Vanco Fees Explained: 2.9% + $0.45 Per Transaction vs Zeffy's $0

Vanco's tools are built for churches. Zeffy includes auctions, raffles, ticketing, and peer-to-peer for any nonprofit.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Zeffy VS Vanco

Zeffy VS Vanco: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

2.9% card fees plus monthly plans

Processing fees

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

2.9% + $0.45.

per credit/debit transaction on Free plan; 2.65% + $0.39 on Paid plan. ACH: 1.00% + $0.45 (Free) or 0.90% + $0.39 (Paid) per transaction.

Platform fees

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

$0.

$0 platform fees.

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$0.

Free plan at $0/month with optional Paid plan at $54/month.

Other fees

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

Varies.

$5 per transaction for ACH returns and credits; $25 per chargeback; $23.95 monthly PCI non-compliance fee if not compliant.

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

3/10.

No clear pricing page. Fees buried in search snippets, not on accessible public page.

Value for money

5/5.

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

N/A.

Features

5/5.

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

9.0/5.

Donation tools with limited features - requires paid plans for full access and lacks nonprofit-specific tools

Donations

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

Donation forms with recurring giving and text-to-give - requires paid plan for most features

Ticketing

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

Event registration available but limited to basic ticketing - no seating charts or ticket tiers

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

Peer-to-peer fundraising available on higher-tier plans only - not included in basic package

Auctions

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

No auction features - payment processing and donation tools only, requires separate auction platform

Raffles

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

No raffle tools - nonprofits need separate platform for raffle ticket sales and drawings

Online Store

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

No online store functionality - can't sell merchandise or products alongside donations

Memberships

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

Recurring giving programs with automated billing - no member portal or self-service management tools

Donor management/CRM

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

Donor database with giving history and basic segmentation - limited engagement tracking

Emails & Newsletter

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

Basic donation receipts and thank-you emails - no campaign builder or donor newsletter tools

Payment Processing

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

First-party payment processing with ACH, credit cards, and text-to-give options

Payment Methods

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

Cards and digital wallets supported, but in-person payments require separate hardware purchase and setup.

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 Vanco's payment processing platform

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

Digital wallets supported through Vanco's checkout but limited to online giving forms only

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

ACH bank transfers available for recurring donations - reduces processing fees on larger gifts

Tap to Pay App

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

Mobile card readers and POS systems available - requires separate hardware purchase and setup

Support

5/5.

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

9.2/5.

Support built for churches, not broader nonprofit missions. Response times vary and resources focus on faith-based giving.

Help Center

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

Complete resource library and step-by-step guides available, though content is largely focused on church/faith-based giving rather than broader nonprofit use.

Email Support

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

Email support available but response times vary; support is built for churches rather than the broader nonprofit sector.

Phone Support

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

Phone support during business hours for established accounts; new users may experience longer wait times.

Onboarding

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

No dedicated onboarding for most users — self-service setup and guides provided; dedicated onboarding typically requires an enterprise contract.

Community

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

No community forum or user groups available; peer support is limited to official channels and webinars.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Vanco?

Keep more of every donation, without paying for features you don't need

💰

Keep more of every donation, without paying for features you don't need

Vanco charges processing fees and monthly costs that add up fast. Zeffy is 100% free, so your donors' gifts go directly to your mission, not your software bill.

🔍

Your donors shouldn't need to guess where their money goes

Vanco takes processing fees from every donation. Zeffy covers all costs, so 100% of every gift reaches your mission — and your donors see the difference.

🛠️

Built for nonprofits doing more than Sunday giving

Vanco's tools are built for churches. Zeffy supports auctions, raffles, ticketing, and peer-to-peer campaigns — no add-ons, no extra platforms, no workarounds.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

Vanco requires onboarding calls and setup meetings. Zeffy's built for small teams — create your first form, launch your campaign, and start raising funds today.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Vanco

How much does Zeffy cost compared to Vanco?

Zeffy is 100% free with no monthly fees or processing costs. Vanco charges up to $54/month plus 2.90% per transaction. With Zeffy, donors can leave a voluntary contribution to cover costs.

Can I run events and campaigns beyond basic donations?

Zeffy includes auctions, raffles, ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and online stores at no extra cost. Vanco focuses on donation forms and requires paid plans or separate platforms for most fundraising tools.

Do I need a long onboarding process to start using Zeffy?

Zeffy is built for small teams to get started fast. Create your first form and launch campaigns today. Vanco requires onboarding calls and setup meetings before you can begin accepting donations.

Does Zeffy support the same payment methods as Vanco?

Zeffy accepts all major credit cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay, and Google Pay at no cost to your organization. Vanco offers similar payment options but charges processing fees on every transaction.

Is Vanco only for churches, or can other nonprofits use it?

Vanco's tools are primarily built for churches and faith-based organizations. Zeffy supports a broader range of nonprofits, including PTAs, youth sports leagues, food banks, and community groups, with the same zero-fee pricing for everyone.

How much will my nonprofit actually pay in Vanco processing fees?

Vanco charges 2.90% per transaction plus monthly fees up to $54. On $10,000 in donations, that's $290 in processing fees alone. With Zeffy, you keep every dollar.

Does Zeffy offer customer support like Vanco does?

Zeffy provides unlimited email, phone, and chat support to all users at no extra cost. You don't need a paid plan to get help when you need it.

What's the catch with Zeffy being free?

There's no catch. Zeffy is funded by optional donor tips, never required. Nonprofits always keep 100% of what they raise with no platform, transaction, or credit card fees.

Can I switch from Vanco to Zeffy without losing my donors?

Yes. Zeffy makes it easy to set up new donation forms and start accepting contributions right away. Your donors can give through credit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, or Google Pay without any extra steps.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

Planning Center

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CauseVox

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!