How much do donation platforms actually charge in 2026?

By Processly · June 2026 · 7 min read

Ask most nonprofit leaders what percentage their donation platform takes, and you'll get a pause. Not because they don't care. They care a lot. The real number is just split across three different fees that rarely show up in one place.

That's the problem this guide fixes. By the end you'll know exactly what you're paying, where it's hiding, and which part of the bill you can actually do something about.

Let's start with the three fees.

The three fees every nonprofit pays

Almost every "what does it cost?" conversation gets confusing because people mix up three separate things:

1. Platform fee, what the donation software company charges you to use it, usually a percentage of each gift (or a flat monthly plan). For most fundraising platforms this lands in the 3%–8% range, and it's the fee that varies the most between providers (a few skip it and run on donor tips instead).
2. Payment processing fee, what the card networks and the payment processor charge to move the money. For card donations this is typically around 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. It's roughly similar everywhere, because everyone uses the same rails (Stripe, PayPal, etc.).
3. Donor tips, an optional contribution to the platform, added on top of the gift. Some platforms run entirely on tips and show a suggested tip by default at checkout.

Here's the key insight: the payment processing fee is mostly fixed. You can shave it with nonprofit rates or ACH, but you can't avoid it. The platform fee is the part you actually control by choosing the right provider. So that's where the money is.

What the major platforms charge in 2026

Most fundraising platforms take a 3%–8% platform fee on every donation, on top of payment processing. The exact number depends on the platform and the plan you're on:

Platform pricing changes often and varies by plan and region. Confirm current pricing on each provider's own site before deciding. This is a summary, not a quote.

A few honest notes so the table isn't misleading:

• "Free" platforms aren't free. The cost moves. Tip-funded models like Zeffy charge the nonprofit nothing, but they fund themselves through donor tips that are switched on by default. That can work well; just know the cost shifts to your donors rather than disappearing.
• Monthly plans change the math. A platform with a low percentage but a $139/month plan can cost more or less than a higher-percentage free plan depending on your volume. Run your own numbers.
• Processing is the common denominator. Card processing lands around 2.9% + 30¢ almost everywhere. Nonprofits can often apply for discounted processor rates, which matters more when the donations flow through your own account.

What it actually costs on $100,000 raised

Percentages feel abstract. Dollars don't. So let's run a simple example: $100,000 raised over a year in online card donations. Here's the platform-fee portion alone (the part you control):

At the 3%–8% most platforms charge, a $100,000 year costs $3,000–$8,000 in platform fees. At Processly's 1%, it's $1,000, as much as $7,000 more for your mission, on a fairly small raise. For an organization doing $250k or $500k online, that gap multiplies into a part-time staffer. A program. A lot of mission.

And remember, this is just the platform fee. Payment processing (~2.9% + 30¢) applies on top no matter which platform you use, which is exactly why it's worth a setup where you can pursue nonprofit processing rates on your own account.

The fee you can actually control

You can't negotiate away card processing. Every platform pays roughly the same to move the money. What you can control is the platform fee: the cut the software takes on top of every gift.

At the 3%–8% most platforms charge, that's $3,000–$8,000 on a $100,000 year. At 1%, it's $1,000. Choosing a lower-fee platform is the single biggest lever you have over what your fundraising actually costs, and unlike processing, it's entirely your call.

What to look for in a low-fee donation platform

When you're comparing options, look past the headline price and ask:

• What's the real platform fee, and is it 0% only because donors are tipping by default?
• What's the all-in cost at your volume, platform fee + processing + any monthly plan?
• Where do the funds land. Your own account, or the platform's?
• Is there lock-in, would leaving mean migrating your CRM or rebuilding recurring gifts?
• Does it support what you need, one-time and recurring, on a form that fits your site?

The right answer depends on your size and how hands-on you want to be. A tip-funded free platform is genuinely a good fit for some small orgs. The point isn't that one model wins. It's that you should choose it on purpose, with the full picture.

How Processly approaches it

Processly keeps that platform fee low: a 1% platform fee, and the donation form runs on your own Stripe account, so:

• donations settle directly to you, on Stripe's standard payout schedule
• you can apply for Stripe's discounted nonprofit processing rate on your own account
• there's no lock-in and no CRM to migrate, the form embeds on your existing site
• one-time and monthly (recurring) giving, built in
• no donor tip prompt at checkout, so your supporters give exactly what they intended

It's a simple trade: a low, transparent platform fee, so more of every gift reaches your mission.

So, what's your platform actually taking?

If you're not sure what percentage leaves with every donation, that's the first thing worth finding out. Open your platform's dashboard, find the platform fee, add the processing fee, and check whether donor tips are on by default. Then compare it to the table above.