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Starting from a $75 average transaction and the card mix typical for nonprofits.
Every dollar taken in fees is a dollar that does not reach the cause, which makes processing cost unusually visible to boards and donors alike.
Paydude surcharges Amex at +0.3%
Excluding Amex, counted above
Stripe surcharges these; Paydude does not
Take these shares from a real statement rather than estimating. Card mix moves the answer more than the headline rate does, which is the entire reason this calculator asks for it.
Paydude is cheaper here at any card mix — even if every single transaction were on a surcharged card, the base rate difference would still cover it.
Annual saving at other Amex + premium shares
Excludes chargeback and dispute fees, where Paydude charges $12 against a $15–$25 norm. Those depend on your dispute rate rather than your volume, so they are left out of the comparison above.
Donation amounts are unusually varied — a $10 gift and a $5,000 gift on the same rate card have effective rates nearly four times apart.
| Fee | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | $2.48 | 3.30% |
| Paydude 2.6% + 25¢ | $2.20 | 2.93% |
Those figures exclude card-mix surcharges, which the calculator above does model. Set your own volume, ticket size and card mix and the link updates, so you can share the result.
Recurring giving is a subscription, so the failed payment calculator applies directly — lapsed donor cards are a significant and recoverable loss.
GOOD QUESTIONS
At a typical $75 average transaction, a standard 2.9% + 30¢ rate works out at 3.30% once the fixed fee is included. Paydude publishes 2.6% + 25¢, which at the same ticket is 2.93%. Your real figure depends on card mix, which the calculator above models.
Some processors offer nonprofit rates, which are worth asking about. Compare those against published rates on effective terms, and check whether the discount applies to all card types or only some.
The fixed per-transaction fee. A quoted percentage describes only one component; the flat fee on top is a larger share of a small sale than a large one. Divide total fees by total volume on a real statement to see the true figure.
More than the headline rate does. Amex, corporate and premium cards cost more to accept everywhere; some providers surcharge them explicitly and others fold the cost into a higher base rate. International cards add 1–1.5% at most providers. Enter your own shares above rather than accepting the defaults.