Processing Fees: Explained
We partner with Stripe to process all credit card transactions. Every donation has two fees: Stripe's processing fee and the Kind Kiosk platform fee. Both are taken out automatically, and the rest is deposited to your bank account.
The rates
How the donor gives | Stripe fee | Kind Kiosk fee |
|---|---|---|
Tap or insert at the kiosk | 2.7% + $0.05 | 1.9% |
QR code or online, from the donor's phone | 2.9% + $0.30 (lower with Stripe's nonprofit rate, see below) | 1.9% |
Donor Advised Fund (DAF), via Chariot | 2.9% | 1.9% |
Stripe rates as of January 1, 2026.
1. Stripe's per-transaction fee. On top of the percentage, Stripe charges a flat $0.05 for every tap ($0.30 for QR and online gifts). On a $10 gift, that 5¢ adds half a percent.
2. When donors cover fees, fees apply to the full amount. If a donor chooses to cover fees, the kiosk adds just enough so your organization still receives the whole gift. Because the donor's card is charged that larger total, the fees are calculated on it too.
Examples: at the Kiosk
When the donor covers fees:
Gift | Donor pays | Stripe fee | Kind Kiosk fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$10 | $10.54 | $0.33 | $0.20 | $10.01 |
$25 | $26.26 | $0.76 | $0.50 | $25.00 |
$50 | $52.47 | $1.47 | $1.00 | $50.00 |
$100 | $104.88 | $2.88 | $1.99 | $100.01 |
When the donor doesn't cover fees:
Gift | Stripe fee | Kind Kiosk fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
$10 | $0.32 | $0.19 | $9.49 |
$25 | $0.73 | $0.48 | $23.79 |
$50 | $1.40 | $0.95 | $47.65 |
$100 | $2.75 | $1.90 | $95.35 |
Because of rounding, your deposit may sometimes be a penny more than the gift. We round up, not down so that your organization receives the full amount.
Example: QR code or online
A $10 gift from a donor's phone, not covering fees: $0.59 Stripe fee (2.9% + $0.30), $0.19 Kind Kiosk fee, and $9.22 to you. With Stripe's nonprofit rate, the Stripe fee drops to $0.52 and you receive $9.29.
The flat $0.30 is why QR and online fees feel higher on small gifts. Tapping at the kiosk is the lowest-cost way to give.
Reading the Transaction Summary
Open any donation in your Dashboard to see its Transaction Summary:
Total Paid: what the donor's card was charged
Stripe Fee: Stripe's processing fee
Kind Kiosk Fee: the 1.9% platform fee
Net Deposit: what's deposited to your organization
If Covered Fees shows a check mark, the donor paid the fees and your Net Deposit equals the full gift.
Stripe's nonprofit rate
Registered 501(c)(3) organizations can ask Stripe for a discounted rate on QR code and online donations only. It lowers Stripe's fee from 2.9% + $0.30 to 2.2% + $0.30.
The nonprofit rate does not change kiosk fees. Tap and insert gifts already get Stripe's lower in-person rate (2.7% + $0.05), and Stripe offers no further nonprofit discount on in-person payments.
If you expect QR or online gifts, it's free and worth applying for. See How to apply for Stripe's nonprofit rate.
Donor-covered fees
During the donation workflow, donors are asked if they would like to cover the transaction fees associated with their donation. If they choose “yes”, that covers both the processor and Kind Kiosk fees, so your organization receives 100% of the intended donation.
Because most donors tend to cover fees (typically 85%+), your organization will likely pay an effective fee of 0.5% or less. Donations default to covering the fees, but donors can choose not to. In that case, your organization covers the fees listed above.
FAQ
We gave $10 as a test and $0.54 was added. Is that right?
Yes. That's 2.7% + $0.05 for Stripe and 1.9% for Kind Kiosk, all charged on the $10.54 total so you still receive the full $10.
As a nonprofit, shouldn't our kiosk fees be lower?
Stripe's nonprofit discount only applies to QR code and online donations. Kiosk gifts are already processed at Stripe's lower in-person rate.