When a donor opts to cover the fees, we make sure the net donation amount stays exactly equal to what the donor originally chose.
You might think it’s as simple as adding the fee on top of your donation, but it’s a bit more precise than that. Fees are calculated on the total amount charged, not just the donation itself.
Example (3% fee on a €100 donation):
- If we simply added 3%:
- Donor pays 100€ + 3€ = 103€
- But fees are calculated on the total charged: 3% of 103€ = 3.09€
- Net amount is 103€ − 3.09€ = 99.91€
To avoid this, we use a method that ensures your donation stays exactly €100 after fees.
So we apply a gross-up calculation instead: total charged = donation ÷ (1 − fee rate)
- 100€ ÷ (1 − 0.03) = 100€ ÷ 0.97 = 103.09€
- Donor is charged 103.09€
- Fees are 3.09€
- Net amount is exactly 100€
This way, the intended net donation amount is preserved in full.