Understand RPI Updates vs Upgrades
Before you start, decide whether you need an RPI Update or an RPI Upgrade:
RPI Update
Use this when you want to change existing information on the RPI, for example to correct data errors or adjust settings such as status, frequency, or collection method.RPI Upgrade
Use this when you have run an upgrade campaign asking people to increase the amount they give under their RPI. The RPI Upgrade worksheet adds a new payment and allocation to an existing RPI to increase the amount, rather than editing the existing details.
If your goal is only to fix or change existing RPI data, continue with the RPI Update process below.
📌 Note: Each file can process a maximum of 1000 rows, including the header row. The update process can only update an RPI once per file; duplicate RPI numbers in the same upload will cause errors.
Prepare the RPI Update Worksheet
Download the RPI Update data preparation template: RPI Update.xlsx.
Open the template, read the Important information text, then delete that text so the worksheet is ready to use.
Remove any columns you do not need to change.
If needed, create an RPI list to download the RPIs you want to update, including their RPI Numbers, so you can copy those values into the template.
Make sure there are no duplicate RPIs in the file; each RPI Number must appear only once.
📌Note:
If a column remains in the worksheet and some cells in that column are empty, the File Uploader will clear the corresponding field in Donorfy for those RPIs.
Add Data to the Worksheet
Required field
RPI Number:
Enter the number of the existing RPI in Donorfy that you want to update.
This field is mandatory for every row.
You can use an RPI list to download RPI numbers, then copy them into the worksheet.
RPI-level fields you can update
Include any of the following columns if you want to update them:
RPI Type
Can be set to either Recurring Donation or Membership to indicate what the RPI is for.
Any other values are ignored.
RPI Status
Enter one of:Active – payments are expected straight away.
To be Lodged – account details must be lodged (for example with BACS) before payments can be collected.
Cancel – cancels the RPI.
If you set RPI Status to Cancel, you must also:
Enter a Cancel Reason.
Make sure an End Date is set.
Cancel Reason
Required when RPI Status is set to Cancel.
Frequency
Can be one of Month, Year, Quarter, or Half Year to indicate how often payments are expected.
Collection Method
Enter the description of a collection method you have set up, or enter Standing Orders.
For the GoCardless collection method, the value must be Go Cardless in the file updater.
Collection Day
Enter a number from 1 to 31 to indicate the day you expect payments to be made.
Start Month
Enter the name of the month (for example, January, February) when payments will start.
For monthly RPIs this can be the current month.
For other frequencies, the Start Month and Start Date together control when payments are expected.
Currency
Enter the currency for the RPI.
Bank Account
Enter the bank account into which donations collected under the RPI will be paid.
Collection Reference 1–5
You can enter up to five collection references for the RPI using Collection Reference 1 through Collection Reference 5.
Acknowledgement Doc
Enter the acknowledgement document that will be sent to the constituent.
Acknowledgement Text
Enter any additional text to include in the acknowledgement document.
Connected ConstituentNumber, External Key or Email
If provided, this information is used to find an existing constituent who is connected to the RPI.
Payment and allocation fields (single payment and allocation only)
If the RPI has only one payment and one allocation, you can use these columns to change the payment and allocation details:
Campaign – the name of the campaign associated with the RPI.
Amount – the amount of the RPI.
Start Date – the date payments are expected to begin.
End Date – the date payments are expected to end. Enter 31/12/2099 if the RPI does not have an end date.
Reference – a reference for the payment.
Channel – the communication channel associated with the RPI.
Product – the product associated with the RPI.
Department – the department associated with the RPI.
Quantity – the quantity for the RPI.
Fund – the fund associated with the RPI.
PotentialGiftAid – enter Yes if donations under this instruction can potentially have tax reclaimed under Gift Aid.
Comments – any text comments that should be stored for the RPI.
Beneficiary fields
To link the RPI to a beneficiary constituent, you can include:
Beneficiary ConstituentNumber, External Key, or Email
If provided, this information is used to find an existing constituent who is the beneficiary of the RPI.
Understand Empty Cells and Clearing Fields
Empty cells have a direct impact on your data:
If a column exists in your uploaded file and some cells in that column are empty, the File Uploader will clear the data for that field on the affected RPIs.
To avoid unintentionally clearing data:
Remove any columns that you do not want to change.
Only include a column if you are happy for empty cells in that column to clear the corresponding data.
📌 Note: The uploader does not allow you to clear mandatory fields, including amounts, quantity, date received, campaign, payment method, product, and fund.
Before you upload:
Double-check that all values are correct.
Confirm that every column still present in the worksheet is a field you really want to update.
Make sure there are no unintended blank cells in those columns.
Upload the File and Apply Updates
When your worksheet is complete, save it as an Excel (.xlsx) file.
Go to the File Uploader area in Donorfy (for example, via Data Management).
Upload your RPI Update file.
Review the validation results and any warnings that appear.
If everything is correct and you are happy with the changes, continue through the upload process to apply the updates to the RPIs.
Correct Any Errors
After you upload the file:
Donorfy checks the file for problems.
If there are issues that prevent the data being imported, a message is displayed explaining the errors.
Correct the errors in your worksheet (for example, invalid values, missing required fields, or duplicate RPIs), then save and re-upload the file.
Repeat until the file passes validation and you can apply the changes.
For more detailed troubleshooting guidance, see the article Fix Problems in an Uploaded File