CharitMeHow payments work
- You give. Your card (or bank/PayPal/Venmo) is charged the amount you see — your donation, any optional support, and processing if you choose to cover it.
- Stripe processes it. Payments run through Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 processor. CharitMe never sees or stores your card details.
- The recipient is paid directly. Using Stripe Connect destination charges, the donation settles straight to the verified recipient’s connected account and out to their bank.
Where the fees go
- CharitMe platform fee: 0%. Always. We never charge organizers a required fee to create campaigns or receive donations.
- Donor support: optional. Suggested at 15%, but reducible to 0% in one tap with no dark patterns. This is what keeps CharitMe running.
- Processing fee: goes to the processor. Stripe’s fee (e.g. 2.9% + $0.30 for cards) is not CharitMe revenue. Cover it and 100% of your donation reaches the recipient.
CharitMe never holds your donation
This is the core of our model. Recipient funds are never routed into a CharitMe balance and never held in escrow. Donations settle directly to the verified recipient via Stripe. CharitMe only ever receives optional donor support and subscription revenue — never the donation itself.
Donor → Stripe → Verified recipient → Their bank account
Verification, security & compliance
- KYC / identity verification. Recipients verify their identity with Stripe before a campaign can accept donations. Unverified accounts cannot receive funds.
- PCI DSS Level 1. All card data is handled by Stripe — the highest payment security certification. See our Security page.
- AML monitoring. Stripe screens transactions for fraud and money-laundering risk; CharitMe adds its own trust & safety review. See Trust & Safety.
- Auditable ledger. Every donation, refund, and dispute is recorded in an immutable double-entry ledger and reconciled against Stripe daily.
Refunds & chargebacks
Refunds are supported and are reversed cleanly in the ledger. A full refund returns the entire gift; a lost dispute (chargeback) is reversed into a separate disputes account so the books always balance. Recipients are only paid on verified, settled donations.
Frequently asked questions
Does CharitMe take a cut of my donation?
No. CharitMe charges organizers a 0% platform fee. We are funded primarily by optional donor support, which you can set to any amount — including 0% — at checkout.
What is the processing fee?
Payment processors (Stripe and others) charge a fee to move money securely — for cards it is 2.9% + $0.30. This goes to the processor, not to CharitMe. If you choose to cover it, 100% of your donation reaches the recipient.
Does CharitMe ever hold my donation?
No. Donations are made as Stripe Connect destination charges and settle directly to the verified recipient’s connected account. CharitMe never takes custody of recipient funds; we only ever receive optional support and subscription revenue.
How do I know the recipient is real?
Recipients complete Stripe identity verification (KYC) before a campaign can accept donations. Donations are blocked until the recipient’s payout account is verified and payout-ready.
Can I get a refund?
Refunds are supported. When a refund or chargeback occurs, the transaction is reversed in our immutable double-entry ledger and reconciled daily, so the books always reflect reality.
Ready to start? Create a campaign for free, or read how it works and our pricing.