Cash App vs. Square – Best payment tool for nonprofits (2026)

Cash App VS Square

Cash App VS Square: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Payment processing Features

Payments processing

0% Processing / Transaction Fee

ACH / Bank Transfers

Credit / Debit Card Acceptance

Digital Wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)

International Payments

Fraud Detection

Built in Fundraising Tools (Tickets, Auctions, Forms. etc.)

PCI Compliance

Pricing

2.6% + fees.

2.6% + fees per gift add up fast

$23/mo + 3%

$23/mo + 3% fees + card fees

Processing fees

$0.

No fee

N/A.

No pricing information available

Platform fees

$0.

$0 for card purchase; Standard transfers free; Instant transfers 0.5%-1.75% ($0.25 minimum)

3%.

on Business plan for donations. 0% on Commerce plans.

Monthly fees

$0.

No monthly fees

$23/mo

Starting at $23/mo for Business plan

Value for money

4.3.

450+ reviews on Capterra. All-in-one fundraising, zero fees, unbeatable value.

N/A.

G2 score not found. Described as affordable with good value for nonprofits.

Features

4.2/5.

Simple peer-to-peer payments, but lacks nonprofit tools like donor tracking and tax receipts.

4.3/5.

Flexible payment processing with transaction fees on every sale, requiring separate tools for fundraising.

Donations

Accepts donations through peer-to-peer payments but lacks nonprofit-specific features like donor management or tax receipts

Square processes donations but charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. No built-in donor management or tax receipt automation.

Ticketing

No event ticketing system for nonprofit events, galas, or fundraisers

Square sells event tickets but charges fees on every ticket sale, reducing your event revenue and requiring separate event management.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Strong peer-to-peer payment features but missing nonprofit campaign tools and donor tracking

Square doesn't provide peer-to-peer fundraising tools. You'd need third-party software to run supporter-led campaigns.

Auctions

Cash App doesn't offer auction functionality for nonprofits

Square doesn't offer auction functionality. You'd need separate auction software and manual payment processing for bidders.

Raffles

No raffle or contest management features designed for nonprofit fundraising

Square processes raffle payments but doesn't offer raffle management features like ticket tracking or winner selection tools.

Online store

No built-in online store capabilities for selling nonprofit merchandise or products

Square offers e-commerce tools but charges transaction fees on every sale, eating into your fundraising revenue.

Memberships

Cash App doesn't offer membership management tools. You'd need separate software to track recurring donors and member benefits.

Square offers basic recurring payment options but lacks dedicated membership management tools for nonprofits

Donor Management/CRM

Basic transaction history only. No donor profiles, giving history tracking, or relationship management features for nonprofits.

Basic customer profiles and transaction history, but no nonprofit-specific donor management features

Emails & Newsletter

No email marketing or donor communication features. You'd need separate tools to send newsletters and thank donors.

No built-in email marketing or newsletter capabilities - requires third-party integrations

Payment Processing

Accepts donations via mobile app and web. Charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction with no fee-free options for nonprofits.

Payment methods

Credit cards and mobile payments only

Credit cards, digital wallets, and ACH transfers

Credit Card Payments

Yes - accepts all major credit cards with 2.6% + $0.15 processing fee

Yes - Square accepts all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Yes - supports digital wallet payments through mobile app

Yes - Square supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay for contactless payments

ACH / Bank Transfers

No - only supports debit card and bank account transfers, not ACH payments

Yes - Square supports ACH bank transfers for online payments and invoicing

Tap to Pay App

Yes - mobile app allows tap-to-pay functionality for in-person donations

Yes - Square offers Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android devices for contactless card payments

Customer Support

4.2/5.

4.3/5.

Unlimited Support

Cash App offers limited support with no dedicated nonprofit assistance

Square offers tiered support based on your plan level

Phone Support / Office Hours

Cash App doesn't provide phone support or scheduled office hours

Square provides phone support during standard business hours

Webinars

Cash App doesn't offer webinars or training sessions for nonprofits

Square offers regular training webinars and educational sessions for users

Help Center

Cash App has a basic help center with FAQs and troubleshooting guides

Square maintains a comprehensive help center with articles and guides

Cash App provides live chat support through their mobile app

Square provides live chat support during business hours

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Support built for individual users, not nonprofits — limited help with no phone or training options

Support access depends on plan level — designed for businesses, not mission-driven teams

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Cash App and Square?

Why choose Zeffy over Cash App and Square if you're a nonprofit

💸

No transaction fees means more money for your mission

Cash App and Square charge 2.6-2.9% plus fees on every donation. Zeffy charges zero fees, so 100% of every gift goes directly to your cause.

🏛️

Built for nonprofits, not adapted from business tools

Cash App and Square are payment processors built for businesses. Zeffy offers donor management, tax receipts, and fundraising tools designed for nonprofits.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Real support from people who understand fundraising

Cash App offers basic help center support and Square provides tiered support. Zeffy gives unlimited access to fundraising experts who understand your challenges.

Frequently asked questions

Why should nonprofits choose Zeffy over Cash App or Square for donations?

Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits - no monthly fees, no transaction fees, no hidden costs. Cash App charges 2.6% + $0.15 per donation, while Square charges $23/month plus 3% fees. With Zeffy, every dollar donated goes directly to your cause.

How does Zeffy compare to payment processors for nonprofit fundraising features?

Unlike Cash App and Square, Zeffy is built specifically for nonprofits. We offer donor management, automated tax receipts, peer-to-peer campaigns, event ticketing, and online stores - all at zero cost. Payment processors charge fees and lack these essential nonprofit tools.

What support does Zeffy provide compared to Cash App and Square?

Zeffy offers unlimited support with phone calls, webinars, and a dedicated help center - all free. Cash App provides basic mobile support with no nonprofit focus, while Square offers tiered support that costs extra for comprehensive help.

How much do Cash App and Square actually cost nonprofits compared to Zeffy?

Cash App charges 2.6% + $0.15 per donation, while Square charges $23/month plus 3% fees. For a nonprofit raising $10,000 monthly, that's $260-$330 in fees. Zeffy is 100% free - no monthly fees, no transaction fees, no hidden costs.

Why choose Zeffy over payment processors like Cash App and Square for nonprofit fundraising?

Payment processors like Cash App and Square charge fees and lack nonprofit tools. Zeffy offers donor management, automated tax receipts, event ticketing, and peer-to-peer campaigns at zero cost, plus unlimited support designed specifically for nonprofits.

Looking for a better option?

Zeffy was built for nonprofits like yours

focus on what matters

Built for small teams with big missions.

Zeffy is the fundraising platform that cuts out the fees, clears up your tech mess, and puts your cause first — so your team, even if you're a small team wearing many hats or a one-person show, can focus on what really matters.

Start your nonprofit

ZERO-FEE

Keep 100% of every dollar.

No platform fees. No processing fees. No catch. We know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Every penny goes straight to your mission, while competitors take 2-3% off every donation.

Start your nonprofit

ALL-IN-ONE PLatform

Ditch the tech mess.

Stop bouncing between MailChimp, Eventbrite, and all those spreadsheets. Now you can handle donations, ticket sales, memberships, raffles, and all your donor info in one spot.

Start your nonprofit

plug-and-play

Get going, fast.

Built for teams like yours — whether you're volunteer-led or have limited staff. Set up donation forms, sell tickets, and launch campaigns without needing a tech wizard. It's super easy, and you'll be up and running in minutes.

Start your nonprofit

mobile-first

Fundraise from every device, anywhere.

From QR codes on flyers to Tap-to-Pay on a phone, Zeffy makes it easy to accept donations on the go. Mobile-optimized and offline-ready, so no donor slips through the cracks.

Start your nonprofit

No turnover

Never lose a donor to volunteer transition.

Centralize supporter relationships, automate thank-you messages, and preserve institutional knowledge when board members rotate out.

Start your nonprofit

100% free forever.

100,000+ nonprofits trust Zeffy — and keep their fees at $0.

For 7+ years, Zeffy has supported nonprofits with free, user-friendly fundraising tools.

As a startup nonprofit with only two members, and no funding (yet) we’d need something with low (or no) fees. Zeffy was a dream come true.

Masey, Loose Ends.

Read the full story

“We were incurring a ton of fees for our past fundraising platform and Zeffy has helped us receive so much more of our donations.”

Zeffy has been invaluable in helping me track our donors, sales, events, and revenue in one spot. The coolest thing about Zeffy is it really is free!

Everything about Zeffy suits us starting with (of course, NO fees) but also the ease of use and customer experience as well as their client support!!

Zeffy is very easy to use and ensures that every dollar quickly gets into our account.. A huge help to our work!

Zeffy is very simple, allows for a lot of customization and seamlessly integrates into our website. The fact that all of this is free is still wild to me.

We couldn't believe there was a free payment platform for our Girl Scout group. Zeffy took ZERO fees from us, which is huge when you run on very small amounts of money.

We were ready to sell tickets in less than 30 minutes. The reporting capabilities were better than some other paid-for sites.

Since using Zeffy, our conversion rate of donations has skyrocketed. It's an easy platform to use. Plus customer support has always been responsive and helpful!