Card Donation Costs for Charities and Community Groups
Budget for contactless donations, event sales, fundraising software and devices while keeping the total amount collected clear.
The short answer
For a charity or community group, compare the total cost of collecting donations across the whole year. Include payment fees, fundraising software, devices and inactive months. Distinguish donations from event sales and record any platform fee separately.
In this guide
Map the ways money is collected
List contactless collections, online donations, event sales and any recurring giving arrangements. Identify the account that receives each payment and the organisation responsible for reconciliation. A donation platform and its payment processor may charge separately.
SumUp advertises payment options for charities and community groups. That is one route to investigate, not evidence that its standard commercial plan is automatically the lowest-cost fundraising option.
Ask about the organisation’s eligibility, supported activities, account ownership and settlement arrangements. Keep donations and trading receipts distinguishable in the reporting required by the organisation.
Example: payment fees plus fundraising software
Fictional collection month. A group receives £3,000 across 600 donations. Assume processing of 1.5% plus 5p per donation and a £15 fundraising-software subscription.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Percentage processing | £45 |
| 600 donations × 5p | £30 |
| Software | £15 |
| Total collection costs | £90 |
| Net after listed charges | £2,910 |
The listed cost is 3% of donations collected, although the headline processing percentage is 1.5%. A small fixed charge matters when the average donation is £5.
Plan for volunteers and event equipment
- Count the devices needed simultaneously, rather than buying for every volunteer.
- Confirm connectivity, charging and the supported payment methods.
- Give authorised users the access they need without sharing unnecessary account privileges.
- Define who checks totals, handles refunds and keeps device records.
- Confirm any screen, stand, remote-management or donation-app subscription cost.
Ask for a demonstration of your collection workflow, including a mistaken amount and refund. If collecting at several events, check whether reporting can distinguish them without creating avoidable subscriptions.
Compare the whole fundraising year
A group collecting at a few annual events may have many inactive months. Include continuing software and rental charges during those periods. If an annual plan is offered, compare the commitment with the genuine flexibility of the monthly option.
Keep expected increases in donations separate from confirmed fee reductions. Contactless access may help people give, but a particular increase cannot be assumed in the main savings figure.
If you use additional donor reporting or fundraising tools, include their actual cost. Keep any tax-relief assumptions outside the payment-fee calculation; no tax relief is included in the worked example.
Choose a transparent collection setup
Ask for a full schedule showing platform charges, processing, subscriptions and equipment. Check whether a fee paid by a donor changes the amount reaching the organisation and how that is shown.
Use the seasonal calculator to include all twelve months, including periods without fundraising. Enter monthly payment and fixed costs, then add any annual or future one-off charges that have not already been counted. The event guide helps with inactive months, while the additional-charges guide helps avoid missed costs.
Common questions
Are donation payments always free to process?
No. Obtain the actual charity or community-group tariff and include any platform, software and equipment costs.
Can an increase in donations be counted as guaranteed savings?
No. Keep potential fundraising growth separate from a comparison of confirmed charges.
Put your own figures to work.
Use the free calculator to organise your costs and keep a report. If something is unclear, you can ask for a free initial review.
No registration required. Calculator entries stay in your open browser page unless you choose to share a report in a review request.
Sources and how to use this guide
Primary references checked on 15 October 2026:
Worked examples are original fictional scenarios, not customer results, market averages or provider quotations. Unless stated otherwise, they use a consistent VAT basis and include only the costs listed. Provider prices, eligibility and terms can change. Check your written agreement before deciding.
Our guides explain costs and comparison methods. They do not rank the whole market or claim hands-on product testing. Source links are references, not a claim of partnership. Read the calculation method and limitations, or about the service.