Transaction fees & donation disbursement
A summary of the critical, helpful details about how long it takes for donations to journey through the Give Lively platform and what costs are involved. (Hint: we don't charge anything, but third-party processors do.)
Fees & Disbursement
The donation journey
Third-party processing fees
as of September 2025
We don't charge for the unlimited use of our powerful and practical technology – no annual fees, no setup fees, no other fees or hidden fees. However, we use independent services to securely manage the financial transaction process, from donation to disbursement.
These services – Stripe, PayPal and Lob – do charge small fees. See the charts below for the fees charged by Stripe and PayPal, our payment processors. There is a discounted base rate for qualified nonprofits that register with Stripe and PayPal. Lob charges $1.01 for every check disbursement. The fees may be covered by the donor. Fees are always subject to change at any time by the independent services. Always verify directly with the services themselves for the latest updates.
Give Lively nonprofit members can only add PayPal as an optional additional payment method. It can’t be the sole payment processor. When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo will automatically appear as a payment method, but only to US-based donors using a supported device and only on our new payment form. PayPal/Venmo transaction fees can be covered by the donor when using the new payment form, but not when using a first-generation payment form.
Learn more about third-party processing fees and about the data privacy and security practices put in place by us and these independent services.‍
We also accept tips (not tax-deductible) to Give Lively from donors, though these are not fees, are entirely voluntary and have no effect on the final donation amount the nonprofit receives. Learn more about voluntary tips to Give Lively.
PAYMENT METHODS
ACH/Bank Transfer
There are limits to ACH/bank donations.**
Major Credit Cards
Major cards include: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club and JCB. Rates apply to cards used directly and when stored in digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
American Express
Rates apply to cards used directly and when stored in digital Wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
STANDARD DOMESTIC BASE RATES
0.8% (cap of $5)
2.9% + $0.30
2.9% + $0.30
DOMESTIC BASE RATES WITH NONPROFIT DISCOUNT
0.8% (cap of $5)
2.2% + $0.30
3.5%
INTERNATIONAL RATES
Not currently available
base rate + 1% + 1%*
* This additional 1% fee only applies if currency conversion is required.
base rate + 1% + 1%*
* This additional 1% fee only applies if currency conversion is required.
ACH/Bank Transfer
Major Credit Cards
* This additional 1% fee only applies if currency conversion is required.
American Express
* This additional 1% fee only applies if currency conversion is required.
** We use two services for ACH transfers and they have different ACH payment limits:
- With Plaid, Stripe imposes a per-nonprofit limit of $2,000 per ACH transaction, $6,000 per day in ACH donations and $10,000 per week (Monday to Sunday).
- With Stripe Financial Connections, there are no individual transaction or daily limits and the weekly limit is more dynamic, calculated by Stripe based on several criteria specific to the nonprofit. This limit is designed to increase as nonprofits scale up.
With both Plaid and Stripe Financial Connections, nonprofits should contact Stripe immediately about larger donations to review limits and request increases.
Payment processors can sometimes add additional fees depending on other factors.
When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo may also automatically appear as a payment method.***
** Fixed fee is based on the currency used.See more here.
PAYMENT METHOD
PayPal is only available on Give Lively as an optional additional payment method for use by donors who have a PayPal account.
When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo may also automatically appear as a payment method.***
STANDARD DOMESTIC BASE RATES
2.99% + $0.49
DOMESTIC BASE RATES WITH NONPROFIT DISCOUNT *
1.99% + $0.49
INTERNATIONAL RATE
(ONLY FOR PAYPAL)
3.49% + fixed fee**
** Fixed fee is based on the currency used. See more here.
* To enjoy special discounted transaction fees on payment through PayPal, a qualified organization must register an account with PayPal as a nonprofit and confirm its nonprofit status. This helpful PDF includes a checklist of what is needed to complete PayPal’s registration. Learn more about how to get confirmed charity status with PayPal.
*** When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo will also automatically appear as a payment method, but only to US-based donors using a supported device and only on our new payment form.
Give Lively member nonprofits can only add PayPal as an optional additional payment method. It can't be the sole payment processor. PayPal will also only process donations when a donor's selected payment method is PayPal. All other payment methods (credit/debit, ACH etc.) are handled by Stripe. PayPal/Venmo transaction fees can be covered by the donor when using the new payment form, but not when using a first-generation payment form.
PAYMENT METHODS
ACH/Bank Transfer
Not yet available on Give Lively
Major Credit Cards
Major cards include: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club and JCB.
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American Express
DOMESTIC RATES
0.8% (cap of $5)
1.99% + $0.25
3.4%
INTERNATIONAL RATES
U.S.-based banks only
No extra charge for international transacctions
No extra charge for international transacctions
ACH/Bank Transfer
Major Credit Cards
American Express
How disbursement works
as of September 2025
Major Credit Cards
ACH/Bank Transfer
When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo may also automatically appear as a payment method.***
PAYMENT PROCESSORS
PAYMENT METHODS
Major Credit Cards
Most credit cards include: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club and JCB. Rates apply to cards used directly and when stored in digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
ACH/Bank Transfer
There are limits to ACH/bank donations.**
PayPal is only available on Give Lively as an optional additional payment method for use by donors who have a PayPal account.
When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo may also automatically appear as a payment method.***
DISBURSEMENT TIMEFRAMES
Within 2 business days
Within 7 business days
0-3 business days *
* Funds received through PayPal and Venmo are deposited almost instantly to a nonprofit's PayPal account. Transfers to the nonprofit's bank account must be triggered by the nonprofit and can happen in two ways: (1) 'Instant Transfer' to an eligible bank typically occurs in minutes, but varies by bank (fees, limits and other holds may apply); or (2) 'Standard Transfer' is 1-3 business days at no additional cost.
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** We use two services for ACH transfers and they have different ACH payment limits:
- With Plaid, Stripe imposes a per-nonprofit limit of $2,000 per ACH transaction, $6,000 per day in ACH donations and $10,000 per week (Monday to Sunday).
- With Stripe Financial Connections, there are no individual transaction or daily limits and the weekly limit is more dynamic, calculated by Stripe based on several criteria specific to the nonprofit. This limit is designed to increase as nonprofits scale up.
With both Plaid and Stripe Financial Connections, nonprofits should contact Stripe immediately about larger donations to review limits and request increases.
*** When PayPal is integrated with our platform, Venmo will also automatically appear as a payment method, but only to US-based donors using a supported device and only on our new payment form.
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‍Important Stripe disbursement notes:
‍Funds processed through Stripe are deposited directly to a nonprofit's designated account. Give Lively member nonprofits must have a fully authorized Stripe account connected with Give Lively.
Stripe integration means nonprofits gain immediate access to donation data and the ability to export donor data from Stripe.
