Best Credit Card Processing for Nonprofits & Charities (2025)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

If you run a nonprofit, charity, foundation, faith-based organization, or school, your processor should make giving effortless: fast donation pages that convert on mobile, reliable recurring gifts with card-on-file and account updater, clear “donor covers fees” options, quick deposits, and automatic tax receipts. This guide highlights the best fits, what they really cost, and how to launch without donor friction.

TOP PICKS (SHORT REVIEWS)

Stax

Great for steady recurring donations and predictable cost. The subscription model (monthly fee plus interchange at cost with a small per-transaction amount) can lower percentage markups as you grow. Strong recurring tools, Text-to-Pay, and ACH for major gifts. Ask for nonprofit pricing.

Payment Depot

Transparent interchange-plus with simple statements. Works well for donation forms, links, and virtual terminal; easy to evaluate your effective rate. Good option for campaigns that include lots of debit cards. Ask about nonprofit discounts

Worldpay

Best when you’re scaling chapters, events, or international programs. Enterprise rails, reporting, and partner integrations. Negotiate custom IC++ tiers and accelerated funding; confirm nonprofit terms.

Paysafe

Gateway-centric approach with tokenization, recurring billing, and fraud tools suitable for donation pages and peer-to-peer. Confirm Level-2 address checks, account updater, and any nonprofit fee relief in writing.

Clover

Helpful for in-person events and front-desk gifts. Quick Tap to Pay, simple links, and fast deposits; pair with a gateway for richer online features. Good when you also run a gift shop or ticketed entry.

Leaders Merchant Services

Hands-on rollout with Clover and mainstream gateways. Useful when you want someone to configure donation pages, text-to-give links, card-on-file consent, and ACH quickly. Request interchange-plus and nonprofit pricing in writing.

Merchant One

Fast approvals and straightforward setup for forms, links, and next-day options. Practical for new nonprofits launching their first online giving page and event devices.

Swipe4Free

Some nonprofits prefer dual pricing at retail counters (e.g., museum shops). For donations, many organizations avoid surcharges and instead offer a “cover the fees” checkbox to keep donor trust high. If you implement fees, disclose clearly and never apply to debit.

HOW NONPROFIT PRICING REALLY WORKS

Your total cost is interchange plus small network assessments plus the processor’s markup. Donation volume includes card-not-present gifts, recurring payments, and event swipes. For consistent giving, interchange-plus or a subscription model often beats flat-rate over time—especially when debit share is meaningful and large gifts move to ACH. Always compute your effective rate monthly: add processing, monthly, gateway, chargeback, and instant-deposit fees; divide by gross donations; multiply by 100.

DONATION WORKFLOWS THAT BOOST CONVERSION

Use a one-page mobile form with Apple Pay/Google Pay, AVS/CVV, and network tokenization. Show a friendly “cover the fees” toggle with the exact added amount and make it optional. For recurring, require clear consent and use an account updater so cards continue after re-issue. For major gifts and pledges, offer ACH with a simple e-signature; publish refund timelines since ACH settles slower than cards. For events, use Tap to Pay and scannable QR codes that jump straight to your form.

COMPLIANCE & DONOR TRUST (QUICK)

Keep PCI basics: role-based access, strong passwords/MFA, device updates, and the correct SAQ annually. Donor receipts should include date, amount, your organization name and EIN, and whether any goods/services were provided (with value if applicable). Avoid storing sensitive donor data in free-text fields. If you fundraise across states, maintain your charitable registration requirements separately from payment processing.

5-STEP ROLLOUT PLAN

Choose pricing (interchange-plus or subscription) and confirm nonprofit discounts and all monthly/per-txn fees in writing.
Build a fast, mobile donation page with wallet buttons; add a transparent “cover the fees” option.
Enable recurring gifts with tokenization and account updater; set clear cancellation language and reminders.
Offer ACH for major gifts and pledges; publish refund timelines; enable e-sign consent.
Reconcile weekly: effective rate, approval rate, refund/chargeback rate, and time-to-fund. Re-quote if costs drift up.

FAQs

Which pricing model works best for nonprofits?

With steady donations, interchange-plus or a subscription model usually lowers total cost compared to flat-rate—especially if many gifts are debit or you add ACH for larger donations.

Should we add a credit-card surcharge to donations?

Most nonprofits avoid surcharges on donations. A clearer approach is an optional “cover the fees” toggle that shows the exact added amount, while keeping the gift amount unchanged if donors opt out.

Do we need an account updater for recurring gifts?

Yes. Tokenization with automatic updater keeps monthly donations from failing when cards expire or are re-issued.

How fast can we get deposits?

Many providers offer next-day funding with a batch cut-off; some offer instant deposits for a fee. Confirm weekend/holiday handling in writing.

What must be on donation receipts?

Date, amount, organization name and EIN, and a statement about goods/services provided (or none). Configure your system to include these automatically.

Should we accept ACH?

Yes for major gifts, pledges, and corporate matches. Validate accounts on first use and explain that ACH refunds post slower than card refunds.