Stripe
Stripe is an online payment platform that lets organisations accept donations, subscriptions and other payments securely. Non-profits use it to manage online fundraising, set up recurring giving and track payments all in one place.
Non-profit discount
Non-profits can apply for Stripe's non-profit discount to receive reduced payment processing fees, helping to maximise the impact of online donations.
How to apply:
- Set up your free Stripe account
- Email nonprofit@stripe.com with the following information:
- Proof of your nonprofit status (e.g., ABN or a link to your listing on the ACNC register)
- Your Stripe account ID
- The primary email address associated with your Stripe account
- Confirmation that more than 80% of your payment volume will be tax-deductible donations
- Once verified (typically within 5–10 business days), Stripe will apply the discounted rates to your account and notify you by email
Note: In Australia, the discounted rate is 1.4% + A$0.30 for domestic Visa and MasterCard transactions. International and American Express transactions may incur higher fees. This discount applies only to donations; other transactions like ticket sales or membership fees are not eligible.
Heaps Smart recommended
Stripe is a solid choice if your non-profit needs to accept payments online. It's especially useful for things like managing memberships, collecting donations through your website, or sending out invoices for programs or venue hire. You can set up recurring payments for monthly donors or create custom checkout pages without needing to build everything from scratch.
What we like about Stripe is that it handles the complexity in the background and lets you focus on running your organisation. It connects easily with other tools you might already be using, and there's a nonprofit discount if most of your payments are donations.
It does require a bit of setup though, and if you're not comfortable with the tech side (or the financial side), you might want help from a developer or someone who's used it before. But once it's in place, it's reliable and flexible, and makes it easier to handle the financial side of things without a big admin burden.