Square VS Zelle

Square and Zelle both help you accept payments, but they charge fees that reduce your fundraising impact. Zeffy gives you donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor management — all with zero fees so every dollar stays with your mission.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Zelle

Square VS Zelle

Square VS Zelle: 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

N/A.

Card fees and monthly costs per sale

$0.

No fees, but bank may charge

Processing fees

2.6% + 15¢.

2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium); Online: 3.3% + 30¢ (Free), 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus & Premium); Online API: 2.9% + 30¢ (all plans)

$0.

No transaction fees for consumers/non-profits. Banks cover fees.

Platform fees

N/A.

No separate platform fees - included in monthly subscription plans

$0.

User's bank may charge account fees.

Monthly fees

$0/month.

Starting at $0/month for Free plan

$0.

User's bank may charge account fees.

Value for money

4.5.

N/A.

Features

4.5/5.

Powerful but pricey. Charges fees on every donation and requires extra tools for email and donor tracking.

N/A.

Simple peer-to-peer transfers only. No donation receipts, recurring payments, or nonprofit fundraising features built in.

Donations

Accepts donations but charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, plus additional fees for nonprofits using their donation tools

Zelle allows person-to-person transfers but lacks donation-specific features like tax receipts, donor management, or recurring giving options.

Ticketing

Basic payment processing for events, but lacks nonprofit-specific features like donation add-ons or attendee management

Zelle can't handle event ticketing. No ticket creation, seating management, or check-in capabilities for nonprofit events and galas.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

No built-in peer-to-peer fundraising tools - requires third-party integrations or manual workarounds for supporter campaigns

Zelle enables basic peer-to-peer transfers but lacks fundraising campaign tools, goal tracking, or donor engagement features nonprofits need.

Auctions

Square doesn't offer auction functionality - you'll need separate auction software that may not integrate with your payment system

Zelle doesn't support auction functionality. You'd need separate auction software and manual processes to collect payments from winning bidders.

Raffles

No raffle-specific features - you'd handle raffle sales as regular transactions without compliance or winner selection tools

Zelle doesn't support raffle ticket sales or winner selection. You'd need separate raffle software and manual payment collection processes.

Online store

Full e-commerce capabilities with inventory management, but transaction fees add up quickly for nonprofit merchandise sales

Zelle isn't designed for e-commerce. No product catalogs, inventory tracking, or shopping cart functionality for selling nonprofit merchandise.

Memberships

Square offers basic recurring billing for memberships but charges transaction fees on every payment, making ongoing membership revenue expensive for nonprofits.

Zelle doesn't offer membership management tools. You'd need separate software to track member dues, renewal dates, and membership levels.

Donor Management/CRM

Square provides basic customer data but lacks nonprofit-specific donor management features like donation tracking, donor segmentation, or giving history reports.

Zelle doesn't provide donor tracking or CRM features. You can't store donor information, track giving history, or segment supporters.

Emails & Newsletter

Square doesn't include email marketing tools. You'll need to integrate with third-party services like Mailchimp, adding extra costs and complexity to your setup.

Zelle has no email marketing capabilities. You'd need separate tools to communicate with donors and send newsletters or fundraising appeals.

Payment Processing

Square processes donations with 2.9% + 30¢ fees per transaction. No special nonprofit rates or fee-free options available for charitable organizations.

Payment methods

Credit cards and tap-to-pay only. No bank transfers

Bank transfers only. No cards or digital wallets

Credit Card Payments

Supported - Accepts all major credit and debit cards with processing fees starting at 2.6% + 10¢

Not supported - Zelle doesn't process credit card payments, only bank transfers

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Supported - Accepts contactless payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay through their readers

Not supported - Zelle operates independently of digital wallet services

ACH / Bank Transfers

Not supported - Square focuses on card payments and doesn't offer ACH bank transfers

Not supported - Zelle only handles bank-to-bank transfers, not ACH payment processing

Tap to Pay App

Supported - Offers Tap to Pay on iPhone for contactless payments without additional hardware

Not supported - Zelle doesn't offer point-of-sale or tap-to-pay functionality

Customer Support

4.5/5.

N/A.

Unlimited Support

Square offers tiered support based on account type and transaction volume

Zelle doesn't provide unlimited support - assistance depends on your bank

Phone Support / Office Hours

Square provides phone support during standard business hours for merchants

Zelle doesn't offer direct phone support or scheduled office hours

Webinars

Square offers occasional training sessions and educational webinars for business users

Zelle doesn't offer webinars or training sessions for nonprofit organizations

Help Center

Square maintains a comprehensive help center with articles and guides

Zelle offers basic FAQ resources but lacks nonprofit-specific guidance

Square provides live chat support during business hours for account holders

Zelle provides limited live chat support through participating banks only

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Support built for merchants, not nonprofits — tiered help based on transaction volume

Bank-dependent support with no nonprofit expertise or direct contact options

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Square and Zelle?

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

💸

Square and Zelle charge fees that eat into your fundraising

Square takes 2.9% + 30¢ per donation while Zelle may charge bank fees. Zeffy charges zero fees, so every dollar raised goes to your mission.

🧰

Square and Zelle require separate tools for nonprofit essentials

Square and Zelle can't handle raffles, auctions, or peer-to-peer campaigns. Zeffy includes everything nonprofits need in one platform.

🤝

Square and Zelle lack donor stewardship features

Square and Zelle don't track donor relationships or send acknowledgments. Zeffy helps you build lasting connections with supporters.

Frequently asked questions

Why should nonprofits choose Zeffy over Square for donations?

Square charges 2.9% + 30¢ on every donation, eating into your mission funds. Zeffy processes donations at 0% platform fees, keeping 100% of donations for your cause. Donors can leave a voluntary contribution to support our platform.

How does Zeffy compare to Zelle for nonprofit fundraising?

Zelle only handles basic bank transfers without donation receipts, donor tracking, or fundraising tools. Zeffy provides complete donation management with automated tax receipts, donor profiles, and campaign tracking at zero platform fees.

What makes Zeffy better than payment processors for small nonprofits?

Payment processors like Square treat nonprofits like regular businesses, charging fees on every transaction. Zeffy is built specifically for nonprofits with zero platform fees, donation-focused features, and tools that help you raise more money.

Why doesn't Zeffy charge fees like Square and other payment processors?

Payment processors like Square charge fees because they're built for businesses seeking profit. Zeffy operates differently - we're designed specifically for nonprofits. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution to keep our platform running at zero cost to your organization.

Can Zeffy handle more than just basic transfers like Zelle?

Unlike Zelle's basic bank transfers, Zeffy provides complete fundraising tools including automated tax receipts, donor profiles, event ticketing, and campaign tracking. You get everything needed to run professional fundraising campaigns without paying platform fees.

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!