Stripe Nonprofit Discount: How to Get the Lower Rate and What You'll Save

Does Stripe have a nonprofit rate?

Yes. Stripe's help center describes a fee discount for nonprofit organizations that you request through Stripe support. Stripe doesn't publish the rate on its own pages. Fundraise Up and other partners report it as 2.2% + 30¢ for non-Amex cards, with Amex at 3.5%, against the standard 2.9% + 30¢. Treat the partner figure as likely, and confirm your rate in writing when Stripe approves you.

What the discount actually covers

The reported discount takes 0.7 percentage points off the card rate. The 30¢ fixed fee stays the same, and Amex isn't discounted. Two rules decide whether you qualify:

1. At least 80% of your Stripe volume must be tax-deductible donations. Memberships, tuition, event tickets, registrations and auction sales don't count. A nonprofit that runs a big gala or sells memberships through the same account can miss the threshold.
2. The account must be used primarily for donations.

If your volume is mixed, one option is to run donations and sales through separate Stripe accounts. Ask Stripe whether that setup is acceptable for your organization before you rely on it.

Worked example

A nonprofit processes $120,000 a year in card donations through Stripe, in 2,000 transactions (average $60), none of them Amex.

Standard rate:

• $120,000 × 2.9% = $3,480
• 2,000 × $0.30 = $600
• Total: $4,080 per year

Reported nonprofit rate:

• $120,000 × 2.2% = $2,640
• 2,000 × $0.30 = $600
• Total: $3,240 per year

Saving: $4,080 − $3,240 = $840 per year. On any volume, the saving is 0.7% of non-Amex card volume: $120,000 × 0.007 = $840.

Amex changes the math. Stripe's standard 2.9% applies to domestic cards generally, while the reported nonprofit Amex rate is 3.5%. If 10% of that volume ($12,000) were Amex, the non-Amex saving is $108,000 × 0.007 = $756, and the Amex gifts cost $12,000 × 0.006 = $72 more than before (3.5% − 2.9%), for a net saving of $756 − $72 = $684. Check your Amex share before you apply.

Bank payments are cheaper still. Stripe's ACH Direct Debit is 0.8% capped at $5. A $60 ACH gift costs $0.48 versus $1.62 on a card at the nonprofit rate ($1.32 + $0.30). Moving recurring donors to ACH can save more than the card discount itself.

Using a donation platform built on Stripe?

Some donation forms and giving platforms process payments through a Stripe account in your organization's name. If yours does, the nonprofit rate is applied to that Stripe account, and you may be paying the standard rate without knowing it. Check:

1. Log in to your Stripe dashboard (if you have one) and look at the fee on a recent donation. At 2.9% + 30¢, a $60 gift shows a $2.04 fee; at 2.2% + 30¢, $1.62.
2. If you don't have direct Stripe access, ask your platform who holds the Stripe account and what processing rate you pay. Platforms often add their own fees on top, which the Stripe discount doesn't touch.

The free audit helps separate processor fees from platform fees.

Who should and shouldn't apply

Apply if most of your Stripe volume is donations. It costs nothing to ask, and a $120,000-a-year organization saves about $840.

Don't count on it if tickets, memberships or tuition are more than 20% of your Stripe volume.

Comparing processors? PayPal's charity rate is 1.99% + $0.49. Stripe's lower fixed fee wins on small gifts and PayPal's lower percentage wins on large ones. See the PayPal page and our nonprofit payment processing fees guide.

Church eligibility

Our data records no exclusion of churches. Stripe asks for valid tax documentation, such as an EIN or IRS 501(c)(3) letter. A church whose Stripe volume is mostly tax-deductible giving may meet the 80% donation test, but payments for events, camps or registrations on the same account count against it. See church eligibility for nonprofit discounts.