ActBlue Reviews

ActBlue is a powerhouse for democratic & progressive campaigns

Comments: Overall, my experience with ActBlue is amazing! You can literally set up a free ActBlue account within minutes, and see for yourself how wonderful the platform is. Overall, I am thankful for the effort that goes into security, compliance and data integration, so I never have to put my political campaigns or nonprofit events in jeopardy.

Pros:

I like the fundraising tools that ActBlue offers to utilize the "people power" in order to successfully execute political campaigns and nonprofit events. Specifically, I appreciate that the contribution forms have an intuitive interface and are customizable whether you are an administrator or user. They are also mobile friendly, which is crucial to capturing grassroots contributions on the go! I also like that the data and analytics reporting is easy to understand.

Cons:

A/B testing can be a bit tricky for the platform to process at times. It can be quite difficult to obtain the desired conversation rates based on the organization's or campaign's pixel and objective. While the software's customer service is no doubt friendly and supportive to clients' and users troubleshooting issues, the response time does take a while and is slow to respond, especially during key digital fundraising moments (i.e. Giving Tuesday, Election Day) and rapid response actions (i.e. matching donations, events).

ActBlue Good Donation Site

Comments: Positive. Any issues resolved immediately.

Pros:

I accidentally typed in wrong #s ($100 difference!!) Contacted ActBlue & they immediately edited to correct amt!

Cons:

You have to be very careful not to check recurring donation. Also, on this review form I think “retired” should be one of the job choices. I was able to add it later but your stats would be better if you knew the number of retired donors.

RIGID & UNHELPFUL PLATFORM

Comments: My overall experience is that they are NOT a very supportive platform. It appears that they are a platform that wants the incumbents with big donors. This platform
is extremely too COMPLICATED for new candidates trying to build their base and build their support. It appears that they are not focused on fundraising. Instead they are focused on election year activity. ActBlue is not a platform for "INDEFINITE" candidates like mine who work hard during the election year and during the "OFF" year. To beat an incumbent you can't STOP working. This is what the folks at Actblue don't understand. I discovered that my account was "DEACTIVATED" because someone tried to donate and they sent me a screenshot which read, 'This candidate is no longer accepting contributions" or something like that. They SAID that they "deactivated" my account because I didn't respond to an email. I never received an email from them. And I feel that they should have CALLED me first! That could have been a big donor! Thanks to God, I found ANOTHER platform that is more supportive and more simple!

Pros:

I like that Actblue is a common platform for Democrats trying to raise money.

Cons:

#1. I didn't like the bad support. Many of the staffers think that they know more than they really do about running for office and being a candidate. For example, the very first time I signed up with Actblue they didn't understand why I began my campaign so early. #2. They will reject or "DEACTIVATE your account without speaking with you or a member of your campaign. Then you'll have to call them to ask what happened. Then they will find one of their "RULES" to justify what they did. #3. Instead of asking you questions to maintain or continue your account, they ask "Gotcha" questions to DEACTIVATE your account. They sit around and have meetings about which accounts they want to attack and target. If your NOT an INCUMBENT, I wish you the best of luck. I think they want to attract only incumbents with big donors, etc.

Easy-to-use donation platform

Comments: Donors are familiar with ActBlue and comfortable using it for their contributions. Recurring donation options make it easy to get the most from donor visits to your campaign page and provide a sustainable income base for your campaign.

Pros:

Easy set-up and the customized campaign capabilities make it easy to track returns on specific fundraising drives. Their large existing database of donor information makes it easy for donors to send a quick contribution especially with the ActBlue Express feature. Their reporting options make it easy to keep your campaign compliant with FEC regulations.

Cons:

It's mind-boggling that disbursements are only available as hard copy checks sent through snail mail. An electronic option is long overdue!

There's a reason its the standard

Comments: Raise funds for club organization.

Pros:

Total donation management for campaigns. I also appreciate that donors are used to and expect this platform. I find that it makes the donation process more approachable when your donors already know the process. It makes it less awkward.

Cons:

This is personal, but our organization took time to set up Actblue because the current board did not know if we were registered as 501c4 or c3 and that was required to begin.

ActBlue ripped me off

Comments: Four or five years ago I donated a small amount to ActBlue as a onetime donation. It irritated me that ActBlue had preselected the "Yes, make it monthly!" option, which I declined and clicked on the "No, donate only once" option. ActBlue nonetheless charged my card every month for the donation five or six times, without my noticing. I had to call my credit card company to invalidate the charges, as ActBlue would not do so. The preselection of the recurring donation option and the illegal repeated billing are deplorable. I want nothing to do with ActBlue ever again.

Pros:

That it's pro-Democrat. I believe what motivates ActBlue is beneficial.

Cons:

That it alienates a lot of people by ripping them off, thereby having a negative effect on politics.

ActBlue does not respect customers

Comments: Horrible, very frustrating. They are clearly incapable of managing their database. Do not trust them.

Pros:

Unfortunately, I am unable to provide any positive feedback.

Cons:

They will not remove customers who have closed their account, despite multiple requests. Incessant texting will never end.

Rip off

Comments: You need to credit my accounts with all of the excessive transactions you have illegally removed from my account. You did it one year for Patty Murray, YEARS AGO, and are doing it again.

Pros:

This is the second time they have taken repeated donations when I've authorized ONE.

Cons:

Apparently, you have a little flaw, when it asks if you want a one time donation or repeated. Your flaw has gone on for years, which apparently a feature to you, not a flaw. Fix it.

ActBlue Scams Another Loyal Dem

Comments: DISGUSTING, SCAMMER

Pros:

It’s the most faulty software I’ve ever encountered. Comparable to “phone but more insidious because they make unauthorized deductions from your bank account.

Cons:

Its inability to accept entries to its own questions or, it accepts entry but goes directly to an unrelated page.

Scam

Pros:

Easy to use, sure. It took me a couple minutes to make a small donation to a campaign.

Cons:

Robbing money from people, including myself. Was charged for a $260 donation after giving $20 a few days earlier. I did not even authorize them to save my card information. I contacted them while the charge was still pending, and received no response. This is a scam being covered up as "errors" in their system. I think it will make people less likely to donate to the campaign I donated to in the future.

This Company should not exist

Comments: I think it should be illegal.

Pros:

I believe it began with good intentions... to help Democrats raise money.

Cons:

The same function could be provided by the party for a fraction of the cost. As it is, Actblue exists through pure inertia. The net result is that it costs the Democratic Party millions of dollars, making it harder for Democratic candidates to win seats, while lining its pockets with profit. It's repulsive.

You cannot trust these people.

Comments: I would NEVER donate money to a candidate via this organization.

Pros:

Ease of you in doing donations. That is pretty much it.

Cons:

My experience has been that ACTBLUE is unethical in their practice of getting on-line donations for candidates. My husband was very ill and not thinking clearly. He wanted to donate money to a candidate during last years elections. Because he was not clearly I was checking our credit card charges routinely and noticed repeated charges by ACTBLUE in ever increasing amounts. I talked to my husband who was not clear on things but was adamant that he did not do donations as frequently and as in large amounts as were being charged against our card. I reached out to ACTBLUE via email and phone in an effort to explain the situation going on with my husband and ask them to delete him from their mailing list. They repeatedly promised to do so and for a few months we would be fine. Then again I would see more and more charges in higher and higher amounts. At that point my husband was so ill he was hardly out of bed much less approving these amounts. I finally had to send ACTBLUE a threatening letter which included the me having power of attorney over my husband's affairs. I also told them that if they did this one more time I would go to Senator Lindsay Grahams office (I live in SC) and explain that ACTBLUE was actively abusing the elderly and disabled, and that I imagined Senator's Graham's office might find that interesting. That I am a lifelong democrat but my primarily was to protect my family. That did seem to stop it.

ActBlue is the gold standard for receiving and making donations within the Democratic ecosystem

Pros:

As I say in my title, ActBlue is the gold standard for receiving and making donations within the Democratic ecosystem. The ActBlue Express feature makes it easy for donors to make one-click donations in emails if they save their contact information. We've seen significantly higher conversion rates on their donation pages relative to other platforms.

Cons:

Their events and merchant tools are subpar compared to other platforms. This wouldn't be a problem except they require exclusivity to use ActBlue Express which means you are locked in.

Act Blue profiled me as an easy mark

Comments: Initially I thought it eased my ability to contribute thoughtfully. Then, it became apparent that I was being targeted for support of specific campaigns that were outside my comfort zone. At that point, its drawbacks exceeded its utility.

Pros:

Extremely simple for the recipient to process a contribution to a politician or a donation to a cause.

Cons:

Once the software captures your identification and some contribution history, it plies the 'mark' with email upon email, ostensibly from candidates, soliciting money to be dispensed to Act Blue's account for further distribution. My attempts to be removed from their email lists have been fruitless. Thank goodness for spam blocking services. I am a loyal Democrat. The use of this type of software has soured me on the Democratic Party because it is so transparently manipulative. I will never contribute to a candidate or a cause that has Act Blue's fingerprints on it.

Easy to use, easy to stop using. A fine way to donate to candidate(s) you support.

Comments: Very positive. A convenient way to donate to Democratic candidates. Really the only downside is an increase in email from other candidates, which is easily dealt with (by unsubscribing once from each such candidate.)

Pros:

I'm scratching my head over the negative reviews here. (I can't help wondering if they are legit, or if they are intended to inhibit fundraising for Democrats.) I've used ActBlue upteen times. Never had a problem cancelling a recurring donation (which I have done). Never had a problem with a donation becoming recurring when I had designated it as one-time (I've made both kind of donations). Never had a problem opting out of future emails from candidates (yes, you do get them; you're on the "will donate to Democrats" list. I unsubscribe once from each candidate and that's it - silence.)

Cons:

It does make me feel guilty that it asks for a contribution to defray ActBlue's expenses (ActBlue is a non-profit that doesn't charge candidates up-front; the ActBlue FAQ says the charge a ~4% processing fee on donations.)

Easy ro start, easy to make it monthly, easy to stop, easy to contribute optional tips or not.

Comments: I have been donating through this platform for years, one time donations, repeated donations, and tips

Pros:

Easy ro start, easy to make it monthly, easy to stop, easy to contribute optional tips or not. Easy to keep records required to demonstrate that all donors are eligible and not foreign nationals or otherwise ineligible.

Cons:

All the features that I use work perfectly. No complaints.

Act Blue's Software has been bad for years

Comments: I did not think of Act Blue as a "product" but as a charity-- but it is a product with a very slick sales team.

Pros:

I have often donated small amounts to Act Blue because it offers to send money to candidates and causes I strongly support.

Cons:

Again and again, over many years, Act Blue has enrolled me in monthly donations after I specifically specified "once only," popped up the donate window again after I successfully completed a one-time donation, so I couldn't tell if it went through, then charged me for two donations. I have begun to suspect and question Act Blue's "overhead"-- how much money goes to the issue or candidate I support, and how much goes to payroll of Act Blue tecchies and employees, who very likely have a larger income than I.

Non-existent customer support for correcting errors

Comments: I have been using them for as long as they have been around and this is the first year that I have had this problem. Are they getting too big to focus on customer complaints? If they are making what I think they are making, they need to hire people to respond and take care of these issues.

Pros:

Ease of use. Very easy to make donations

Cons:

They have absolutely the worst record I've ever encountered in correcting charging errors. On two occasions their system doubled my donation and I let it go the first time because it was small, but the second time I went to their website and logged in and wrote THREE TIMES asking to have it corrected. NO ONE responded. Considering the algorithms available to financial websites today, there is no excuse for this double billing. They should have an automatic response whenever this happens and ask the donor if that was what they intended. Instead, they make inadvertent double billings EASY to happen and then WON'T CORRECT IT even when you complain! What is going on with these people?

Possible fraudulent

Comments: Aweful. I think they are a scam and their unscrupulous activity reflects poorly on legitimate campaign funding.

Pros:

Not a single solitary thing. I think they are an outright scam organization

Cons:

I signed an online petition regarding Supreme Court Justice nominee and agreed to the MINIMUM donation of $3 paid via Paypal. When taken to the act blue page to create an act it said I was selected to have my contribution increased/matched if I contributed again. I declined. Then another page gave an option to opt-in for recurring donation or additional one-time donation AGAIN I declined. However, when I received the email to verify my account and clicked the link, my Act blue profile says I donated $25! I logged onto my Paypal and sure enough, $25 had been deducted instead of the $3 I agreed to! Now I'm seeing complaints regarding reoccurring charges being added on others accounts. Thankfully I used PayPal and I can end any further transactions and dispute this one and get a refund without having to shut down my bank cards. Several correspondence to the company via response to text updates, emails and contact us console on website and nothing more than canned "we have received your message and will get back with you soon" type responses is all I receive.

I used ActBlue to donate money to a political cause. It turned out to be a nightmare.

Pros:

When things are working, they are a great idea to collecively service small donors so that they can have a collective voice in political and social causes.

Cons:

They are known to turn your one time donation into a recurring donation without asking your permission. I had to cancel my credit card because there was no way for me to turn off the donation at their end. I tried to cancel my account with them and they refused to do it. There is really something wrong going on. Why politicans and social groups use ActBlue to manage their donation solicitations is beyond me. you cannot go online and stop or change your credit card that is being used for the last donation. Criminal behavior. Check out all the complaints online.

easy to send a contribution

Comments: This program makes it easy to contribute. You can opt to keep your contact information in so you don't need to re-enter it again and again.

Pros:

The ease with which I was able to send a contribution. Then, the next time I wanted to send one, my contact information was there so I didn't need to re-enter everything.

Cons:

I didn't realize it was the software used by the person I was contributing to. So, I was skeptical at first.

Act Blue overcharged me

Comments: On Oct 19th 2019 I made a $50 contribution through Act Blue. There was no need, or intent, to make any additional payments as the campaign was coming to an end (election took place on Nov 5th).
However, on Nov. 19th 2019 I was charged again ($50). I realized Act Blue had, without my knowledge or authorization, made a recurrent contribution. All I could do was cancel future payments, but the money was already taken. As directed, I left a phone message and sent several emails. Their phone number is only answered by a message service. Act Blue has not acknowledge my complaint. Act Blue takes 3% of contributions so they are, in my opinion, to gain by processing unauthorized payments. As a political campaign fundraiser, I find Act Blue's practices deceiving and against what candidates stands for. I realized that this has happened repeatedly to other donors and they have failed to correct the practice.

Pros:

easy to use, free, donate directly to campaign

Cons:

deceiving, unclear, non-existent customer service

Never Had a problem donating or cancelling a recurring donation

Comments: Excellent way to donate. Easier than trying to locate an address to mail a check to.

Pros:

The tool makes it easy to find specific persons or organizations for my donations. It even cancelled a recurring donation automatically when my favorite person dropped out of the race.

Cons:

Nervous about it at first as I was not sure of the legitimacy. Good now though.

NEVER RESPOND TO CALLS OR EMAILS

Comments: HORRIBLE. I have a problem with my donation. I have called and emailed every day for the past week and I have not had one response. Even the Sanders campaign told me that I should be able to get my money back and gave ActBlue's, apparently useless, contact information to reach out to ActBlue's customer support which I guess just does not exist. Find a way to donate directly to campaign. DO NOT USE THIS FRAUDULENT SITE OR SOFTWARE

Pros:

I got to donate to the amazing and incredible Bernie Sanders

Cons:

Support Team is horrible, if they even exist.

unethical- their system reflects poorly on DEMS

Comments: Poor. Do not trust them at all! Am currently contacting my bank to block them from my account.

Pros:

Ease of use. That’s what makes them dangerous!

Cons:

They overcharged my account $50! I donated $25 towards Elizabeth Warren’s campaign, and they added two more unauthorized $25 charges to my account. I used them a few years ago to donate to Bernie Sanders campaign and it happened then too! I will never donate through this app again!!