Trellis' 0% Fees - The Latest Iteration of Optional Donor Cover

Learn more about our new 0% Fees coverage option, where donors are given the option to cover fees, and if they choose not to, Trellis will cover instead.

We've made a powerful update to fee coverage options, designed to further support your fundraising goals. 0% Fees is the newest evolution of our optional donor cover feature — and it’s built with your donors in mind.

How 0% Fees Works

When enabled on your fundraiser:

• Your donors will be asked to help cover payment processing fees and support platform development during eligible checkouts.
• Donors will be able to choose the amount they wish to cover.
• If your donors opt not to cover fees, Trellis will cover the fees instead - so there's no risk to you!

Donors will see the option to help cover fees during the final step of checkout. To make sure this experience is as effective and donor-friendly as possible, we’re actively testing different versions. That means what you or your donors see may differ slightly from the screenshot below—and may change over time as we continue to improve.

What Checkouts Are Eligible

0% transaction fees apply to donor checkouts made through the standard checkout flow, including:

• Event tickets

• Items for sale

• Donations

• Canadian ERS raffle tickets (transaction fees only, not the 2.5% additional ERS raffle fee, billed separately)

• Pledges for donations or items for sale

What’s Not Eligible (Yet)

The following checkout types do not currently qualify for 0% transaction fees:

• Sales processed by your organization via Sales Entry or the Check-In Tool

• Fund-a-Need / Paddle Raise purchases

• Donor checkouts over $3,000

• Silent auction auto-payments

  • Note: If an auto-payment fails and the donor completes payment through the standard checkout flow, it will be eligible.

For any checkouts that do not qualify for 0% Transaction Fees, you can configure who covers the fees in your Fee Settings.

How to Enable and Disable 0% Fees

1. From the Fundraiser Builder, navigate to Fundraiser Settings > Fees

2. Enable 0% Fees by turning on the toggle.

3. Update your fee coverage settings for checkouts where transaction fees still apply. For more, check out this article.

4. To disable 0% Fees, follow the same steps above, but disable the toggle.

5. Don't forget to publish fundraiser changes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where do I see the amount the donor covers for the 0% Fees option?

A: You don’t! And that’s a good thing.

Since Trellis covers all transaction fees under the 0% fees option, any amount a donor chooses to contribute toward those fees goes directly to Trellis. That means:

• It won’t show up in your exports, reports, results, thermometers, payouts, RE NXT, or tax receipts.

• There's no extra reconciliation work required on your end.

• Donors will still see the full amount paid on their receipts, called "Fees and Platform Support".

You're focused on your fundraising — we handle the rest.

Q: Can I issue a refund for the amount a donor covers for the 0% Fees option?

A: Yes, you can. Even though the donor's support toward fees goes directly to Trellis, it's still part of the overall transaction and can be refunded upon request. When you go to refund a transaction, there will be an option to refund the "Fees and Platform Support".

Q: What happens if the checkout is over $3,000?

A: If a single checkout exceeds $3,000, the 0% Fees option is automatically disabled.

In that case, Trellis reverts to your regular fee settings, which could be one of the following:

• The donor covers the fees,

• Your organization covers the fees, or

• The donor sees the original donor-optional prompt to cover the fees.

This ensures large transactions are handled within your existing fee preferences.

Q: What about 2.5% raffle fees for Canadian raffles?

A: The 2.5% raffle fee that is billed after the conclusion of the raffle is not included in the 0% Fees offer. The 0% Fees feature only applies to the transaction fees that are charged at the time of purchase.