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What are the exact transaction fees on GoFundMe?
Executive summary
GoFundMe’s public materials and multiple news outlets say there is no platform fee for most personal fundraisers, but each donation is reduced by a transaction (payment-processing) fee of 2.9% + $0.30 in the U.S.; example calculations and company help pages repeat that figure (2.9% + $0.30) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporting and industry guides confirm charities or special products (e.g., GoFundMe Pro) may see different rates or optional donor-covered fees, but the widely cited per-donation number for U.S. individual campaigns is 2.9% + $0.30 [5] [6].
1. What exactly is that “2.9% + $0.30” fee and who pays it?
GoFundMe describes the charge as a transaction fee that is automatically deducted from each donation to cover credit/debit/ACH processing and delivery of funds; in the U.S. it’s shown as 2.9% + $0.30 per donation and the recipient receives the donation minus that fee [1] [2]. Company help pages and a GoFundMe blog post repeat that same single transaction fee is the only mandatory fee for organizers in the U.S., while donors can also add an optional tip that goes to GoFundMe [3] [7].
2. How that fee affects common donation amounts — worked examples
GoFundMe and media outlets give sample math: a $50 gift results in the organizer receiving $48.25 after deducting 2.9% + $0.30; similarly, outlets note a $100 donation comes out to roughly $96.80 after fees [1] [5]. Business Insider and USA TODAY used the same 2.9% + $0.30 figure when addressing public complaints about perceived high fees for disaster fundraisers [4] [8].
3. Are there other fees, exceptions or country differences?
GoFundMe’s pricing pages stress “one small transaction fee per donation” but also warn that international donations, currency conversion, or GoFundMe Pro/charity products can have different pricing or optional add-ons; some industry summaries say charities may be charged 2.2% + $0.30 (reporting varies) and GoFundMe Pro has donor-covered or alternative fee options [2] [5] [6]. The Transparency Center reiterates no platform fees with a single transaction fee, but it does not list every country-specific rate in the excerpts provided here [7].
4. The difference between “platform fees” and “transaction (payment) fees”
GoFundMe emphasized it removed a platform fee for personal fundraisers in 2017 and relies on voluntary tips for revenue; what remains mandatory is the transaction fee that payment processors collect to handle the card/ACH movement — that 2.9% + $0.30 line item is attributed to payment processing costs [4] [2]. Several secondary sources and calculators repeat that distinction and the 2.9% + $0.30 processing number for U.S. personal campaigns [9] [10].
5. Disputes, complaints and public perception
News coverage from January 2025 highlights officials and donors occasionally misreading or criticizing fees; GoFundMe and outlets pushed back by pointing to the 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee and optional tips—showing the gap between perceived “high fees” and the platform’s stated mandatory charge [4] [8]. Journalists and watchdog posts remind donors organizers can’t see who tipped and that tipping is optional [5] [4].
6. What reporting here does not cover or is unclear
Available sources in this set do not provide a comprehensive, country-by-country rate table or detailed breakdown of how different payment methods (ACH, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay) change the exact cents-and-cents percentage in every jurisdiction — the official pricing page and help articles reference regional differences and conversion fees but the specific alternative rates are not shown in the excerpts provided [2] [1]. Also, while some sites state charities or GoFundMe Pro may pay different fees, precise current charity rates and all Pro options are not fully listed in these snippets [5] [6].
7. Practical advice for donors and organizers
If you’re planning to give or raise money, assume U.S. donations will carry a 2.9% + $0.30 processing deduction unless you’re using a special charity/Pro product — check the fundraiser’s “Breakdown” under Transfers to see fees applied to your campaign and consider using the donor “cover fee” option or add an optional tip if you want organizers to net more [1] [6]. For international campaigns or institutional fundraisers, consult GoFundMe’s pricing page and the campaign’s transfer breakdown because rates and conversion fees can differ [2] [7].
Sources cited above are GoFundMe help/pricing pages and contemporary news and review articles that repeatedly cite the 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee for U.S. donations [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].