Comparing Stripe vs PayPal's Nonprofit Transaction Rates
TLDR: Stripe nonprofit rate is better for small donations from $0 - $90.48. PayPal nonprofit rate is better for larger donations greater than $90.49.
Research: See this screenshot of a comparison table. The easiest way to understand the table is to look at the Org Receives column. Compare similar donation amounts, the higher the Org Receives amount is the better payment service.
- How to apply for Stripe's nonprofit discounted processing fee:
- How to apply for PayPal's charity rate:
PayPal's Rate as of October 2025
Receiving and Sending Donations
When you accept the User Agreement to send or receive funds using one of the payment types listed below, we call that a “donation”. Funds sent or received through other products or services (not set out below) are not “donations” eligible for donations pricing. In such cases, the applicable transaction rates will apply and will be subject to the fees disclosed for such products or services on the applicable fees page.
Standard rate for receiving domestic donations
| Payment Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Donate Button | 2.89% + 49¢ |
| PayPal Checkout for Donations | 2.89% + 49¢ |
Charity Transaction Rates
Charity transaction rates are subject to eligibility, application, and pre-approval by PayPal, as further described in the Confirmed Charity Terms and Conditions. Once approved by PayPal, these rates will apply to certain payment types that are subject to the User Agreement.
Receiving domestic charity transactions
| Payment Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Charity Transactions | 1.99% + 49¢ |
Find up to date rates here: https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees
Stripe's Rate as of October 2025
Access a complete payments platform with simple, pay-as-you-go pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees.
| Standard | Rate |
|---|---|
| Business | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Nonprofit | *2.2% + 30¢ |
Find up to date rates here: https://stripe.com/pricing
*Note: Stripe doesn't post their nonprofit rate on their website so I got it from these reddit posts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nonprofit/comments/r2tskq/comment/hm7zqp5/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nonprofit/comments/1b7cmnz/paypal_or_stripe_discountednonprofit_rates/
Posted Dec 13, 2025, 10:31 AM UTC