Productivity & Business · Finance, Billing & Accounting

Zeffy

Zeffy is a $0 fundraising platform for nonprofits, funded by optional donor contributions at checkout and open to registered nonprofits in six countries.

Our take: Zeffy charges the nonprofit nothing and covers card processing, which it pays for with an optional contribution donors can add at checkout.

Best forNonprofits wanting $0 fees

ReviewedOct 2026Free

7.65 criteria · see breakdown

Try ZeffyFree ($0) for nonprofits

Zeffy is a fundraising platform for nonprofits that costs the organization $0: no platform fee, no subscription and no card processing fee. Zeffy says it earns only from an optional contribution donors can add when they pay, and the nonprofit receives 100% of each payment either way (checked 29 October 2026). It serves registered nonprofits and charities in six countries, and the one paid item it lists is Donor Mail, printed letters at $1 each, which the help center says is available in the US only.

The bottom line

Free for registered nonprofits in six countries and paid for by optional donor contributions; check how the contribution appears at checkout and the card limits before you commit.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA free fundraising platform for nonprofits that bundles forms, ticketing, a donor CRM and email, funded by an optional donor contribution.

Our takeZeffy charges the nonprofit nothing and covers card processing, which it pays for with an optional contribution donors can add at checkout.

Its help center explains the mechanism clearly, and the limits that matter are the card and bank payment ceilings, a possible card limit for organizations with large card volumes and little donor contribution, and repayment of negative balances. It fits organizations that are comfortable with the donor request on every form.

Why we rate itZeffy lists $0 with no paid plan and covers card processing, and its help center documents the donor contribution, payouts, eligibility and refund rules.

The catchDonors are asked for an optional contribution on every form and nonprofits cannot edit that prompt; very large card volumes with little contribution can lead Zeffy to set a card limit; cards stop at $4,999 per payment; Donor Mail costs $1 per letter.

Best / not good for

Best for

Registered nonprofits that want donations, tickets and a donor CRM in one free account
PTAs, sports teams, scout troops and community groups with a bank account in the organization's name
Organizations leaving a paid platform because of its fees

Not good for

Individuals and for-profit businesses, which cannot use Zeffy
Organizations outside the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and Germany
Organizations that expect very large card gifts with little donor contribution, where Zeffy may set a card limit

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Sign-up is self-serve, but payouts need Stripe identity verification and a bank account in the organization's name, and payments pass a security review of typically 1 to 3 business days.
Scale breakpoint
Cards stop at $4,999 per payment, and Zeffy may set a temporary card limit for organizations with very large card volumes and little donor contribution.
Walled garden
Payments can be exported by form, and the donor's contribution to Zeffy is not refunded automatically when you refund a donation.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, start on the free plan.

Try Zeffy

What Zeffy charges and who pays

Item	Nonprofit pays	Donor pays
Platform fee	$0	-
Subscription or paid plan	None; Zeffy says there is no paid plan above $0	-
Card and transaction fees	$0; Zeffy says it covers them and Stripe processes the payments	-
Optional contribution to Zeffy	-	Optional; asked at the start of the form and at payment confirmation; the suggested amount can be changed by choosing Other
Payouts to your bank account	$0	-
Donor Mail (printed letters)	$1 per letter, with no minimum; the help center says Donor Mail is available in the US only	-
Refunding a donation	The donor's contribution to Zeffy is not refunded automatically	Can ask Zeffy to refund the contribution from the receipt email

From Zeffy's pricing page, help center and Donor Mail page, checked 29 October 2026. Zeffy says the optional contribution is its only source of revenue and is separate from the payment to the nonprofit.

Limits and rules to know

Topic	What Zeffy says
Card payments	Up to $4,999 per payment
Bank payments (ACH or PAD)	Amounts over $4,999 and up to $20,000
Apple Pay and Google Pay	Shown on most forms for payments up to $1,000
Payout schedule	Weekly on Mondays by default, or monthly on the first Monday; next-day payouts for eligible organizations; payouts cannot be triggered manually
Security review	Payments pass a review of typically 1 to 3 business days before they can be paid out
Very large card volume	If an organization raises very large card amounts with little or no donor contribution, Zeffy may contact it and set a temporary card limit
Negative balances	The organization must repay a negative balance from chargebacks, refunds or returned bank payments, and Zeffy may delay refunds to avoid one
Suspension	Zeffy may suspend or end an account for listed risk reasons, and its terms say it need not give specific reasons, evidence or a chance to fix the issue

From Zeffy's help center articles and Terms of Service (applicable August 2026), checked 29 October 2026.

Who can use Zeffy, and who runs it

To use Zeffy, an organization must be a nonprofit or registered charity in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or Germany and have a bank account in its own name, according to Zeffy's help center. A US organization needs an EIN but not 501(c)(3) status; Australia needs an ABN, Ireland a charity registration number and Germany a Vereinsregisternummer. Zeffy is not available to individuals, for-profit businesses or organizations in other regions, and an Australian organization must hold any fundraising licence it needs because Zeffy provides technology only.

Zeffy was formerly called Simplyk. Its terms name a different company by country: Simplyk, Inc. in the United States, 9355-0861 Québec Inc. in Canada, Zeffy Limited in the United Kingdom, Zeffy Group Australia Pty Ltd in Australia and Simplyk, France in Europe. Its About page lists offices in Montréal, Paris and Newark, Delaware, and B Lab's directory lists Zeffy as a Certified B Corporation since March 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zeffy really free for nonprofits?

For the nonprofit, yes. Zeffy's pricing page lists $0 with no paid plan, no per-user cost, no contract and no platform or card processing fees, and says the nonprofit receives 100% of each payment. Two things are not free: donors are asked for an optional contribution to Zeffy, and Donor Mail costs $1 per letter. Zeffy's help center says Donor Mail is available in the US only, and Zeffy describes it as the one thing on Zeffy you can pay for. Zeffy's terms also make the organization repay any negative balance caused by chargebacks or refunds (checked 29 October 2026).

How does Zeffy make money?

Zeffy says its only source of revenue is the optional contribution donors can add when they pay. Its help center says donors see the request twice, when they start the form and at the payment confirmation step, as a dropdown of suggested amounts they can change by choosing Other. Nonprofits cannot edit the wording or amounts, and the suggested percentage is lower on larger gifts. Zeffy's help center says around 60% of donors contribute, and its pricing page says 2 in 3 on average. The pages we read do not state the suggested percentages or a default amount, so check a live Zeffy checkout. A nonprofit's refund does not refund the donor's contribution; donors can request that from their receipt email (checked 29 October 2026).

Does Zeffy charge payment processing fees?

Not to the nonprofit or the donor for the donation itself: Zeffy says it covers all transaction and credit card fees, that Stripe manages the payment processing, and that the optional contributions pay for it. Limits apply. Cards work up to $4,999 per payment, and ACH or PAD bank payments cover amounts over $4,999 up to $20,000. Zeffy's help center says that if an organization raises very large card amounts with little or no donor contribution, Zeffy may contact it and set a temporary card limit while still allowing larger gifts by bank transfer (checked 29 October 2026).

Is Zeffy legit and safe to use?

Zeffy was formerly called Simplyk, and its terms name Simplyk, Inc. (Middletown, Delaware) as the contracting company for US organizations and 9355-0861 Québec Inc. (Montréal) for Canadian ones. B Lab's directory lists Zeffy as a Certified B Corporation since March 2022, and Zeffy's terms cite a platform registration with the California Registry of Charitable Trusts (number PL0000173), which Conversion Gems did not confirm on the California Attorney General's registry. Zeffy says that Stripe, which it describes as PCI Service Provider Level 1 certified, processes all payments, that Zeffy does not store card details, and that two-factor authentication is available. Conversion Gems is an independent review site and cannot confirm individual customer experiences.

Which organizations can use Zeffy?

Zeffy's help center says an organization must be a nonprofit or registered charity in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or Germany and have a bank account in the organization's name (its About page lists five of these countries, without Germany). A US organization needs an EIN but not 501(c)(3) status; Australia needs an ABN, Ireland a charity registration number and Germany a Vereinsregisternummer. Individuals, for-profit businesses, organizations in other regions and US territories other than Puerto Rico cannot use it, and Stripe's restricted business list can also rule an organization out (checked 29 October 2026).

Where do I log in to Zeffy?

Conversion Gems is an independent review site and cannot sign you in or see Zeffy accounts. Zeffy's own login page is https://www.zeffy.com/login, which offers Log in with Google or an email address. Zeffy has no public marketplace, so donors reach a nonprofit's page through the direct link that nonprofit shares.