How Zeffy compares to popular Payment Processors

How much will I actually lose to fees with payment processing tools?

Most payment processing platforms charge 2-3% plus transaction fees on every donation. For a small nonprofit raising $50,000 annually, that's $1,000-$1,500 lost to fees each year. That could be 10 scholarships, meals for 100 families, or supplies for your entire program. With Zeffy, you keep 100% of every donation because we don't charge platform or processing fees. Donors can choose to leave a voluntary contribution to support Zeffy, but it's completely optional and never comes out of your donation.

Are payment processing tools too complicated for our small team?

Many payment platforms are built for businesses with IT teams, not small nonprofits run by volunteers. Users often describe tools like GiveSmart as "overwhelming" with too many features they'll never use. You end up paying for complexity you don't need while still juggling multiple tools for donations, events, and donor management. Zeffy consolidates everything into one simple platform that works for teams wearing multiple hats. No technical setup required, and if you get stuck, you can book a real call with our support team.

Will switching to a new platform mess up our donor data?

We get it - many nonprofits are stuck with clunky tools because they're afraid of losing donor history or having to rebuild everything. Zeffy makes it easy to import your existing donor data, and you can export it anytime if your needs change. Plus, our built-in CRM means you won't need to patch together PayPal + spreadsheets + email tools anymore. Everything lives in one place, so you can focus on your donors instead of managing multiple logins and reconciling data across platforms.

Will I need to learn multiple tools just to run a simple fundraising campaign?

Most payment processing tools only handle one piece of the puzzle. You'll end up using PayPal for donations, Eventbrite for ticket sales, Mailchimp for follow-ups, and spreadsheets to track everything. That's four different logins, four different interfaces, and hours spent moving data between systems. Small teams tell us they spend more time managing tools than actually fundraising. Zeffy puts donations, events, donor management, and communications all in one place. Launch a campaign, sell tickets, send thank-you emails, and track your progress without switching between platforms. One login, one dashboard, one less headache for your already busy schedule.

What happens when I need help and can't reach anyone?

Too many nonprofits get stuck with platforms that offer "24/7 chat support" that turns out to be chatbots, or help centers filled with articles that don't answer your specific question. When you're trying to launch a campaign before your board meeting or fix a donation form the night before your event, you need real help from real people who understand nonprofits. Zeffy's support team includes people who've worked at nonprofits themselves. You can book an actual phone call, not just submit a ticket and hope for the best. We know that when your fundraising tool breaks, your mission work stops, so we make sure you're never stuck figuring things out alone.