Zeffy vs CAF Donate: How a Free Platform Compares to 4% on Every Gift
CAF Donate charges 4% on every one-off donation — including your Gift Aid — plus 2% on regular giving and Direct Debit setup fees. Zeffy is 100% free and bundles events, raffles, memberships and a donor CRM that CAF Donate doesn't offer.
Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits
Zeffy VS CAF Donate
Zeffy is 100% free, always.
Keep 100% of every donation and every Gift Aid claim
💰
Keep 100% — not 96% — of every one-off gift
CAF Donate takes 4% of every one-off donation, and that cut includes your Gift Aid. Zeffy charges no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. So 100% of each gift reaches your cause.
🎁
Your Gift Aid stays yours
With CAF Donate, the 4% is calculated on the donation plus the Gift Aid top-up, so HMRC's 25% boost is taxed twice over. With Zeffy you keep the donation and the full Gift Aid claim — no deduction.
🛠️
Run everything in one place
CAF Donate handles one-off and regular donations and nothing else. Zeffy adds ticketed events, raffles, auctions, memberships, an online shop and a donor CRM — all free, all in one login.
⚡
Launch today, not after sign-off
CAF Donate runs an application and approval process before you can collect. With Zeffy you sign up and publish your first donation page in minutes — no paperwork, no waiting.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeffy really free, or are there hidden costs?
Zeffy is 100% free for charities. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. Donors are offered the option to leave a voluntary contribution to Zeffy, but it's never required and your charity always keeps every penny it raises.
How much does CAF Donate charge per donation?
CAF Donate charges 4% of every one-off donation, and that fee is calculated on the total including Gift Aid. The rate drops to 3.5% if your charity holds a CAF Cash Account. Regular (Direct Debit) gifts are charged 2% with a 20p minimum, plus a £1 (paperless) or £1.50 (paper) setup fee per new Direct Debit. Zeffy charges nothing.
Does CAF Donate take a cut of Gift Aid?
Yes. CAF Donate's 4% one-off fee is applied to the donation plus the Gift Aid top-up, so part of HMRC's 25% boost goes to the platform. Zeffy processes Gift Aid at no cost, so your charity keeps the full donation and the full Gift Aid claim.
Does Zeffy support Gift Aid for UK charities?
Yes. Zeffy supports UK charities with Gift Aid collection at no extra cost. Unlike CAF Donate, Zeffy takes no percentage of your donations or your Gift Aid, so you receive the full benefit of both.
What can Zeffy do that CAF Donate can't?
CAF Donate is donation-only — one-off and regular giving pages. Zeffy is all-in-one: donation forms, ticketed events, raffles, auctions, memberships, an online shop, email tools and a donor CRM, all in one free platform.
How quickly can I start collecting donations with Zeffy?
In minutes. Sign up, customise your donation page and share the link — there's no application or approval process. CAF Donate typically requires you to apply and be approved before you can collect.
Can I brand my donation pages with Zeffy?
Yes. Zeffy lets you fully customise your donation forms with your charity's branding, colours and messaging at no extra cost, so supporters see your organisation, not ours.
What payment methods does CAF Donate accept?
CAF Donate accepts credit and debit cards, PayPal, Direct Debit and CAF vouchers and charity cards. It doesn't offer digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, or any in-person payment option. Zeffy supports cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfers — all fee-free.
How does Zeffy stay free?
When donors give, they're offered the option to add a voluntary contribution to Zeffy. It's never required, and your charity always keeps 100% of what it raises.
Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy
Related content
Zeffy was built for nonprofits like yours
focus on what matters
Built for small teams with big missions.
Zeffy is the fundraising platform that cuts out the fees, clears up your tech mess, and puts your cause first — so your team, even if you're a small team wearing many hats or a one-person show, can focus on what really matters.
ZERO-FEE
Keep 100% of every dollar.
No platform fees. No processing fees. No catch. We know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Every penny goes straight to your mission, while competitors take 2-3% off every donation.
ALL-IN-ONE PLatform
Ditch the tech mess.
Stop bouncing between MailChimp, Eventbrite, and all those spreadsheets. Now you can handle donations, ticket sales, memberships, raffles, and all your donor info in one spot.
plug-and-play
Get going, fast.
Built for teams like yours — whether you're volunteer-led or have limited staff. Set up donation forms, sell tickets, and launch campaigns without needing a tech wizard. It's super easy, and you'll be up and running in minutes.
mobile-first
Fundraise from every device, anywhere.
From QR codes on flyers to Tap-to-Pay on a phone, Zeffy makes it easy to accept donations on the go. Mobile-optimized and offline-ready, so no donor slips through the cracks.
No turnover
Never lose a donor to volunteer transition.
Centralize supporter relationships, automate thank-you messages, and preserve institutional knowledge when board members rotate out.
100,000+ nonprofits trust Zeffy — and keep their fees at $0.
For 7+ years, Zeffy has supported nonprofits with free, user-friendly fundraising tools.
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As a startup nonprofit with only two members, and no funding (yet) we’d need something with low (or no) fees. Zeffy was a dream come true.
Masey, Loose Ends.
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SUCCESS STORIES
Zero-fee fundraising in action — nonprofit stories worth sharing.
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