked to(other writing groups) they've seen increases in conference attendance and even membership when they opened things up to digital payments.
Sigh...
So many rules, so many complications. We'd opt for our own nonprofit status if it wasn't going to complicate things even more for us. On top of all the rules that would affect us more, we don't really have anyone willing to manage all the paperwork and such each year.
So, we just continue on as a branch to another group.
Phew, sorry for the ramble.
I'm glad I asked here though. Not sure when support will respond to my email, but I knew it wouldn't be this week and knowing these things sooner helps me move along with things.

[TheRealChipA]

@millipede The reply and clarification is appreciated.  I'll add a few more thoughts here for you to consider.

The walls you are running into with your parent organization are pretty common with groups like this.  This is why the sub-groups like yours have most often had a single person who collected information and money, etc.  Of course, that came with other future issues -- like how to handle it when that person leaves the group and a new person takes over.  While this can be handled through Square, it's still a little bit of a pain.

Also, in the past I would have said that you could use something like Cash App or Venmo (personal accounts) to take card payments.  But starting this year, the IRS (at the direction of Congress) is lowering the threshold for reporting "income" received on all cash platforms which is taxable.  They are trying to crack down on the rampant money laundering that goes on on those sites, as well as the massive amount of legitimate income that gets hidden there.  So, even though this work-around was a good one pre-2025, it is not so much this year.  The person using their Venmo (etc) accounts will take the hit for the "income" they collected and would need to talk to their tax accountant about how to "fix" that.  

Ultimately, it sounds like you probably don't want to try to navigate the waters of card processing in your case.  To my way of thinking, it is just more trouble that it is worth.  Good luck!