An Online Payment on 32auctions Costs 5.8% + $0.70. On Zeffy It Costs Nothing.
Running the auction is free. Collect a winning bid online and 32auctions takes 2.9% + $0.40, plus the card processor on top. Their own example: $100 in, $93.50 to you.
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Zeffy VS 32auctions
Zeffy is 100% free, always.
Run the auction and the rest of your fundraising year in one place
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No cut of the auction, and then a cut of the payment
32auctions is honest about the headline: it never charges a fee on what your auction raises. But if you collect the money through its Payment & Donation Collection feature it takes 2.9% + $0.40 on each payment, on top of Stripe or PayPal. Zeffy takes neither and covers the processing.
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Past 20 items you start buying upgrades
A free auction covers 20 items with one image each and shows third-party ads. More items, more images, no ads, text notifications, insights, your own branding: each is a one-time purchase for that auction. Zeffy has no tiers to buy.
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There is no ticketing system, which matters for a gala
In their words, "we don't have a specific event ticketing system"; the workaround is an auction item with a fixed Buy Now price per ticket type. Zeffy includes real event ticketing with registration and check-in, at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much does 32auctions cost an Australian charity?
Nothing to run a basic auction, and nothing as a share of the auction total: "We NEVER charge a performance fee on the total amount raised by your auction." The fee attaches to the payment instead. If a winning bidder pays online, 32auctions takes 2.9% + $0.40 and the card processor takes its own fee: their published example is a $100 payment leaving $93.50. In their words, "no fees are charged by 32auctions for in person or cash payments". Larger auctions also need one-time upgrades. Zeffy charges neither fee and covers the processing.
What do the payment processors charge on top?
32auctions publishes this plainly: typically 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction for PayPal and 2.9% + $0.30 for Stripe, or lower if the processor's non-profit discount is applied. Those go to the processor, not to 32auctions. With Zeffy the processing is covered, so your organisation receives the full amount.
Can winning bidders cover the fees instead of our organisation?
Yes, and it is the lever worth knowing about. The Payment Collection feature has a setting that offers winning bidders the chance to pay the transaction fee along with their invoice; the fee is shown to them as a calculated amount and they choose. If they decline, it comes out of your payout. 32auctions also runs a Bidder Supported model with no platform fee on items under $400, but that one is not open to you: their eligibility page limits it to US-based organisations, and it also requires Stripe and AutoPay Bidding. Zeffy is funded the same way, by an optional contribution from the donor or buyer, with nothing withheld from your organisation at any value and no country restriction inside Australia.
Is the free 32auctions plan really free?
Yes, within limits. The free auction covers up to 20 items with one image per item, unlimited bidders and email support, and it displays third-party ads on your auction. Removing those ads, adding items or images, text notifications, advanced insights, offline-event tools, donor and sponsor management and your own branding are separate one-time purchases for that auction. There is no subscription: in their words, upgrades "last for the life of the auction" and there are "no recurring fees or subscriptions".
Can we sell event tickets on 32auctions?
Not through a ticketing system. Their help centre says "we don't have a specific event ticketing system", and suggests creating an auction item with a set Quantity Available and a fixed Buy Now price for each ticket type, with a separate item for each price. Zeffy includes event ticketing, registration and check-in as standard.
Does 32auctions work for an in-person gala?
Partly. Online payment collection is optional, so you can turn it off and collect by any means at the event, and a Transition to Offline Event upgrade adds bid sheets, display sheets, bidder numbers and invoices. There is no card reader or tap-to-pay product. Zeffy includes Tap to Pay in Australia, so anyone on your team can take a card payment on their phone.
Does 32auctions support Australian dollars?
Yes. Their words: "We have full support for 6 of the most popular currencies, including AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, NZD, and USD", and the currency you pick applies to bidding and to the payment and donation features. Note that 32auctions publishes its own upgrade prices with a bare dollar sign and states no currency for them anywhere, so confirm with them before budgeting.
What does Zeffy not do that 32auctions does?
32auctions is a specialist and it shows in the auction itself: proxy bidding, sealed bids, bulk item import, and bid sheets and display sheets for a live room. If a large silent auction is the whole of your fundraising year, it is a serious tool. Zeffy is the better fit if the auction is one part of a year that also has donations, events and members.
Keep comparing, and see why not-for-profits choose Zeffy
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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.
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