Accept Online Donations in The Bahamas: Fundraising Guide
A practical guide to collecting online donations in The Bahamas with reusable links, custom amounts, and transparent donor-covered fees.
The short answer: an eligible fundraiser in The Bahamas can create one HandyPay donation link, share it anywhere, and let every supporter choose a custom amount. When donor-covered fees are used, the processing cost is displayed separately at checkout so the organizer receives the full gift the supporter selected.
Disclosure: HandyPay wrote this first-party guide about its own donation links, fees, verification, and limits. Legal charity status, tax treatment, and fundraising permissions come from local law, not from the payment link.
Online Fundraising in The Bahamas
A Bahamian campaign may need to connect supporters across several islands while also reaching family and community members overseas. A reusable online link keeps school drives, church appeals, sports campaigns, family support, and hurricane-recovery fundraising in one place even when the organizer and donors are not on the same island.
Common uses include:
- hurricane recovery and island relief
- school, youth, and scholarship drives
- church and community outreach
- sports teams and inter-island travel
- medical and family-support campaigns
Show the campaign target in BSD, explain whether USD cards are expected, and reuse the same link in island community groups, email updates, social media, and printed materials.
A payment link does not replace the campaign story. It gives the organizer a secure, consistent way to turn that story into a completed card donation.
How HandyPay Donation Links Work in The Bahamas
A HandyPay donation link is a hosted payment page connected to a verified organizer account. It is designed for open-ended giving rather than a single fixed invoice.
The main features are:
- One reusable URL. Many supporters can use the same link throughout the campaign.
- Custom donation amounts. Each supporter enters the amount they want to give.
- Donor-covered fees. Processing costs can be added to the supporter’s total instead of being deducted from the chosen gift.
- Hosted checkout. The organizer does not need a website, payment gateway integration, or card terminal.
- Card-payment records. Completed donations appear in HandyPay’s payment activity.
- Account payouts. Funds follow the verified account’s available payout method and schedule.
The organizer can send the link through WhatsApp, SMS, email, or social media, place it behind a Donate button, or turn it into a QR code for printed material.
How Donor-Covered Fees Work in BSD
The campaign can be presented in Bahamian dollar (BSD) when that is the verified account’s supported charge currency. The supporter chooses the gift; HandyPay then calculates the applicable fee and shows the complete card total before payment.
| Checkout component | What the supporter sees |
|---|---|
| Chosen gift | The BSD amount entered for the campaign |
| Processing amount | A separate fee calculated at checkout |
| Total card charge | The chosen gift plus the displayed fee |
| Organizer’s donation amount | The full chosen gift when donor-covered fees are active |
HandyPay’s published free-plan rate is 4.9% plus US$0.40 per transaction. The Pro rate is 4.2% plus US$0.40. For a non-USD checkout, the fixed portion is converted and relevant currency-conversion recovery may be included. Because rates, currencies, and plan status can vary, checkout is the source of truth for the exact total.
“No fee for the fundraiser” means the supporter pays the processing amount on top. It does not mean card processing has no cost. Use clear campaign wording such as: “The processing fee is added at checkout so the full gift you choose reaches our fundraiser.”
Read the complete donor-covered fee explanation for the calculation and worked USD examples.
Reusable Donation Links Versus One-Time Links
Choose the link type based on what the campaign is collecting:
| Link type | Amount | Successful payments | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donation link | Chosen by each supporter | Reusable | Public campaigns and open-ended giving |
| One-time payment link | Fixed by the organizer | One | One named pledge or a specific charge |
| Reusable fixed link | Fixed by the organizer | Multiple | Tickets, dues, merchandise, or standard contributions |
Most fundraisers should use the reusable custom-amount donation link. One person can give a small amount and another can give more without the organizer creating a new URL. A one-time fixed link is better for a specific pledge and automatically expires after 14 days if it remains unpaid.
How to Create a Donation Link
- Create or sign in to HandyPay. Use the real person or organization responsible for the campaign.
- Complete verification. Provide the identity, account, and payout details requested for The Bahamas.
- Create the donation link in the HandyPay mobile app or the merchant portal dashboard. Select the verified account and supported campaign currency.
- Generate the reusable link. The hosted page lets supporters enter custom amounts.
- Prepare the campaign message. Explain the recipient, purpose, target, timeline, and fee treatment.
- Share one consistent URL. Put it in messages, email, social media, a website, or campaign QR materials.
- Track completed donations. Reconcile the payment activity with campaign updates and any receipts the organizer must issue.
See the detailed reusable donation-link setup guide for sharing and link-management advice.
Verification and Donation Limits
Standard custom-amount donation links have a per-donation ceiling equal to US$10 in the account’s local currency. This limit reduces card-testing and fraud risk on unvetted links.
A legitimate fundraiser that needs larger contributions can request a vetted-fundraiser review. Approved fundraiser accounts are exempt from the standard US$10 ceiling, and the minimum donation becomes the local-currency equivalent of US$5. Approval is handled by HandyPay and cannot be enabled by the organizer.
Prepare the organization or organizer’s identity, a clear campaign purpose, and supporting information before requesting review. Do not publish a high-value campaign until the approved limits are visible on the account.
Make the Campaign Trustworthy
Because Bahamian and US dollars are both familiar to many supporters, label the campaign currency explicitly and rely on checkout for the cardholder's final total.
Wherever the link appears, include:
- the organizer’s or organization’s real name
- the exact purpose of the appeal
- the intended use of the funds
- the target and deadline, if applicable
- progress updates and contact information
- an explanation of the separate supporter-paid fee
- the campaign’s legal or charitable status without exaggeration
HandyPay processes the card payment. It does not turn a personal appeal into a registered charity or make a gift tax-deductible. The organizer remains responsible for local registration, solicitation, reporting, tax, privacy, safeguarding, and receipt requirements.
HandyPay Availability in The Bahamas
The Bahamas is on HandyPay's live merchant-onboarding list. An organizer must still complete identity and payment-account verification, and access to higher donation limits is reviewed at the account level.
Where local-bank payout is available for the approved account, settlement details and the supported BSD flow are shown during onboarding. Check HandyPay availability in The Bahamas and contact support before printing materials or committing to a launch date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can charities and fundraisers in The Bahamas use HandyPay?
Eligible charities, nonprofits, community groups, faith organizations, clubs, and personal fundraisers can use a verified HandyPay account in The Bahamas. Higher donation limits require a separate vetted-fundraiser review.
Can a campaign collect donations in BSD?
A verified account can use the charge currencies made available during onboarding, which may include Bahamian dollar (BSD). The account and checkout screens are the definitive source for supported currency and payout details.
Does the fundraiser receive the full selected donation?
Yes, when donor-covered fees are active. The applicable processing amount is added separately to the supporter’s checkout total, allowing the organizer to receive the full amount selected for the campaign.
Can every supporter choose a different amount?
Yes. Donation links use a custom amount entered by each supporter, subject to the account’s approved minimum and maximum limits.
Can the same donation link be reused?
Yes. A donation link can accept multiple successful payments, so one URL can stay in messages, social profiles, campaign pages, and printed materials throughout the appeal.
Are donations automatically tax-deductible in The Bahamas?
No. Tax deductibility depends on the recipient’s legal status and applicable local law, not on using HandyPay. A qualified organization should give supporters any required guidance or receipt.