Payments and fees
Card fees on donations: what UK churches and charities really pay
What card and Direct Debit payments cost UK churches and charities, how platform fees add up, and how “cover the fees” works. With a card fee calculator.
The short answer
Online gifts carry two kinds of cost. The payment fee goes to the card or Direct Debit provider: with Stripe it’s 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards, and 1% for Bacs Direct Debit (at least 20p, at most £4). The platform fee goes to your giving platform, and it’s where costs differ most: some charge a percentage of every gift, others a flat monthly fee. On a £20 card gift, the payment fee is 50p, and a giver who wants to cover it adds 51p.
What does it cost to take a card donation?
These are Stripe’s published UK rates as of October 2026. Apple Pay and Google Pay cost the same as the card behind them.
| Payment | Fee | On a £20 gift |
|---|---|---|
| Standard UK cards | 1.5% + 20p | £0.50 |
| Premium UK cards | 1.9% + 20p | £0.58 |
| European (EEA) cards | 2.5% + 20p | £0.70 |
| International cards | 3.25% + 20p | £0.85 |
| Bacs Direct Debit | 1%, 20p to £4 | £0.20 |
Because of the fixed 20p, small card gifts cost proportionally more: a £5 gift costs about 28p (5.5%), while a £100 gift costs £1.70 (1.7%). Try your own amounts:
Card fee calculator
Using Stripe’s published UK rates as of October 2026. Charities can ask Stripe about discounted rates. Your platform’s own fee, if it charges one, comes on top.
Platform fees: the cost that varies most
Every giving platform pays a payment provider, so the payment fee is much the same wherever you go. What changes is how the platform itself charges. There are three common models:
- A percentage of every gift, often 1% to 5% on top of card fees. The more your church receives, the more you pay.
- A flat monthly fee, which stays the same however much is given.
- “Free” to the church, funded by givers, where the platform asks each giver for an optional extra contribution to the platform.
Here’s what a percentage costs over a year, compared with a flat £9.99 a month. Card fees apply either way, so they’re left out.
| Given online each month | 1% fee | 2% fee | 3% fee | £9.99 a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £500 | £60 | £120 | £180 | £119.88 |
| £2,000 | £240 | £480 | £720 | £119.88 |
| £5,000 | £600 | £1,200 | £1,800 | £119.88 |
| £10,000 | £1,200 | £2,400 | £3,600 | £119.88 |
To be fair to percentages: if your church receives only a few hundred pounds a month online, a low percentage can cost about the same or less. As giving grows, a flat fee keeps more for your church.
How does “cover the fees” work?
Many giving pages let the giver tick a box to add the card fee to their gift, so your church receives the full amount. The extra has to be slightly more than the fee on the original gift, because the fee is charged on the total, including the extra. The sum is:
total = (gift + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee)
For a £20 gift on a standard UK card: (£20 + £0.20) ÷ (1 − 0.015) = £20.51. Stripe takes 51p and your church receives £20. Adding just 50p wouldn’t be quite enough.
Keep the option clear and honest: show the exact amount, explain it in a few words, and make it easy to say no. Givers are generous when they understand what they’re choosing.
Do card fees affect Gift Aid?
Generally not. The fee is a cost to your church of receiving the gift, so Gift Aid is claimed on the gift the giver made, not on what’s left after the fee. Your records should show the gift, the fee and what was paid out, so the claim can be checked. GoodSeed claims Gift Aid on each gift itself and keeps that record for you.
How to keep card fees down
- Offer Bacs Direct Debit for larger regular gifts. On a £100 monthly gift, a standard UK card costs £1.70 and Bacs Direct Debit £1. On £500, a card costs £7.70 and Direct Debit is capped at £4.
- Let givers cover the fee, so it costs the church nothing.
- Ask about charity rates. Payment providers, including Stripe, can offer discounted pricing to registered charities. It’s worth asking once your giving is established.
- Encourage regular gifts over many small one-off gifts, where the fixed 20p adds up.
- Avoid percentage platform fees once your giving has grown past the point where a flat fee is cheaper.
Other costs worth knowing about
- Refunds: Stripe doesn’t return its original fee when you refund a gift.
- Disputes: if a cardholder disputes a payment with their bank, Stripe charges a dispute fee. Clear receipts and a recognisable name on bank statements make disputes rare.
- Payouts: standard payouts from Stripe to your church’s UK bank account don’t cost extra.
Questions people ask
Do charities get lower card fees?
Sometimes. Stripe and other payment providers can offer discounted rates to registered charities, so ask them directly. Rates and eligibility change, so check what’s on offer when you apply.
Do Apple Pay and Google Pay cost more?
No. They’re charged the same as the card the giver has saved in their wallet.
Is it fair to ask givers to cover the card fee?
Yes, as long as it’s optional, clearly explained and shows the exact amount. Many givers are glad to make sure all of their gift reaches the church.
Why does a small gift cost more in fees?
Because of the fixed part of the fee. The 20p on a £5 gift is 4% of it on its own, while on a £100 gift it hardly registers.
Are standing orders free?
Usually, yes: a standing order is a bank transfer the giver sets up, so there’s no card fee. The trade-off is that the giver has to set it up and change it at their own bank. See regular giving for churches.
Sources
- Stripe: UK pricing
- Stripe: Bacs Direct Debit payments in the UK
- HMRC: Charities detailed guidance, chapter 3 (Gift Aid)
Checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Rules and rates change, so check the latest guidance before you rely on a figure. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.