Is Zeffy really free? The tip model, explained
Yes, Zeffy is really free. It charges nonprofits no platform fee and no processing fee, so 100% of every donation arrives. The model is funded by optional tips donors can add at checkout, with Stripe handling payments underneath. The two things to understand are the tip prompt and the payout schedule.
How the money works
Zeffy runs on Stripe, the same processor behind most donation platforms. Processing normally costs somebody a percentage of each gift. On Zeffy, that somebody is not you and not deducted from your donors’ gifts. At checkout, donors see an optional tip to Zeffy, set the amount themselves, and can set it to zero. Enough donors tip that the model works.
This is a real business model, not a promotional rate. There is no trial clock running and no paid tier waiting behind the free one. Forms, event ticketing, raffles, and memberships are all included at the same price of zero.
One disclosure worth making: this site earns affiliate income from several platforms we cover, and nothing from Zeffy, because a platform with no fees has no margin to share. Recommending it anyway is easy when the fit is right.
Consideration one: the tip prompt
The tip ask is donor-facing, which means a step in your checkout carries Zeffy’s request rather than yours. Some organizations pause on that.
In practice, most shops find donors take it in stride. The prompt is transparent about what it funds, the donor stays in control of the amount, and the alternative on other platforms is fees quietly deducted from the gift. Many organizations see it as the cleaner arrangement: the donor knowingly funds the tool instead of the nonprofit silently paying for it. It is a tradeoff, and one that plenty of shops accept happily.
Worth doing before you decide: run a $5 test donation to yourself and see the prompt exactly as your donors will.
Consideration two: payout timing
Zeffy pays out on a schedule rather than instantly. For routine operations this is a bookkeeping detail. It matters in two cases: a shop running very tight on cash flow, or an event where you want proceeds in the account the next morning. If either describes you, plan the calendar around the payout dates. That is the entire adjustment.
Who Zeffy fits
Zeffy is the strongest fit for shops under $250k, where every processing point is real money and the included ticketing and raffle tools replace separate purchases. It also suits any organization whose board asks why software is taking a percentage of gifts, because the answer becomes “it isn’t.”
Shops with different priorities have good options too. Givebutter also runs free with donor tips enabled and brings a particularly polished donor experience with strong event and peer-to-peer tools, plus an optional Plus CRM tier from about $29/mo.
The evaluation costs nothing by definition. Create a Zeffy account, build one form, and donate to yourself. Our Zeffy review covers the full feature set if you want the long version first.
For where free processing fits alongside the rest of your tools, see the under-$250k stack.
Common questions
Does Zeffy take any percentage of donations?
No. Zeffy charges no platform fee and no processing fee, so 100% of every donation reaches the nonprofit. Its costs are covered by optional tips that donors can choose to add at checkout.
Are Zeffy tips required for donors?
No. The tip is optional and the donor chooses the amount, including zero. Enough donors choose to tip that the model funds the platform, which is why Zeffy can stay free for nonprofits.
What is the catch with Zeffy?
There is no hidden fee. The two things to plan around are the donor-facing tip prompt at checkout and payouts that arrive on a schedule rather than instantly. Both are transparent tradeoffs, not costs.
This post is part of the guide to the grassroots fundraising stack (under $250k raised).