Stripe offers a discounted rate for nonprofits, but you have to ask for it. Verified nonprofits in the US process donations at 2.2% + 30¢ per card transaction, down from the standard online rate of 2.9% + 30¢. On $100,000 of annual donations, that's $700 back in your budget every year, for the cost of one email to Stripe support.
Who qualifies for the nonprofit rate?
Stripe's eligibility requirements are straightforward:
- You are a registered 501(c)(3) organization
- At least 80% of your payment volume is tax-deductible donations
That second requirement matters more than most organizations expect. If the bulk of your Stripe volume is ticket sales, tuition or membership fees, you may not qualify, even with valid 501(c)(3) status.
How do I apply?
Contact Stripe support with three things:
- Your Stripe account ID
- Your EIN or IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
- Confirmation that at least 80% of your volume is tax-deductible donations
Stripe reviews the documents and applies the discounted rate to your account. Please note, the discount is not retroactive, so charges processed before approval stay at the standard rate. Apply early.
What does the discount cover?
Donations only. This is the fine print that surprises people:
- Covered: tax-deductible donations
- Not covered: membership fees, tuition, event tickets, registrations, auction payments
- Also not covered: American Express transactions, which process at their standard rate regardless
If your organization runs a mix of donations and program revenue, the discounted rate applies to the donation side only.
Is Stripe free for nonprofits?
No. There is no monthly fee, but every donation pays a processing fee. Stripe has no fully-free tier for nonprofits, and neither does any other card processor; the card networks themselves charge interchange on every transaction. The 2.2% + 30¢ rate is the discount.
What about the Payment app?
The Payment app is free to download, with our standard 1.2% fee per sale on top of Stripe's processing rate. For nonprofits that want Enterprise features, like letting volunteers accept donations at events without sharing your Stripe login, there is a discounted Enterprise for Non-profits plan at $19 per month instead of the standard $29.
In addition, if your organization collects donations in person, at galas, races or community events, a card reader or Tap to Pay processes at Stripe's lower in-person rate of 2.7% + 5¢, which stacks nicely with the donation volume you're already running online.
Learn more about using the Payment app as a nonprofit: https://paymentforstripe.com/non-profits
