Need a Card Reader? SumUp Charges $29+. Zeffy Uses Your Phone Free.

Compare 0% fees with free tap-to-pay vs SumUp's 2.6% + $29 hardware. See the full breakdown below.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

SumUp

Zeffy VS SumUp

Zeffy VS SumUp: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

1.69%.

plus card fees per gift

Processing fees

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

2.6% + $0.10.

per in-person transaction; 2.9% + $0.15 per online invoice transaction; 3.5% + $0.15 per card-not-present (keyed-in) transaction

Platform fees

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

$0.

No platform fees — included in pricing plans.

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$0.

$0 for basic account/POS Lite plan; paid POS plans at $99/month, $199/month, and $289/month.

Other fees

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

$0.

No admin costs, annual renewal fees, or minimum processing requirements; invoicing is free to send (fees only apply when customers pay via SumUp link).

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

3/10.

No clear pricing page. Fees scattered across search results, not on dedicated page.

Value for money

5/5.

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

4.3/5.

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 payments, not nonprofits - missing donor tools, memberships, and year-round fundraising features

Donations

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

Donation buttons and forms available - but built for retail transactions, not nonprofit fundraising needs

Ticketing

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

No ticketing tools - requires separate platform for event registration and ticket sales

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

No peer-to-peer fundraising - focuses on direct payments, not campaign-based fundraising

Auctions

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

No auction tools - hardware is for point-of-sale transactions only, not event bidding

Raffles

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

No raffle features - not designed for fundraising campaigns or prize draws

Online Store

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

Basic online store for selling products - designed for retail, not nonprofit merchandise or fundraising

Memberships

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

No membership management - processes payments only, no member portals or recurring relationship tools

Donor management/CRM

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

No donor management - basic transaction records only, no giving history or nonprofit CRM features

Emails & Newsletter

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

No email tools - payment receipts only, requires separate platform for donor communication

Payment Processing

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

Card reader hardware with tap, chip, and swipe - processes payments through SumUp's system

Payment Methods

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

Credit and debit cards only. No ACH bank transfers, and in-person readers cost extra.

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 through SumUp's payment processing - charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay supported through SumUp card readers and online checkout

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

No ACH bank transfers available - card payments only, missing cost-effective option for large donations

Tap to Pay App

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

Card readers and tap-to-pay hardware available - requires purchasing devices starting at $29 plus transaction fees

Support

5/5.

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

4.3/5.

Support built for retail merchants, not nonprofits. Generic business help with no fundraising expertise or mission-focused guidance.

Help Center

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

Comprehensive help center with articles and FAQs, but content is retail-focused and lacks nonprofit fundraising guides.

Email Support

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

Email support with standard response times - generic business help, not nonprofit fundraising guidance

Phone Support

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

Phone support available during business hours but focused on merchant issues, not donation campaigns

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 setup assistance.

Community

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

No community forum or nonprofit user groups available.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over SumUp?

SumUp works for coffee shops, not fundraising campaigns

🎯

Built for fundraising, not just processing payments

SumUp processes transactions — Zeffy helps you run campaigns, manage donors, and communicate with supporters, all in one place built for nonprofits.

💰

Keep more of every donation without buying hardware

SumUp charges 2.9% per donation plus hardware costs — Zeffy is 100% free, with no card readers to buy and no fees that shrink what reaches your mission.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not weeks

SumUp requires hardware setup and merchant onboarding — Zeffy gets you fundraising today with forms, pages, and donor tools ready to use right away.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and SumUp

Does Zeffy charge transaction fees like SumUp does?

No. Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits with zero transaction fees. SumUp charges 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person donation and up to 3.5% for online gifts. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution to keep Zeffy free.

Can I accept in-person donations without buying card readers?

Yes. Zeffy offers tap-to-pay through your phone or tablet at no cost. SumUp requires purchasing card readers starting at $29 plus transaction fees. You can start collecting donations immediately without hardware costs.

Does Zeffy work for fundraising events and campaigns?

Yes. Zeffy includes donation forms, ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, and donor management built for nonprofits. SumUp is a payment processor designed for retail businesses, not fundraising campaigns or donor relationships.

Can I track donor information and send receipts automatically?

Yes. Zeffy includes donor management with automatic tax receipts and giving history. SumUp only records basic transaction data without donor relationship tools or nonprofit-specific receipt features.

What payment methods does Zeffy accept for donations?

Zeffy accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and bank transfers. Donors can give online or in person using tap-to-pay on your phone or tablet, with no hardware purchase required.

How does Zeffy compare to Clover for nonprofit payment processing?

Clover is built for retail businesses and charges transaction fees plus hardware costs. Zeffy is designed specifically for nonprofits with zero fees, built-in fundraising tools, and free tap-to-pay through your phone.

Is SumUp a good option for nonprofit fundraising?

SumUp works as a basic payment processor but lacks nonprofit-specific features like donor management, tax receipts, or campaign tools. It also charges 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction and requires purchasing card readers starting at $29.

How much can my nonprofit save by switching from SumUp to Zeffy?

On a $100 donation, SumUp takes about $3.20 in fees. With Zeffy, your nonprofit keeps the full $100. Over a year of fundraising, those savings add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars that go directly to your mission.

What's the catch with Zeffy being free?

There's no catch. Zeffy is funded by optional tips from donors, never required. Nonprofits keep 100% of every donation with no platform fees, transaction fees, or credit card fees.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

SecureGive

Clover

Vanco

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!