Fees
Every fee, shown before anyone pays.
GivJoy's fee: Free 0%, Starter 1%, Pro 2% of each online gift.
Card processing is separate, and donors can choose to cover both.
- In developmentPlanned pricing. Final details at launch.
The examples are illustrative, at a standard card rate of 2.9% + 30¢. Real processing depends on the payment method and your nonprofit's account.
Harbor Literacy
Your gift on Starter, fees covered
- Gift
- $100.00
- Fees
- $4.33
- Tip
- $0
- Total
- $104.33
- Harbor Literacy receives$100.00
- Card processing$3.33
- GivJoy fee$1.00
- Tip$0
Where every dollar goes
One $100.00 gift on each plan
Without fee coverage, both fees come out of the gift. Nobody is asked for a tip.
Illustrative, at a standard card rate of 2.9% + 30¢. Planned pricing; final details at launch.
The short answer
Every online charge is made of three amounts
The gift
The amount the donor chose.
GivJoy's fee
A share of the gift: 0% on Free, 1% on Starter, 2% on Pro.
Stripe's processing fee
Every plan pays it.
Donors can choose to cover the fees. Fee coverage is optional and itemized before payment.
The fees in plain numbers
| Free | Starter | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GivJoy fee on each online gift | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Card processing (example rate) | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Monthly subscription | None | None | None |
| Fee coverage | Optional | Optional | Optional |
- Processing is Stripe's, on your nonprofit's own account, on every plan, including Free.
- GivJoy doesn't add anything to it.
- A free plan is still not free processing, so you see it on every gift.
What GivJoy's fee applies to
The fee applies to
- The gift the donor chose, never the coverage they add on top.
- Online event tickets, after any ticket code, plus any gift added at checkout.
- Each monthly payment, once it's paid.
There is no GivJoy fee on
- cash and check gifts you record
- tickets paid by cash or check
- gifts you import from another system
- payments that fail
- test payments (they carry a simulated fee, and no real money moves)
- the future value of a monthly gift (each monthly payment is its own gift, with its own fee once it's paid)
Fee coverage, line by line
- Help cover fees starts checked at checkout.
- The donor sees exactly what it adds and can remove it with one tap.
- If they remove it, the total goes back to the gift they chose. The fees come out of what you receive.
- Your reports show those fees either way.
What a donor sees for a $50.00 gift to a nonprofit on Starter:
| Checkout line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gift | $50.00 |
| Help cover fees | +$2.32 |
| Total charged | $52.32 |
| Nonprofit proceeds | $50.00 |
- Coverage adds the smallest whole-cent amount that leaves the full gift.
- Processing uses the charged total; GivJoy's fee uses the gift amount only.
- Actual processing costs can vary, because the processor charges on the final total and rates vary by card.
- Lower real processing stays with your nonprofit. Higher comes out of what you receive.
- A donor is never charged again to make up the difference. The amount is shown before the donor confirms.
Worked example: a $50.00 gift on Starter
| Donor covers fees | Donor doesn't cover fees | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Fee coverage the donor adds | $2.32 | None |
| Donor pays | $52.32 | $50.00 |
| Card processing (example rate) | −$1.82 | −$1.75 |
| GivJoy fee (1% of the gift) | −$0.50 | −$0.50 |
| Nonprofit receives | $50.00 | $47.75 |
Illustrative. Processing is 2.9% of the amount charged plus 30¢, rounded to the cent.
Three gift sizes on every plan
What the nonprofit receives, and what the donor pays when they cover the fees.
$25.00 gift
| Plan | GivJoy fee | Not covered: nonprofit receives | Covered: donor pays | Covered: nonprofit receives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (0%) | $0.00 | $23.97 | $26.06 | $25.00 |
| Starter (1%) | $0.25 | $23.72 | $26.31 | $25.00 |
| Pro (2%) | $0.50 | $23.47 | $26.57 | $25.00 |
$100.00 gift
| Plan | GivJoy fee | Not covered: nonprofit receives | Covered: donor pays | Covered: nonprofit receives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (0%) | $0.00 | $96.80 | $103.30 | $100.00 |
| Starter (1%) | $1.00 | $95.80 | $104.33 | $100.00 |
| Pro (2%) | $2.00 | $94.80 | $105.36 | $100.00 |
$1,000.00 gift
| Plan | GivJoy fee | Not covered: nonprofit receives | Covered: donor pays | Covered: nonprofit receives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (0%) | $0.00 | $970.70 | $1,030.17 | $1,000.00 |
| Starter (1%) | $10.00 | $960.70 | $1,040.47 | $1,000.00 |
| Pro (2%) | $20.00 | $950.70 | $1,050.77 | $1,000.00 |
All examples are illustrative, using a standard card rate of 2.9% + 30¢. Bank payments and other methods cost differently, and the checkout recalculates the quote for whatever method the donor picks.
See the detailed mathThe rounding rules, a $50.00 gift worked cent by cent, bank debit, tickets with an added gift and a year at $50,000.00.
The rules
- GivJoy's fee is the plan's percentage of the gift, rounded to the nearest cent with half a cent rounding up, once per payment.
- Processing is the method's percentage of the amount charged, rounded the same way, plus the method's fixed fee. Bank debit's percentage is capped at $5.00.
- Coverage unticked: the donor pays the gift. Processing and GivJoy's fee come out of it.
- Coverage ticked: the donor pays the smallest whole-cent total that leaves the nonprofit at least the full gift after both fees. GivJoy finds it by trying totals one cent at a time, so the result is exact. A leftover cent from rounding stays with the nonprofit.
- Coverage carries no GivJoy fee and never counts toward Raised or a campaign goal.
- Actual processing costs can vary. If Stripe's actual fee is lower, the difference stays with the nonprofit. If it's higher, the nonprofit receives a little less. A donor is never charged again to make up the difference.
- A quote holds for 15 minutes. The amounts a donor sees at checkout are saved and can't be repriced during that time, even if the plan or rate changes. After that, the donor sees and confirms any new total before paying.
- Event checkout figures GivJoy's fee and coverage once for the whole payment: ticket prices after any ticket code, plus any added gift.
Worked example: a $50.00 card gift on Starter, fees covered
- GivJoy's fee: 1% of $50.00 is $0.50.
- Try a total of $52.32. Processing is 2.9% of $52.32, which is $1.517, rounded to $1.52, plus $0.30: $1.82. Then $52.32 minus $1.82 minus $0.50 leaves exactly $50.00.
- Try one cent less, $52.31. Processing is still $1.82, which leaves $49.99. That is short, so $52.32 is the smallest total that works.
- The donor pays $52.32: the $50.00 gift plus $2.32 coverage. GivJoy receives $0.50, Stripe about $1.82, and the nonprofit about $50.00.
If Stripe's actual fee turns out to be $1.70, the donor still paid $52.32 and the nonprofit nets $50.12.
The same $50.00 gift, case by case
| Case | Gift | GivJoy fee | Coverage | Donor pays | Processing | Nonprofit receives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card, Free, covered | $50.00 | $0.00 | $1.80 | $51.80 | $1.80 | $50.00 |
| Card, Free, not covered | $50.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 |
| Card, Starter, covered | $50.00 | $0.50 | $2.32 | $52.32 | $1.82 | $50.00 |
| Card, Starter, not covered | $50.00 | $0.50 | $0.00 | $50.00 | $1.75 | $47.75 |
| Card, Pro, covered | $50.00 | $1.00 | $2.83 | $52.83 | $1.83 | $50.00 |
| Card, Pro, not covered | $50.00 | $1.00 | $0.00 | $50.00 | $1.75 | $47.25 |
| Card at a reported 2.2% plus 30 cents, Starter, covered | $50.00 | $0.50 | $1.94 | $51.94 | $1.44 | $50.00 |
The 2.2% row only shows how a reported rate changes the math; it is not a promise of anyone's Stripe price.
Payment-method assumptions
| Method | Gifts | Tickets and event add-on gifts | Rate assumed without a discounted rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cards | Yes | Yes | 2.9% plus 30 cents |
| Apple Pay and Google Pay | Yes, where the device supports them | Yes, where the device supports them | The card rate |
| US bank debit | Yes, one-time and monthly | Never | 0.8%, capped at $5.00 |
- These are Stripe's standard rates, used as examples.
- At setup, GivJoy asks whether the nonprofit has a discounted Stripe rate, such as Stripe's nonprofit discount, and uses the rate it reports instead.
- A bank payment takes several business days to clear and shows as Pending until then; nothing counts as raised before it clears.
Bank debit: a $1,000.00 gift on Starter
| Case | Gift | GivJoy fee | Coverage | Donor pays | Processing | Instant bank check | Nonprofit receives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covered, no new instant check | $1,000.00 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $1,015.00 | $5.00 (capped) | $0.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Not covered, no new instant check | $1,000.00 | $10.00 | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | $5.00 (capped) | $0.00 | $985.00 |
| Covered, first payment with a new instant check | $1,000.00 | $10.00 | $16.50 | $1,016.50 | $5.00 (capped) | $1.50 | $1,000.00 |
| Not covered, first payment with a new instant check | $1,000.00 | $10.00 | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | $5.00 (capped) | $1.50 | $983.50 |
- Stripe charges $1.50 for each instant bank check that succeeds.
- Fee coverage includes it on the first payment only. Test deposits and reuse without a new instant check add nothing.
Tickets with an added gift
Two $45.00 tickets and a $20.00 gift on Starter, paid by card with coverage ticked: GivJoy's fee is 1% of $110.00, which is $1.10. The total is $114.73: processing is $3.63, and $114.73 minus $3.63 minus $1.10 leaves $110.00.
A year at $50,000.00 raised online
An illustration, not a quote. Assumptions: $50,000.00 arrives as 1,000 card gifts of $50.00 each, every card at Stripe's standard 2.9% plus 30 cents, and no donor covers the fees.
Per gift, processing is 2.9% of $50.00, which is $1.45, plus $0.30: $1.75. Across 1,000 gifts that is $1,750.00.
| Without fee coverage | Free | Starter | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifts | $50,000.00 | $50,000.00 | $50,000.00 |
| GivJoy fees | $0.00 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Card processing (illustrative) | $1,750.00 | $1,750.00 | $1,750.00 |
| Total fees | $1,750.00 | $2,250.00 | $2,750.00 |
| Fees the nonprofit bears | $1,750.00 | $2,250.00 | $2,750.00 |
| Nonprofit receives | $48,250.00 | $47,750.00 | $47,250.00 |
If every donor keeps Help cover fees ticked, the same 1,000 gifts look like this:
| With fee coverage on every gift | Free | Starter | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage donors add | $1,800.00 | $2,320.00 | $2,830.00 |
| Donors pay in total | $51,800.00 | $52,320.00 | $52,830.00 |
| GivJoy fees | $0.00 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Card processing (illustrative) | $1,800.00 | $1,820.00 | $1,830.00 |
| Fees the nonprofit bears | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Nonprofit receives | $50,000.00 | $50,000.00 | $50,000.00 |
What the three totals mean:
- Total fees are GivJoy's fees plus processing.
- Fees the nonprofit bears are total fees minus the coverage donors added.
- Nonprofit receives is the net: what is left of the money collected after both fees. Coverage goes to the nonprofit with the gift but never counts as raised.
What changes the answer, with GivJoy's fees staying $0.00, $500.00, $1,000.00 on the same $50,000.00:
| Same $50,000.00, different mix, no coverage | Processing (illustrative) | Total fees: Free | Total fees: Starter | Total fees: Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 card gifts of $50.00 | $1,750.00 | $1,750.00 | $2,250.00 | $2,750.00 |
| 500 card gifts of $100.00 | $1,600.00 | $1,600.00 | $2,100.00 | $2,600.00 |
| 50 bank debit gifts of $1,000.00 | $250.00 | $250.00 | $750.00 | $1,250.00 |
- Gift count: the 30-cent fixed fee is charged per payment, so fewer, larger gifts cost less to process.
- Payment mix: bank debit costs much less than cards for large gifts because of its $5.00 cap. A new instant bank check adds $1.50.
- Fee coverage: moves processing and GivJoy's fee from the nonprofit to the donors who choose to cover them.
- The nonprofit's own rate: a discounted Stripe rate lowers processing on every plan.
Changing plans
- Change plans whenever you like. The new rate applies to new checkouts.
- Past gifts keep the fees they were made under. Monthly gifts keep collecting.
- Your contact records and receipts stay as they are.
- If a lower fee means a donor who covers fees pays less, they get a notice with their new total.
- A plan change never raises what an existing monthly donor is charged. If your rate goes up, the difference comes out of what you receive, not out of the donor's pocket.
Moving from Starter (1%) to Pro (2%) adds $10.00 in GivJoy fees for every $1,000.00 in future online gifts.
Refunds and disputes
The donor gets back what they paid.
A full refund returns the gift and any fees the donor covered.
A partial refund returns the same share of both: refunding 40% of a gift returns 40% of the gift and 40% of the coverage.
GivJoy keeps its fee
On full and partial refunds of gifts, monthly payments and event tickets.
The processor keeps its processing fee.
Stripe doesn't return it on a refund, so it stays a cost to your nonprofit.
Disputes stay with your nonprofit.
If a donor disputes a charge with their bank and the dispute is lost, the disputed amount and Stripe's dispute fee come out of your account, and GivJoy keeps its fee.
Kept fees never shrink a donor's refund.
We never take them out of what a donor was promised back.
- GivJoy and Stripe keep their fees when you refund a gift.
- Taking a $50.00 card gift on Starter with the fees covered, so the donor paid $52.32:
| Step | Donor gets back | Of which gift | Of which coverage | Left on the gift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refund $20.00 of the gift | $20.93 | $20.00 | $0.93 | $30.00 gift, $1.39 coverage |
| Refund the rest | $31.39 | $30.00 | $1.39 | Nothing |
- GivJoy keeps its $0.50 and Stripe its $1.82 throughout.
- After the full refund, the nonprofit has paid back $52.32 against the $50.00 it netted, so the refunded gift cost it $2.32.
- A bank payment is refunded in full only.
Where the money goes
- Gifts are charged directly on your nonprofit's own Stripe account, and your nonprofit is the merchant.
- Donors' money never passes through GivJoy's own Stripe balance; we collect our fee from each payment as it's made.
- When money moves from Stripe to your bank depends on your Stripe account.
- Final payout and refund terms are published in GivJoy's agreement with each nonprofit before GivJoy takes real gifts.
- Until live giving opens, every payment is a test payment and no real money moves, and every receipt says TEST PAYMENT: not valid for a tax deduction.
The fine printWhat the fee calculator takes, AI limits and test payments.
What the calculator takes
The fee calculator is on Pricing.
| Input | Choices | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Gift amount | $1.00 to $100,000.00 in this illustrative calculator | $50.00 |
| Plan | Free (0%), Starter (1%), Pro (2%) | Starter |
| Donor covers fees | Ticked or unticked | Ticked, as at a real checkout |
| Payment method | Not a choice in the calculator; it assumes a card | Card at 2.9% plus 30 cents |
It shows what the donor pays, the fee coverage added, the card processing, GivJoy's fee and what the nonprofit receives. The numbers update as soon as an input changes.
AI help on each plan
Each plan has one shared limit on AI help, set high enough that only misuse or a runaway loop reaches it. Nonprofits never see a meter or a count, and the numbers aren't published.
Test payments
Test payments in Stripe test mode carry a simulated fee that is never GivJoy revenue. GivJoy's testing runs on test payments.
Live payments wait for the required checks.
Last updated:
The GivJoy launch list
The launch list isn't open yet. Please check back soon.
You can email support@givjoy.io with questions.
What the labels mean
- Exploring
- We are looking into the problem. It may never be built.
- In development
- We are working on it. Not usable yet.
- Early access
- A few invited nonprofits can use it, in test mode where that applies.
- Live
- Available to the stated audience.
- Not pursuing
- Dropped or paused, with a short reason and a date.