No hidden fees, no surprises. GradSend takes a small platform fee to keep the lights on, plus the standard payment processing fee charged by our payment partner, Stripe.
5%
This fee goes directly to GradSend to cover platform maintenance, customer support, campaign tools, and continued development. It's how we keep GradSend free to use for students.
2.9% + $0.30
This fee is charged by Stripe, our payment processor, to securely handle every card transaction. GradSend does not keep any portion of this fee — it goes entirely to Stripe.
See exactly how fees break down for any donation amount.
You keep 91.8% of every donation.
Here's exactly what happens when someone donates $100 to your campaign.
Donor pays $100.00
Full donation amount charged to their card
GradSend platform fee (5% of $100)
Supports platform operations & tools
Stripe processing fee (2.9% + $0.30)
$100 × 2.9% = $2.90, plus $0.30 flat fee
You receive
$100.00 − $5.00 − $3.20
Are there any monthly or setup fees?
No. GradSend is completely free to sign up and use. You only pay fees when a donation is successfully processed — no subscription, no setup cost.
Are the fees taken automatically?
Yes. Fees are automatically deducted at the time of each donation. The amount you see in your dashboard as "You Receive" is already after all fees.
What if a donation is refunded?
If a donation is refunded, the platform fee is returned to the platform. Note that Stripe's processing fee is typically non-refundable per their standard policy.
Does GradSend keep any of the Stripe fee?
No. The Stripe processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) goes entirely to Stripe. GradSend only retains the 5% platform fee.
Is there a minimum donation amount?
We recommend a minimum donation of $5 to ensure the net amount after fees is meaningful for the student.