What is the average fundraising platform fee in 2026?

There is no single average, because pricing models differ so much. Flat-fee platforms commonly charge in the low single digits (for example 2.5%), tip-based platforms advertise 0% to the organization but rely on donor tips, and full-service managed platforms can charge 5% or more. Remember that payment processing (roughly 2.9% plus about 30 cents per transaction) is a separate cost on top of the platform fee in nearly every case.

What is the difference between a platform fee and a processing fee?

The platform fee is what the fundraising software charges for its tools. The processing fee is what the card networks and the payment processor (such as Stripe or PayPal) charge to move the money. They are two separate layers. A platform can lower or even waive its own fee, but processing charges exist regardless of which platform you use, because the card transaction itself has a cost.

Do donor-covered fees really help my organization keep more?

Yes. When a donor opts to cover fees, the platform and processing costs are added on top of their gift, so your organization receives the full intended amount. Most modern platforms offer this as a simple checkbox at checkout, and a clear, polite prompt tends to get high opt-in rates. It is one of the most effective ways to lower your net cost without raising your asking amount.

Are 0% or "free" fundraising platforms actually free?

Not entirely. "0%" usually means 0% to the organization, with the platform funded by voluntary donor tips, and payment processing still applies separately. That can work well, but check the default tip percentage and whether donors can easily set it to zero. The real cost has shifted to your donors rather than disappearing, so weigh whether tip prompts fit your audience.

Is it safer to use a platform where I connect my own payment account?

For most schools and nonprofits, yes. When you connect your own account (your own Stripe account, for example), donations land directly in your bank and no middleman holds your money, which usually means faster payouts and more control. ScanRaise works this way and never holds your funds. Always confirm who holds the money and how quickly it reaches your account before committing.

How to Lower Fundraising Platform Fees (2026)

Most fundraising platforms quietly stack several fees on top of each other. Once you can see the whole stack, lowering it is mostly a matter of choosing the right model and turning on a few settings.

Why fundraising fees are confusing on purpose

When a PTA or school treasurer compares fundraising tools, the advertised number is rarely the real number. One platform says 0%, another says 5%, another says "free." None of those phrases tells you what actually lands in your bank account after a $25 donation.

The reason is that fundraising costs are a stack, not a single line. There is the platform's own fee, the separate payment processing fee charged by the card networks, and then a layer of add-on charges for features, support, or premium tiers. Platforms tend to advertise whichever number in that stack looks smallest and stay quiet about the rest.

The goal of this guide is not to push one product. It is to help you read the whole stack honestly so that, whatever platform you choose, you keep as much of each donation as possible.

The real cost stack: three layers, not one

Almost every online fundraising dollar passes through three separate cost layers. Understanding them separately is the single most useful thing you can do.

Platform fee. What the fundraising software charges for using its tools. This can be a flat percentage, a voluntary tip, or a high managed-service rate. This is the layer you have the most control over.
Payment processing. The card and wallet networks (usually via Stripe, PayPal, or similar) charge to move the money. A common rate as of 2026 is roughly 2.9% plus about 30 cents per transaction. This layer exists no matter which platform you pick, because someone has to process the card.
Add-ons and surcharges. Per-feature charges (text-to-give, events, auctions), monthly subscriptions, setup fees, premium support, or contract minimums. These are the easiest costs to overlook and often the easiest to avoid.

The main fee models, explained honestly

Most platforms use one of four pricing models. Each has trade-offs, and the "cheapest" headline is not always the cheapest in practice.

Flat percentage. A transparent, fixed platform fee (for example 2.5%) on every donation, on top of payment processing. Easy to predict and easy to budget. Best when you want one honest number you can plan around.
Tip or donor-covered model. The platform charges 0% to your org but asks each donor to add a voluntary tip or cover the platform's cut. Your org can keep nearly everything, but the real cost shifts to your donors, and tip prompts can feel awkward or reduce average gift size.
0% with tips. A marketing-friendly framing of the model above. "Free" for the organization, funded entirely by donor tips. Read the default tip percentage and whether donors can easily set it to zero.
Managed or sales-gated high percentage. Full-service platforms that bundle staff support, printing, and account management for a high rate (sometimes 5% or more), often behind a sales call and an annual contract. Can make sense for very large campaigns that need hands-on help, but expensive for a typical school or PTA.

Keep more of every dollar: practical moves

You will not eliminate fees entirely, because card processing is real and someone pays it. But you can shrink the platform layer to near zero and trim the rest. Here is where the savings actually come from.

Choose a transparent flat fee. A clear, fixed percentage with no setup, monthly, or contract charges is almost always cheaper over a season than a high managed rate, and far easier to budget. Make sure the quoted fee is the platform fee and confirm processing is separate.
Turn on donor-covered fees. Most modern platforms let donors check a box to add the fees on top of their gift. When donors opt in, your org receives the full intended amount. It is genuinely the simplest way to lower your net cost, and most donors say yes when asked politely.
Avoid per-feature surcharges. If text-to-give, event ticketing, auctions, or raffles each cost extra, the bill adds up fast. Prefer an all-in-one platform where those tools are included rather than billed separately.
Skip long contracts and minimums. Annual contracts, setup fees, and monthly subscriptions are fixed costs you pay whether you raise money or not. A pay-as-you-go model with no commitment protects a small org during slow months.
Keep your own money. Prefer platforms where you connect your own payment account (your own Stripe account, for instance) and the funds land directly in your bank. This avoids a middleman holding your money, speeds up payouts, and keeps you in control. ScanRaise works this way: organizations connect their own Stripe account and ScanRaise never holds the funds.
Batch and consolidate. Fewer, larger transactions cost less than many tiny ones because of the flat per-transaction processing charge. Encouraging a single combined gift instead of several small ones, or consolidating campaigns under one platform, trims the per-transaction overhead.
Just ask donors to cover fees. Beyond a checkbox, simple language at checkout ("Add 3% so your school receives your full gift") meaningfully lifts opt-in rates. Adults should handle all money and checkout; students never need to.

A worked example

Say a supporter gives $50. Payment processing of roughly 2.9% plus 30 cents takes about $1.75 in every scenario, because the card still has to be processed. The difference is the platform layer.

On a high managed plan at 5%, the platform takes another $2.50, so your org nets around $45.75. On a transparent flat 2.5% plan, the platform takes $1.25, and your org nets around $47. If the donor checks a fees-covered box, your org can receive the full $50 and the supporter pays the small extra.

The numbers above are illustrative, not a quote, and exact processing rates vary by provider and country as of 2026. The point is the pattern: the platform fee and the donor-covered option are the two levers you control, and together they can move several percent of every dollar.

How ScanRaise fits in (one honest example)

ScanRaise is one option that reflects the lower-fee principles above, and it is not the only valid answer. It charges a flat 2.5% platform fee with no setup, monthly, or contract fees. Stripe's standard processing (around 2.9% plus 30 cents as of 2026) applies separately, exactly as it would on any platform, and there is a donor-cover-fees checkbox so supporters can absorb the cost.

Organizations connect their own Stripe account and keep their own money. ScanRaise never holds your funds. Donors scan a QR code and give in about 30 seconds with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or card, with no app and no account to create. Athons, peer-to-peer pages, event ticketing, auctions, raffles, a merch store, donor CRM, and text-to-give are included rather than billed as separate add-ons.

Whether or not ScanRaise is right for you, hold every platform to the same test: a transparent flat fee, a donor-cover option, no surprise surcharges, no long contract, and direct access to your own money. Those are the things that actually lower what you pay.

How to Lower Your Fundraising Platform Fees (2026)