Square Online Charges 2.9% + 30¢ Per Transaction. Zeffy Charges Nothing.

Square Online is built for retail sales with no donation forms, donor CRM, or tax receipts. Compare the full feature breakdown below.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Square Online

Zeffy VS Square Online

Zeffy VS Square Online: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

Card fees + monthly plans up to $149

Processing fees

$0 in credit card and transaction fees. Zeffy covers these. How? →

3.3% + $0.30.

Free plan: 3.3% + $0.30 per online transaction; Plus/Premium: 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction; in-person from 2.5% + $0.15

Platform fees

Zeffy never takes a cut. Unlike platforms that skim 3–5%, you keep 100% of every donation.

$0.

No platform fees; Square Online does not charge additional platform fees beyond subscription and processing.

Monthly fees

0/month.

No subscriptions, no paywalls. Every org, big or small, gets full access for free.

$0/month.

Free plan at $0/month; paid plans from $13/month up to $79/month (recent plan structure changes may apply).

Other fees

We've never charged a single cent to nonprofits and we never will.

Varies.

ACH bank transfers: 1% ($1 min, $10 fee cap); Afterpay fees may apply; Bitcoin conversions: 1%; custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000/year.

Pricing transparency

10/10.

No platform fees, no credit card fees, no hidden fees, no fees period!

8/10.

Clear pricing page with fees listed upfront. Processing rates visible but no nonprofit discount mentioned.

Value for money

5/5.

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

7.9/5.

Features

5/5.

No training needed. Built for busy nonprofit teams, not tech pros. Launch a campaign in under 30 minutes.

4.5/5.

Built for retail sales, not nonprofits - no donation tools, donor tracking, or fundraising features

Donations

Donations without the cut. Custom forms, tax receipts, donor tracking — all fee-free.

No donation tools - built for retail sales, not fundraising or donor relationships

Ticketing

Sell tickets, check in guests, track sales — and keep 100%. No fees. No fine print.

No event ticketing features - requires separate Square event tools or third-party integration

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Teams or individuals launch fundraising pages in minutes. Track progress, keep 100%. No fees.

No peer-to-peer fundraising - designed for business sales, not supporter-led campaigns

Auctions

Run auctions without giving up a percentage. List items, track bids, collect payments — all fee-free.

No auction features - built for product sales, not fundraising events or silent auctions

Raffles

Host online raffles and 50/50s. Track sales, set ticket limits, stay compliant — all without paying a cent.

No raffle or contest tools - eCommerce platform only, not designed for fundraising activities

Online Store

Skip the tool sprawl. Sell merch and manage your store in one place — no fees, no add-ons.

Full eCommerce store with product listings, inventory tracking, and checkout - but no nonprofit features

Memberships

Automate memberships with no per-member fees. Dues go straight to your org — perfect for clubs, alumni, and supporters.

No membership management - ecommerce subscriptions only, no member portals or nonprofit membership tools

Donor management/CRM

Ditch the expensive CRM. Track donations, send thank-yous, and build donor loyalty — all fee-free.

Customer database for purchases only - no donor profiles, giving history, or nonprofit relationship tracking

Emails & Newsletter

Manage contacts and send newsletters from the same place you fundraise. Unlimited sends, no fees.

Abandoned cart and order confirmation emails only - no donor communication or fundraising campaign tools

Payment Processing

Accept donations, ticket sales, and payments — all 100% fee-free. No cuts, no hidden fees, ever.

Square payment processing with card readers and online checkout for product sales

Payment Methods

All-in-one fundraising: donations, events, memberships, email, and donor CRM — 100% free.

Square supports credit/debit cards, Apple Pay & Google Pay, and in-person payments via Square hardware. ACH/bank transfers are not offered, which can limit large donations.

Credit Card Payments

Accept all major credit cards with zero processing fees. Zeffy covers the cost — you keep 100% of every donation.

All major credit and debit cards accepted through Square's payment processing with standard merchant fees.

Apple Pay & Google Pay

One-tap donations and tickets with Apple Pay & Google Pay. No fees, just smooth mobile checkouts.

Apple Pay and Google Pay supported at checkout through Square's payment system.

ACH / Bank Transfers

Accept bank transfers with zero fees. Full donation amounts go straight to your mission.

No ACH bank transfers — card payments only, limiting options for large donors who prefer bank transfers.

Tap to Pay App

Anyone on your team can take payments from their phone. No card reader, no fees, no friction.

Full in-person payment support with Square hardware — requires device purchase and separate merchant account setup.

Support

5/5.

Real humans, real fast. Free email and phone support — no bots, no paywalls, no runaround.

3.1/5.

Support built for retail businesses, not nonprofits. Phone support requires paid plans - free users limited to email only.

Help Center

Searchable help docs, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides — all free, all the time.

Knowledge base and help docs are available but geared toward ecommerce and retail — limited nonprofit-specific guides.

Email Support

Email us anytime. Most questions answered within hours — not days.

Email support available but built for retail businesses - limited nonprofit guidance or fundraising expertise

Phone Support

Need to talk? Call us. Real support from real people who understand nonprofits.

Phone support available on paid plans only - free plan users limited to email and chat support

Onboarding

Get set up in under 30 minutes. No training required — but we're here if you need us.

Self-service onboarding only — no dedicated nonprofit onboarding or hands-on setup included.

Community

Join thousands of nonprofits sharing tips, templates, and best practices.

No community forum or nonprofit user groups — community resources are limited.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Square Online?

Square Online sells products — Zeffy raises funds

🎯

Square Online sells products — Zeffy raises funds

You're not running a store, you're running a mission. Get donation forms, event ticketing, donor tracking, and email tools built for nonprofits, not retail.

🤝

Built for selling products, not building donor relationships

Square Online tracks customers and orders — but your donors aren't customers. Zeffy gives you real donor profiles, giving history, and tools to say thank you the right way.

💰

Processing fees that quietly add up, month after month

Square's free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢ per transaction, and paid plans still take 2.9% + 30¢. Zeffy is 100% free — donors cover costs only if they choose to, so more of every dollar goes to your mission.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

Square Online is built for ecommerce pros who know their way around inventory and checkout flows. Zeffy is built for small teams who need to start fundraising today — no setup fees, no learning curve, no tech background required.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Square Online

Is Square Online actually free for nonprofits?

Square Online's free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢ per transaction. Their paid plans reduce fees to 2.9% + 30¢ but add monthly costs. Zeffy is 100% free with no platform or processing fees.

Can I accept donations and sell products on the same platform?

Square Online is built for product sales, not fundraising. Zeffy lets you accept donations, sell tickets, run raffles, and manage memberships all in one place designed for nonprofits.

Do I need to buy hardware to accept payments with Square Online?

Square requires purchasing card readers and hardware for in-person payments. Zeffy works entirely online with no equipment needed, so you can start accepting donations right away.

Can Square Online help me track donor giving history and send thank you emails?

Square Online tracks customer purchases, not donor relationships. Zeffy gives you donor profiles with complete giving history and lets you send personalized thank you emails that build lasting connections.

How much does Zeffy actually charge for credit card processing?

Zeffy charges nothing. There are no platform fees, no transaction fees, and no credit card processing fees. Your nonprofit keeps 100% of every donation.

Does Zeffy take a percentage of my donations?

No. Zeffy never takes a cut from your donations. The platform is funded by optional donor tips, so every dollar you raise goes directly to your mission.

Can I use Square for nonprofit fundraising?

Square Online works for accepting payments, but it's built for retail sales, not fundraising. You'll pay 2.9% to 3.3% + 30¢ per transaction and won't get nonprofit-specific tools like automated tax receipts or donor management.

How much would my nonprofit save switching from Square to Zeffy?

On a $1,000 donation, Square keeps about $29 in fees. With Zeffy, you keep the full $1,000. Over a year of fundraising, those savings add up fast.

Is Zeffy really free, or are there hidden costs?

Zeffy is genuinely free for nonprofits. No monthly fees, no transaction fees, no hidden charges. Donors can leave an optional tip to support the platform, but it's never required.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

Shopify

Bonfire

Print your cause

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!