Step 1
Donor selects $50
The donor picks a gift amount on the campaign or athlete page.
Fee breakdown
How donor-paid fees work at checkout
Every HometownLift donation includes two added charges on the donor's side: a 5% platform fee and estimated card processing. The organization receives the full gift amount.
Step by step
What happens when a donor gives $50
Step 2
Platform fee calculated
HometownLift adds a 5% platform fee: $2.50. This supports the platform and is shown as a separate line item.
Step 3
Processing fee estimated
Stripe card processing is estimated and added: ~$1.82. The actual amount depends on the card type.
Step 4
Donor sees the total
The checkout shows: $50.00 gift + $2.50 platform fee + ~$1.82 processing = ~$54.32 total.
Step 5
Organization receives $50.00
The full $50.00 gift amount is deposited to the organization's Stripe-connected bank account. No deductions.
Why this model
Why shift fees to the donor?
Predictable payouts
Directors and treasurers know exactly what the organization will receive. No reconciliation math.
Easier board conversations
One sentence explains the policy: donors cover fees, the organization keeps 100%.
Donor trust
Donors see exactly where their money goes. Transparency increases willingness to give.
No fee negotiation
The 5% rate is standard. No tiered pricing, no sales calls, no custom contracts.
Technical details
How processing fees are calculated
Card processing fees are estimated at checkout based on Stripe's standard domestic card rate (2.9% + $0.30). The actual processing cost depends on the card type, card network, and whether the card is domestic or international.
The processing fee shown at checkout is an estimate. The actual cost charged by Stripe may vary slightly depending on the card used. The organization receives the full gift amount regardless of the actual processing cost.
Fee formula
- Platform fee5% of gift amount
- Processing estimate2.9% + $0.30
- Applied toDonor's checkout total
- Org deduction$0.00
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