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What are the official fees for starting a GoFundMe campaign?
Executive Summary
GoFundMe does not charge an upfront or platform fee to create or manage a fundraiser; the platform’s official revenue comes from per‑donation transaction fees and optional donor tips, with the commonly cited transaction fee being 2.9% + $0.30 per donation for individuals/businesses and 2.2% + $0.30 for certified charities. Multiple GoFundMe help and pricing pages and recent reporting confirm that starting a campaign is free while payment‑processing and optional tip mechanics are the actual costs donors and organizers see reflected in receipts [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Recent documentation from 2025 reiterates the same structure, while news coverage highlights public debate about optional tipping and transparency around the net amount that beneficiaries receive [6] [7].
1. Why “starting” is free but donations aren’t — the basic money flows that matter
GoFundMe’s public materials consistently state there is no fee to create or manage a fundraiser; that is, organizers do not pay an upfront or listing charge to launch a campaign. The platform instead deducts a payment processing or transaction fee from each contribution to cover credit‑card and merchant costs: the widely cited standard figure is 2.9% + $0.30 per donation for individuals and businesses, while certified charities generally incur a lower processing rate, commonly 2.2% + $0.30 [1] [2] [5]. Help articles and a pricing page repeat this framework and note that the fee may vary by country and payment method, meaning the organizer’s headline claim that “starting is free” is accurate in the sense that there’s no setup charge, but donors and recipients will see processing costs deducted automatically [3] [4].
2. Optional tips, optics, and the public backlash that pushed scrutiny
GoFundMe offers an optional tip from donors to support the platform’s operations; this tip is voluntary and not required to complete a donation. News reporting and consumer discussion have made this feature a focal point because donors sometimes feel pressured to add a tip, and recipients may not understand how tips affect net receipts during high‑profile relief campaigns [7]. The journalistic coverage from early 2025 frames tips as a reputational challenge for GoFundMe: while tips are genuine revenue for the company and optional by design, public perception can read them as hidden charges unless platforms communicate clearly that tips are donor‑controlled and processing fees are the expected mandatory deduction [7] [8].
3. Consistency across GoFundMe documents and dates — a stable fee story
Across documents dated from 2021 through 2025, GoFundMe’s stated charge model is consistent: no platform listing fee; a processing fee per donation; optional donor tips. The 2021 pricing page outlined the same basic percentages that later help pages and 2025 FAQs reaffirmed, showing a stable policy rather than recent ad hoc changes [1] [2]. Sources from early and mid‑2025 reiterate the 2.9% + $0.30 rate for individuals and the 2.2% + $0.30 rate for certified charities, and they also note that international or currency conversion fees can apply depending on payment routing, which can change the effective cost to donors and beneficiaries [1] [2] [5].
4. Where ambiguity remains and what organizers should check before launching
Despite consistent headline figures, some official terms and earlier documents do not always present the entire fee picture in one place, producing apparent ambiguity that critics and journalists highlight [6]. Organizers should confirm current, region‑specific processing rates and any additional cross‑border or payout fees on the GoFundMe pricing and support pages before launching, because the stated 2.9% + $0.30 is often the baseline for U.S. donations but can differ by country or payment method. The platform’s help center and pricing page remain the definitive references for the most recent, localized fee schedule and for clarifications about voluntary tips and charity‑specific rates [3] [4].
5. Bottom line for potential fundraisers and donors — practical takeaways
If you plan to start a GoFundMe, expect $0 to start the campaign, but expect processing fees to reduce each donation by a standard percentage plus a fixed cent amount, and anticipate optional tips from donors that go to GoFundMe when donors choose them. For charities and international campaigns check the certified‑charity rate and currency conversion rules to estimate net proceeds accurately. Public reporting since 2021 through 2025 confirms this fee architecture and flags the tipping debate as the primary source of friction between platform policy and donor expectations, so organizers should be transparent with donors about how donations are processed and what net amount beneficiaries will receive [1] [7] [5].