For the nonprofit — yes. Zeffy charges no platform fee and no processing fee, and states that "100% of all payments you receive through Zeffy go directly to your nonprofit." It is funded by an optional contribution ("tip") donors are asked to add at checkout, on top of their donation. Zeffy says "on average, 2 of 3 donors leave us a tip."
What "free" means here, precisely
All of the following are Zeffy's own published statements (sources and dates on the methodology page):
- The organization pays nothing. "No transaction fees. No platforms fees. No fees period." Zeffy covers card processing costs.
- The donor sees a tip request. At checkout, donors are shown a suggested optional contribution to Zeffy. The prompt appears twice — during the form and again at payment confirmation.
- The tip is genuinely optional. Donors can adjust the amount or decline; the nonprofit still receives 100% of the donation either way.
- The org cannot change the prompt. "The wording and suggested amounts in the contribution dropdown cannot be customized."
- The suggested amount is dynamic. "The suggested percentage fluctuates based on the transaction amount — the larger the donation, the lower the percentage." Zeffy does not publish a fixed default percentage.
Worked example
| Scenario | Donor is charged | Nonprofit receives | Zeffy receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 donation, donor declines the tip | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 |
| $100 donation, donor tips 10% | $110.00 | $100.00 | $10.00 |
| $1,000 donation, donor tips 5% | $1,050.00 | $1,000.00 | $50.00 |
The pattern: the tip never comes out of the donation. It changes what the donor pays, not what you receive. Whether your donors are comfortable being asked is a judgment call only you can make for your donor base.
What to verify for your own case
- Zeffy publishes no itemized ACH or AmEx fee schedule; its blanket claim is that there are no fees of any kind. If large bank-transfer gifts matter to you, confirm directly with Zeffy.
- The "2 of 3 donors tip" figure is Zeffy's own published statistic, not an independent audit.
- If you want a checkout with no third-party tip request at all, that is a different model with real costs — see how the alternatives price it in the full calculator or the Zeffy vs Givebutter and Zeffy vs Donorbox breakdowns.
See the donor-side cost on your numbers
Zeffy next to the do-it-yourself PayPal baseline. The tip slider sets your assumption for the average donor tip: