Donation fee coverage calculator
Set the amount you want to actually reach you, and see what a donor pays if they choose to cover the processing fee — the gross-up worked backward through Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢. No sign-up; the math runs in your browser.
For $50.00 to reach you after Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, a donor who opts to cover the fee pays $51.80 — an extra $1.80. Without fee coverage, the same $50.00 gift would leave you $48.25 after the fee.
| Reaches you | Donor pays | Extra covered |
|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $10.61 | $0.61 |
| $25.00 | $26.06 | $1.06 |
| $50.00 | $51.80 | $1.80 |
| $100.00 | $103.30 | $3.30 |
| $250.00 | $257.78 | $7.78 |
Fee coverage is a donor-side choice some platforms offer at checkout — it doesn't remove the fee, it just shifts who pays it, and the money still goes to Stripe (2.9% + 30¢ standard US card rate). CrowdCreate charges a flat $20/mo and takes no cut either way. Estimates only.
Fee coverage shifts the fee, it doesn't erase it
Every card donation carries a processing fee — Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per charge. Normally that comes out of the gift, so a $50 donation leaves you a little under $50. "Fee coverage" flips that: the donor adds the fee on top, so the full $50 reaches you.
It's a small ask, and many donors happily say yes when offered the choice. What it can't do is make the fee disappear — the processor still gets paid. The fee goes to Stripe either way; CrowdCreate adds nothing on top and stays a flat $20/month.
Common questions
What does "cover the fees" actually mean?
It's an option some donation forms show at checkout: the donor agrees to pay a little extra so the full amount they intended reaches you after the processing fee. It doesn't remove the fee — it shifts who pays it. The fee still goes to the payment processor.
How is the donor's amount calculated?
It's a gross-up: to net a target amount after a 2.9% + 30¢ fee, the donor pays (target + 30¢) ÷ (1 − 2.9%). That's a little more than the target, and the difference is exactly the fee that would otherwise have come out of your gift.
Does CrowdCreate take a cut of this?
No. CrowdCreate is a flat $20/month with no cut of donations. The only fee involved is Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢, which goes to Stripe — whether the donor covers it or you absorb it.
Keep more of what you raise
Take donations on your own site, on your own Stripe, for a flat $20/mo — no cut of your donations.
Start your fundRelated: the effective fee calculator and the donation fee calculator.