# Fees explained

What FundHero and Stripe charge per donation, what happens when donors cover the fee, and how to read the fee columns in reports.

Source: https://www.fundhero.com/help/fees-explained/
Updated: 2026-10-20

FundHero's total fee on an online donation is 4.9% plus $0.30. That is a 2% FundHero platform fee plus Stripe's card processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30. There is no separate FundHero fee on top of this.

## What the fee is made of

| Part | Rate | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| FundHero platform fee | 2% of the amount charged | FundHero |
| Stripe processing fee | 2.9% + $0.30 | Stripe |
| Total | 4.9% + $0.30 | |

These fees apply to online card donations taken through your donation page. Donations you log by hand, such as checks and cash, don't go through Stripe and carry no fee.

## Example: donor doesn't cover the fee

A donor gives $100.00 and leaves **Cover processing fees** off.

- The donor's card is charged $100.00.
- The fee is $5.20 ($2.00 + $2.90 + $0.30).
- $94.80 is transferred to you.

## Example: donor covers the fee

On the donation page, donors see a **Cover processing fees** switch that adds the fee to their gift so your team receives 100% of the contribution. See [how to turn it off](https://www.fundhero.com/help/processing-fee-coverage/) if you'd rather not offer it.

A donor gives $100.00 and turns **Cover processing fees** on.

- The donation page adds $5.47 to the gift. It is more than $5.20 because the fee is also charged on the added amount.
- The donor's card is charged $105.47.
- $100.00 is transferred to you.

The donor can't choose the covered amount. The page works it out so the covered fee matches the fees taken on the larger charge.

For donors, the fee-cover amount shows as "Fees Paid by Donor" on their receipt. In your dashboard, the donation list marks these gifts with a **Power Up** badge and shows the amount saved.

## Reading the fee columns in reports

In the contact timeline and in the amount column of reports, FundHero shows the intended donation amount. The **Donation Report** adds four columns for online and recurring gifts:

- **Total Charged:** the amount the donor's card was charged.
- **Fee Paid by Donor:** the amount the donor added when they covered the fee. It is 0 if they didn't.
- **Fee Paid by User:** the fees your team absorbed when the donor didn't cover them. For gifts logged by hand it is blank.
- **Total Transfer:** the amount transferred toward your bank account from this donation.

In the $100.00 examples above:

| | Total Charged | Fee Paid by Donor | Fee Paid by User | Total Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee not covered | $100.00 | $0.00 | $5.20 | $94.80 |
| Fee covered | $105.47 | $5.47 | $0.00 | $100.00 |

The **Payout Report** has its own "Total Charged" and "Amount transferred" columns, taken from Stripe. See [When donations arrive in your bank account](https://www.fundhero.com/help/when-do-payouts-arrive/).

## Reporting fees for compliance

States, cities and campaign finance offices differ on how to report processor fees. Ask your local finance office what they expect. The breakdown above lets you record the gross donation and the fee as separate lines. FundHero can't give legal or financial advice.

## Fees aren't refunded

When a donation is refunded, the original processing fee isn't returned. See [Refund a donation](https://www.fundhero.com/help/refund-a-donation/).