Free Fundraising Platforms With No Fees: What Truly Zero-Fee Means for UK Charities (2026)

‍

‍

Yes, truly zero-fee fundraising platforms exist. Zeffy is the clearest example. 100K+ charities | £2B+ raised | £0 in fees through the platform, with no platform fees, no transaction fees, and no card processing fees passed to the charity.

But the word "free" is doing a lot of work in this category. Most platforms that call themselves free still pass payment processing fees onto every donation, which can quietly cost a charity £150 to £290 on every £10,000 raised. This article shows you what truly zero-fee actually means, which platforms qualify, and how to tell the difference.

UK charities and donors have been burned by opaque "suggested contribution" prompts. JustGiving's default tip of around 17% has been widely covered by Money Saving Expert and criticised in the fundraising press. Zeffy's promise is different: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. 100% free for charities, always.

‍

‍

In this article:

• Are there truly zero-fee fundraising platforms?

• What does truly zero-fee actually mean?

• How to spot a "free but not zero-fee" platform

• See exactly what fees are costing your charity

• Fee comparison: zero-fee vs "free" platforms

• The 5 hidden fees most platforms charge

• How Zeffy eliminates all fees

• What UK charities are saving with truly zero-fee fundraising

• Ready to keep 100% of what you raise?

• Frequently asked questions

‍

Are there truly zero-fee fundraising platforms?

Yes, but only a small number actually qualify. Zeffy is the primary example. It covers both platform fees and payment processing fees on behalf of charities, which means a charity keeps the full amount of every donation. Instead of charging charities, Zeffy is funded through voluntary contributions that donors can leave at checkout. Donors can choose to contribute, adjust the amount, or skip it entirely, and the charity's income is not affected either way.

That is a meaningfully different model from the rest of the "free" category. Three UK platforms come closest to the zero-fee positioning, but each has a limit:

• Wonderful.org: Genuinely 0% on Pay by Bank (Open Banking). Card transactions still carry processing fees, and the bank-authentication journey can be a barrier for donors less comfortable with the flow.

• TotalGiving: Pledges 100% of donations to the charity on its core donate pages. A smaller feature set than Zeffy, with no integrated ticketing, memberships, raffles, or auctions.

• CAF Donate: No monthly subscription; low fees overall. But a per-donation fee is still deducted depending on the payment type. Built by the Charities Aid Foundation, so trustees will recognise the name.

Zeffy is the only platform that combines 0% platform fee, 0% processing fee to the charity, and the full stack (fundraising, ticketing, memberships, raffles, auctions, and supporter management) in one place, at no cost.

‍

What does truly zero-fee actually mean?

When charities search for "free fundraising platforms," the question they are actually asking is: can we raise money without losing a percentage of each donation?

Truly zero-fee answers that question with yes. Specifically:

• No platform fees charged to the charity

• No payment processing fees passed to the charity

• No required monthly or hidden costs

• No upgrade tier locking essential features behind a paywall

• When you raise £100, you keep £100 every time, with no exceptions

Most platforms that call themselves "free" only check the first box. They drop their platform fee but still charge standard payment processing fees, typically 1.5% to 1.9% plus a flat fee of 20p to 25p per transaction on UK cards. That money is still being deducted before donations reach you, even if a third party (Stripe, PayPal) is technically the one charging it.

‍

Does truly zero-fee include Gift Aid?

Yes, on Zeffy. Gift Aid allows a charity to reclaim 25p from HMRC for every £1 donated by a UK taxpayer. A £100 donation becomes £125 to your charity at no extra cost to the donor. On Zeffy, that Gift Aid value is not subject to a processing fee. On JustGiving, by contrast, a 5% fee is charged on the Gift Aid value itself. For a charity claiming Gift Aid regularly, that difference adds up quickly. Zeffy handles Gift Aid claims without taking a cut of the top-up.

‍

How to spot a "free but not zero-fee" platform

Look at the fee section on the platform's pricing page. If you see "0% platform fee" but anywhere on the same page it mentions Stripe, PayPal, or "standard processing fees apply," you are looking at a free-tier-not-zero-fee platform. UK examples:

• JustGiving: 0% platform fee headline, but a default donor tip prompt of around 17% (the most-criticised pricing pattern in UK fundraising press), 1.9% + 20p per donation on card processing, and a 5% fee on the Gift Aid value. Owned by Blackbaud since 2017. The tipping prompt is what Money Saving Expert and many small charities object to most: donors often do not realise it has been added.

• CAF Donate: No monthly subscription. Staggered per-donation fees depending on payment type (Direct Debit, card, etc.). Fees are lower than commercial platforms, but a deduction still occurs. Trust-first positioning that many trustees will appreciate.

• GoFundMe (UK): 0% platform fee for registered charities, but 1.9% + 20p per donation in card processing fees. Gift Aid passed through at no extra charge. Optional donor tip at checkout. For personal fundraisers, the rate rises to 2.9% + 25p.

• Wonderful.org: Genuinely 0% on Pay by Bank donations. Card transactions carry processing fees. Narrow reach; older donors sometimes struggle with the bank-app authentication flow.

• PayPal (donate button / Giving Fund): Registered UK charities receive a reduced rate via the Giving Fund. Standard transaction fees apply on the donate button. No Gift Aid automation on the button, and no integrated ticketing, memberships, or auctions.

The "free" label is accurate as far as software pricing goes. But the cost of moving money is still being deducted.

‍

See exactly what fees are costing your charity

Use the calculator below to see what processing fees would cost on a typical "free" platform, and what you would keep on Zeffy.

On £50,000 raised through standard card donations, processing fees on a typical "free" platform add up to roughly £850 to £1,100 per year. On £250,000, that is around £4,250 to £5,500. None of that appears on the platform's pricing page, because the processor is a separate vendor.

‍

Fee comparison: zero-fee vs "free" platforms

Here is how the major UK fundraising platforms compare on the metric that matters: how much you actually keep on £10,000 raised.

‍

‍

Estimates based on £10,000 raised across 500 donations averaging £20 each, paid by UK debit or credit card. Processing rates verified from live compare pages (2026). Gift Aid handling and donor tip behaviour vary by platform. For the most current fee figures for each competitor, see the relevant Zeffy compare pages.

‍

‍

The 5 hidden fees most platforms charge

Even on platforms that advertise "no platform fee," charities commonly run into five categories of cost. Each one is what Zeffy eliminates.

‍

1. Transaction fees (processing or card fees)

Every credit or debit card donation incurs a transaction fee from the underlying payment processor. The UK Stripe rate is 1.5% + 20p per transaction. PayPal charity rates apply via the Giving Fund. On a £100 donation, that is roughly £1.70 deducted before the money reaches your charity. Some platforms let donors opt in to cover the fee (JustGiving and GoFundMe both offer this), but the charity absorbs the cost any time a donor opts out. On JustGiving, a 5% fee is also charged on the Gift Aid value, which is a separate deduction many charities overlook.

On Zeffy: processing fees are covered. The charity receives 100% of every donation, regardless of whether the donor leaves a voluntary contribution.

‍

2. Platform fees

Platform fees typically run from 2% to 5% and cover the platform's own software, support, and infrastructure. Many UK fundraising platforms charge a monthly subscription on top of transaction fees. Enthuse's Fundraising and Events plan is £29.99 + VAT per month, and JustGiving charges some charities between £15 and £39 + VAT per month depending on their plan.

On Zeffy: there is no platform fee. That line item simply does not exist for charities using Zeffy.

‍

3. Setup and monthly fees

Many platforms charge monthly subscriptions or initial setup fees on top of transaction and platform fees. These often unlock features like supporter management, custom branding, or API access, features your fundraising programme may actually need to grow.

On Zeffy: no setup fee, no monthly subscription, no premium tier locks. The full feature set is included from day one.

‍

4. Payout fees

When you transfer funds to your bank account, some platforms add a fee for expedited transfers, international payments, or additional monthly payouts. On top of the processor's standard rate, a platform may add a further percentage for faster access to funds.

On Zeffy: standard payouts are included at no charge.

‍

5. Contact-based fees

Most UK fundraising CRMs price by supporter count, so growing your supporter database costs you money. Beacon CRM starts from £33.50 per month and scales by active supporter count. It has been rated the number-one UK fundraising CRM for six consecutive years by Fundraising Magazine. Donorfy offers a free tier up to 500 constituents, with paid plans from around £50 per month above that threshold. Both are strong tools, but the cost rises as your charity grows.

On Zeffy: unlimited supporter records, unlimited contacts, no upgrade-tier paywall.

‍

How Zeffy eliminates all fees

If a platform calls itself truly zero-fee, it is fair to ask: what is the catch? There is not one. There is no required fee, no delayed charge, no scenario where the charity is billed later.

Here is how the model actually works. Instead of charging charities, Zeffy is sustained by voluntary contributions that donors can choose to leave at checkout:

• When someone donates, they are given the option to add a small contribution to support the platform

• The amount is suggested, but completely adjustable

• Donors can increase it, lower it, or remove it entirely

• The charity receives 100% of the original donation in every scenario

Enough donors choose to contribute to keep the platform running, without the cost being shifted to charities. This is different from the default 17% tip prompt that Money Saving Expert and UK charities have widely criticised on other platforms. Zeffy's donor contribution is genuinely optional, fully adjustable, and never affects your payout. As one UK fundraiser told us: "people seem to think it had been added without their knowledge" is exactly the experience Zeffy is designed to avoid. Zeffy's voluntary contribution is transparent, labelled clearly, and skippable.

Zeffy also operates in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 for supporter data. For charities where "Are you GDPR compliant?" is a pre-adoption question, that is worth knowing from the outset.

‍

What UK charities are saving with truly zero-fee fundraising

Consider a village hall committee running a typical UK fundraising programme: a £15 fete ticket sale, an autumn appeal, a Christmas raffle, and a sponsored 5K. That currently means Ticket Tailor for ticketing, JustGiving for donations, Crowdfunder for the appeal campaign, and a CRM for supporter records. On £10,000 raised across that stack, per-ticket and per-donation fees add up quickly. As one village-hall organiser put it: "all of these platforms apart from Zeffy charge an overhead per ticket, which would probably make them too expensive for us."

Zeffy consolidates the whole stack at £0 to the charity. Fundraising, ticketing, raffles, memberships, auctions, and supporter management all in one place, with Gift Aid handled and no per-transaction fee eating into what your supporters intended to give.

For small charities where every pound counts, and where a volunteer treasurer is already stretched across three tools, the savings are not abstract. On £10,000 raised through card donations on a typical "free" platform, a charity is losing roughly £150 to £290 before the money reaches the bank. On £50,000, that is £850 to £1,100. That is money that could go to the cause instead.

‍

Ready to keep 100% of what you raise?

Zeffy is the only fundraising platform with zero platform fees, zero transaction fees, and zero card processing fees. 100K+ charities | £2B+ raised | £0 in fees.

‍

‍

Frequently asked questions

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍