Online Donations for Fundraisers and Charities: Keep the Full Gift
HandyPay lets fundraisers and charities collect online donations through a reusable link while supporters cover processing fees.
The short answer: create one donation link, share it by message, email, social media, or on a website, and let each supporter choose a custom amount. When donor-covered fees are used, the processing cost is added separately at checkout instead of being deducted from the gift. A supporter who selects a US$50 donation pays the US$50 gift plus the displayed fee, and the fundraiser receives the full US$50.
Disclosure: this is a first-party guide written by HandyPay. We describe our own donation flow, pricing, and limits below so organizers and supporters can understand what “no fees for the fundraiser” actually means.
What HandyPay Supports for Online Fundraising
HandyPay donation links are designed for straightforward online giving without a website or technical integration. They can be used by approved charities, nonprofits, churches, school groups, community projects, sports clubs, mutual-aid drives, and personal fundraisers that complete account verification.
The core features are:
- A reusable donation link. Create it once and let multiple supporters use the same URL.
- Custom donation amounts. Each donor enters the amount they want to give at checkout.
- Donor-covered processing fees. The fee can be placed on top of the selected gift so the organizer keeps the full donation amount.
- Simple sharing. Send the link through WhatsApp, text, email, social media, or place it behind a Donate button on a website.
- A personal thank-you. The organizer can set a custom thank-you message that each supporter sees after completing a donation, or leave HandyPay's standard thanks in place.
- Payment tracking. Completed donations appear in HandyPay's payment activity and tips-and-donations records.
- Local payouts. Collected funds follow the account's normal payout schedule to its connected bank account.
There is no separate fundraising website to build and no POS terminal to buy. A phone and a verified HandyPay account are enough to begin.
What “No Fees for the Fundraiser” Means
Online card payments still have processing and service costs. HandyPay does not hide that cost or pretend it disappears. Instead, donor-covered fees change who pays it.
When the supporter covers fees:
- The supporter chooses a donation amount.
- HandyPay calculates the applicable processing cost.
- Checkout shows the gift and fee separately.
- The supporter pays the combined total.
- The fundraiser receives the full amount the supporter chose to donate.
For example, on a US$50 donation using HandyPay's free-plan rate and USD settlement, the supporter pays US$53.00 and the fundraiser receives US$50.00. The extra US$3.00 covers the transaction cost. Rates can differ by plan and currency, so checkout is the source of truth for the final total.
That distinction matters for honest fundraising copy. It is accurate to say “supporters cover processing fees, so the full chosen gift reaches the fundraiser.” It is not accurate to say that card processing has no cost at all.
For a deeper breakdown, read how donor-covered fundraising fees work.
How the Donation Link Works
The organizer creates a HandyPay-hosted donation link from the mobile app or the merchant portal dashboard. The link opens a secure donation page where the supporter enters an amount and continues to card checkout.
Unlike a fixed invoice, the amount is not locked by the organizer. One person can give US$10, another can give US$25, and another can give US$100 where the account's approved limits allow it. Each donation creates its own checkout and payment record while the original link remains reusable.
This works well for campaigns where giving capacity varies, including:
- emergency and medical support
- school, club, and sports-team fundraisers
- church and faith-community giving
- registered charity campaigns
- community projects and mutual aid
- animal rescue and environmental causes
- memorial and family-support funds
- creative, educational, and youth initiatives
Reusable Donation Links Versus One-Time Payment Links
HandyPay offers both patterns, but they solve different problems.
| Link type | Amount | Number of successful payments | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donation link | Chosen by each supporter | Reusable | Open fundraisers, charities, community giving |
| One-time payment link | Fixed by organizer | One | A specific pledge, invoice, deposit, or ticket |
| Reusable fixed payment link | Fixed by organizer | Multiple | Standard-price tickets, dues, merchandise, or repeat payments |
A donation campaign usually needs one reusable custom-amount link. A one-time fixed link is more appropriate when one named supporter has promised a specific amount or when an organizer needs to collect a particular charge only once.
One-time fixed payment links automatically expire after 14 days if they are not paid. Donation links and links deliberately marked reusable are built to remain available for multiple payments.
How to Start Accepting Donations Online
- Create or sign in to your HandyPay account. Complete identity and payment-account verification before collecting money.
- Open Donation in the HandyPay mobile app or the merchant portal dashboard. Choose the account currency for the campaign.
- Create the donation link. HandyPay generates a hosted URL where supporters can choose their amount. Add an optional thank-you message for supporters to see after they give.
- Copy and share it. Add the link to messages, email appeals, social profiles, campaign pages, or a website button.
- Explain the fee clearly. Tell supporters that a separate processing amount is added so the fundraiser receives their full chosen gift.
- Track incoming support. Review completed donations and payer details in HandyPay.
Create your HandyPay account or get the mobile app to create a donation link.
Verification and Donation Limits
HandyPay applies limits to standard donation links as a fraud and card-testing safeguard. A standard custom-amount donation link is capped at the local-currency equivalent of US$10 per donation.
Vetted fundraisers can be approved for higher-value donations. On an approved fundraiser account, the standard US$10 ceiling is lifted and the minimum donation becomes the local-currency equivalent of US$5. Approval is server-side and cannot be switched on by the account holder. Contact HandyPay support with information about the organization or campaign to request a review.
Verification protects both supporters and legitimate organizers. It also helps ensure that the name shown at checkout clearly identifies who will receive the funds.
Country-Specific Donation Guides
HandyPay's live onboarding markets have their own fundraising guides with local-currency, availability, and campaign guidance. Markets labeled early access require account-level confirmation before a public launch.
- Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa: Algeria (early access), Angola (early access), Gabon (early access), The Gambia (early access), Ghana (early access), Kenya (early access), Mauritius (early access), Mozambique (early access), Namibia (early access), Niger (early access), Nigeria (early access), Tanzania (early access), and South Africa
- North America: Canada and The United States
- Asia: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, and Laos (all early access)
- Europe: San Marino (early access)
Tips for a Donation Page Supporters Trust
A payment link handles checkout, but the campaign still needs clear context. Wherever you share the link, include:
- the organizer's or organization's real name
- the specific purpose of the fundraiser
- how collected money will be used
- a target or deadline, if one exists
- progress updates and a way to contact the organizer
- a plain explanation that the supporter-paid fee is added at checkout
Never describe a personal fundraiser as a registered charity unless it legally is one. HandyPay processes the payment; it does not automatically give a campaign charitable or tax-deductible status. Organizers remain responsible for local fundraising, reporting, tax, and charity-law obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a charity accept donations through HandyPay?
Yes. A charity or nonprofit can use a verified HandyPay account and request review as a vetted fundraiser for higher donation limits. Availability, onboarding requirements, and payout options depend on the account's country.
Does the fundraiser really receive the full donation amount?
Yes, when donor-covered fees are used. HandyPay adds the applicable processing cost to the supporter's checkout total so the fundraiser receives the amount the supporter selected. If the organizer instead absorbs fees, those costs reduce the net amount received.
Can supporters choose how much to donate?
Yes. A HandyPay donation link uses a custom amount chosen by each supporter, subject to the account's minimum and maximum donation limits.
Can the same donation link be used more than once?
Yes. Donation links are reusable, so the organizer can share one URL with many supporters and use it throughout a campaign.
Do I need a website to collect donations?
No. The link opens a hosted donation and checkout flow. You can share it directly through WhatsApp, SMS, email, or social media. If you already have a website, you can place the URL behind a Donate button.
Are HandyPay donations automatically tax-deductible?
No. Tax deductibility depends on the recipient's legal status and local law, not the payment method. The organizer should tell supporters whether the contribution is eligible and provide any required receipt or documentation.