Zeffy doubles down on free with the first zero-fee POS for nonprofits.

Running a nonprofit is all about maximizing impact while minimizing costs. Whether you're managing a thrift store, organizing fundraising events, or running a museum gift shop, your point-of-sale (POS) system can make or break your daily operations. But here's the challenge: most POS systems are designed with traditional retailers in mind, leaving nonprofits to adapt solutions that don't quite fit their unique needs.

In this guide, we'll explore the top POS system for nonprofits — one that handles donations as smoothly as sales, integrates with your fundraising tools, and won't eat into your precious resources with hefty transaction fees.

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What is POS for nonprofits?

A Point of Sale (POS) system for nonprofits is specialized software that goes beyond being just a payment processing platform. Think of it as your organization's command center – it handles sales transactions, tracks donations, can accept multiple payment types, manages inventory, and even helps with donor relationships. Unlike standard retail POS systems, nonprofit POS solutions are built with features that cater to the unique needs of charitable organizations:

• It processes both traditional sales and charitable donations in one system

• Offers donor management tools to track giving history and relationships

• Handles tax-deductible receipts automatically

• Provides special pricing options for membership programs

• Often includes event ticketing and registration features

• Creates detailed reports for board meetings and grant requirements

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The right nonprofit POS can streamline operations across multiple areas:

• Thrift store or gift shop sales

• Fundraising events

• Accept online donations

• Membership programs

• Silent auctions

• Mobile fundraising campaigns

When choosing a nonprofit POS, organizations should look for systems that not only process payments and track online transactions efficiently but also support their broader mission and help build stronger relationships with supporters. The best solutions offer flexible payment options, robust reporting features, and integrations with common nonprofit software – all while keeping processing fees manageable.

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The best POS for nonprofits: Tap to Pay

Zeffy, North America's first and only 100% free fundraising software for nonprofits just launched the first point-of-sale (POS) for nonprofits. Zeffy's Tap to Pay is the first—and only—free POS and credit card processing solution that allows nonprofits in the United States to accept in person transactions.

If that sounds too good to be true, Thibaut Jaurou—Zeffy's co-founder and CTO—says that the current payment processing systems weren't made with nonprofits in mind so, they've never really worked for nonprofits. Zeffy was created to break the mold:

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For too long, the technology offered to nonprofits was way behind that of other, for-profit industries. Zeffy was founded to reverse that paradigm.

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Able to accept all payment types right from your iPhone—including all major credit cards, debit card payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay—Zeffy was clearly trying to create the best POS solution for nonprofits. And, according to Daniel Stec, Y'all's President and Co-Founder, they succeeded.

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As a new nonprofit caring for our community, every penny counts. Zeffy has been an incredible partner along our journey, and now, with Tap to Pay, gives us even more freedom to be creative in that care. Tap to Pay made it so easy for us to sling those hotdogs at our event and feed the queer community in Indianapolis while raising money for our organization. We loved connecting with each person in a more personal way.

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Available only in the US (for now), Zeffy's Tap to Pay can be used without a terminal and has absolutely no fees for the nonprofit. You read that right, like every service Zeffy offers, Tap to Pay is 100% free. And when they say free they mean it. Zeffy relies entirely on voluntary contributions from donors so nonprofits get to keep every single dollar donated to them.

Since day one, Zeffy has been working hard to get involved and support nonprofits while they work to make our world a better place. Developing Tap to Pay, the first donation POS system with a 0% fees for nonprofit credit card processing, was a natural next step and the right thing to do. François de Kerret, co-founder and CEO says it best:

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Zeffy's here to empower nonprofits to raise more by charging 0% in fees. We  made this possible online—but nonprofits still had to purchase expensive devices and pay 3% or more in fees to accept in-person donations. Tap to Pay is a major innovation for nonprofits who want to eliminate fees and replace in-person cash and cheque donations.

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To sum this all up: Zeffy is the first platform offering nonprofits a way to accept donations in person, without any hardware or processing fee. No clunky, flawed, cross-your-fingers-and-hope-it-works terminals needed, absolutely no hidden or surprise fees. Accepting a payment is now as simple as a tap on an iPhone.

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About Zeffy

Zeffy is North America's first and only 100% free fundraising platform for nonprofits. 

Zeffy's innovative revenue model is founded on voluntary contributions from donors via its intuitive interface. In less than three years, Zeffy has grown exponentially and in 2021, Capterra named Zeffy as the nonprofit software with the Best ease of use and Best value for money.