DONATE vs Zeffy
Zeffy launched in the UK in October 2025 with a simple pitch: no fees for the charity. It is funded by asking donors for an optional contribution to Zeffy at checkout. DONATE is a multi-channel giving platform run by the National Funding Scheme, a registered charity, covering donations, text giving, raffles, auctions, team challenges, voting and contactless. Both are good at online donations. The differences are in how Gift Aid works, which channels you can take money through, and who pays for the platform.
Pricing, side by side
| DONATE | Zeffy | |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fee (charity) | 4.5% + 22p without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid, no percentage fee (22p only) | £0 |
| Donor tips | Optional, and sized to our fee. A tip pays the fee on that gift, so the charity keeps the whole donation and all its Gift Aid. With no tip, the fee comes off the gift | Optional contribution to Zeffy, which funds the platform; Zeffy's own example suggests £5 on a £50 gift. Charities cannot switch the prompt off |
| Gift Aid | Claimed for you by DONATE. No HMRC Gift Aid registration and no other account needed. You keep 60% of the Gift Aid; our 40% replaces the 4.5% fee | Through your own Swiftaid account, and your charity must be registered with HMRC for Gift Aid. Swiftaid is free on the first £6,000 of Gift Aid a tax year, then 5% + VAT of the Gift Aid (2.5% + VAT on its £25 + VAT a month plan) |
| Where Gift Aid applies | Donations online and by text, team challenge sponsorship, donations at ticket checkout, and auction payments above a lot's value | Donation forms, peer-to-peer and added donations; not on tickets, shop sales or Tap to Pay |
| Subscription | None (£3 usage fee per week, only in weeks donations reach £10, capped at £12 a month) | None |
Both platforms ask donors for an optional tip. On DONATE the tip pays our fee, so when a supporter tips, your charity receives the whole gift, the same as on Zeffy. When a supporter says no thanks, Zeffy still costs the charity nothing on that card gift, while DONATE takes its fee. The comparison changes once you count Gift Aid admin, the 5% Swiftaid fee on larger claims, and the gifts you can only take by text or contactless. Run your own numbers before deciding.
Feature coverage
Choose Zeffy if most of your income comes from online donation forms and event tickets, your charity is already registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, and you want the lowest possible cost on card payments.
Choose DONATE if you need any of these:
- Tips that work for your charity: a donor's tip pays our fee on their gift, so the charity keeps the whole donation and its Gift Aid. We only ask for what the fee is, not a contribution on top
- Gift Aid without the paperwork: DONATE claims it for you. You do not need your own HMRC Gift Aid registration or a separate Gift Aid service, and there is no 5% third party fee on top
- Text giving: keyword donations from £1 to £40 and monthly giving by text, which Zeffy does not offer
- Voting events: live vote by donation with a big screen leaderboard
- Contactless terminals and tap plaques for venues, desks and collection points
- Team challenges where you set up every member's page, code and QR code for them
Both platforms run raffles, auctions, event tickets and peer-to-peer fundraising, and both take one-off and monthly donations.
DONATE vs Zeffy FAQs
Is Zeffy really free for charities? ＋
For card payments, yes: Zeffy charges the charity no platform, transaction or card fee. It is paid for by an optional contribution donors are asked for at checkout, which charities cannot switch off. DONATE also asks for an optional tip, but ours pays our fee on that gift, so a supporter who tips leaves your charity the whole donation. Gift Aid is a separate cost: it goes through your own Swiftaid account, which is free on the first £6,000 of Gift Aid a tax year and then charges 5% + VAT of the Gift Aid.
Does Zeffy charge for Gift Aid? ＋
Zeffy itself does not, but Gift Aid on Zeffy is claimed through Swiftaid, a separate service your charity signs up to. Swiftaid's basic plan is free up to £6,000 of Gift Aid a tax year, then 5% + VAT of the Gift Aid processed. Your charity also needs to be registered with HMRC for Gift Aid. On DONATE, Gift Aid is claimed for you with no HMRC registration needed: you keep 60% of it, and our 40% replaces the 4.5% transaction fee.
Can I take text donations on Zeffy? ＋
We could not find text giving on Zeffy's UK site. DONATE runs text giving with your own keyword, gifts from £1 to £40, Gift Aid by a follow-up link and monthly giving by text reply, in the same account as your web donations.
See the full picture
Zeffy facts on this page were checked on Zeffy's and Swiftaid's own websites in October 2026. The interactive comparison tool adds JustGiving, Enthuse, GoFundMe and FundraisingBox. Or start fundraising with DONATE: no setup fees, cancel any time.