PayPal vs Zeffy: What UK Charities Actually Pay (and Keep)
PayPal Giving Fund is free, but it only passes donations through — there are no fundraising tools. A standard PayPal charity account costs 1.4% + 20p per donation. Zeffy is a full fundraising platform that's 100% free: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever.
Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits
Keep every pound raised, not just most of it
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Keep 100% of every donation
A standard PayPal charity account takes 1.4% + 20p from every gift. PayPal Giving Fund is 0%, but it only passes donations through — you get no fundraising tools at all. With Zeffy there's no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. Your charity keeps every penny.
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Get a full fundraising platform, not just payments
PayPal processes payments but leaves you juggling spreadsheets for donor tracking. Zeffy gives you donation forms, Gift Aid declarations, donor management, events, raffles and email — all in one place, all free.
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Get help from people who understand charities
PayPal's support assumes you're running a business. Zeffy's team knows UK charity fundraising and Gift Aid, with free live chat, email and phone support — no paywalls, no runaround.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeffy really free for UK charities?
Yes. Zeffy is 100% free for charities: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. Donors can choose to leave an optional contribution to keep Zeffy running, but your charity keeps every penny raised either way.
What's the difference between PayPal Giving Fund and a standard PayPal charity account?
PayPal Giving Fund is free (0%) and claims Gift Aid for you, but it is only a donation pass-through — there are no fundraising tools, campaign pages, events or donor management. A standard PayPal charity account gives you a donate button and checkout, but charges 1.4% + 20p per donation. Neither is a full fundraising platform; Zeffy is, and it's free.
How much does PayPal cost a UK charity per donation?
On a standard PayPal charity account, the discounted UK charity rate is 1.4% + 20p per transaction, with no monthly fee. PayPal Giving Fund is 0%, but works only as a donation pass-through with no fundraising tools. Zeffy charges nothing on any path.
Can I run events, raffles and peer-to-peer campaigns on PayPal?
No. PayPal only processes payments — it has no ticketing, raffle, auction or peer-to-peer tools, so you'd need separate software. Zeffy handles donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer fundraising, raffles, auctions, memberships and an online store in one place, all with no fees.
Does Zeffy support Gift Aid?
Yes. Zeffy lets UK charities collect Gift Aid declarations from donors at checkout, and you keep 100% of the Gift Aid claimed — Zeffy takes no admin fee.
Does Zeffy offer donor management that PayPal doesn't?
Yes. PayPal gives you payment data only — no giving history or donor profiles. Zeffy includes a built-in CRM at no cost: full giving history, automated acknowledgements, and contact segmentation, with no separate tools needed.
What payment methods can my donors use, including in person?
Zeffy accepts cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfers online, all with zero fees. You can also collect donations in person using Zeffy's tap-to-pay app from any phone — no card reader, no fees. PayPal supports its wallet, cards, bank transfer and Pay in 3, but in-person giving needs a separate PayPal Zettle reader.
Is Zeffy legitimate and secure?
Yes. Zeffy is a legitimate platform with SOC 2 certification and encrypted payment processing. Charities keep 100% of donations with no hidden fees, and donors can optionally leave a voluntary contribution to support Zeffy's operations.
What's the catch with Zeffy being free?
There's no catch. Zeffy is 100% free for charities, with no platform, transaction or card fees. Donors can optionally leave a voluntary contribution to support Zeffy, but this never reduces the donation your charity receives.
Is Zeffy available in the UK?
Yes. Zeffy is available in the UK, alongside the US, Canada and Australia, so UK charities can fundraise with zero fees.
Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy
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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