How the 0% Fees Model Works

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 — built with your donors in mind.

How 0% Fees Works

When enabled on your fundraiser:

• Your donors will be asked to help cover transaction fees 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 the standard 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.

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: Which transactions are eligible for 0% Fees?

A: We are actively rolling out the 0% Fees model across more parts of the Trellis platform, with the goal of making it available for all donor purchase methods. 

At this time, 0% Fees will not be eligible for checkouts made via the Sales Entry System (SES) or Attendee Cart in the Check-In Tool. 0% Fees is also not available for standard checkouts over $3,000.

Q: How does 0% fees work for pledges?

If the donor is sent the payment link and completes their purchase through the regular checkout and the total checkout amount is under $3,000, 0% fees applies. 

If the organization processes the payment on the donor’s behalf (by selecting “Charge Card”), the 0% fees do not apply. In these cases, the system will instead use the Fallback Fee Cover configuration your organization has set.

Q: How do I explain this feature to our donors?

A: You can say:

We use Trellis to host our fundraiser because it lets us keep 100% of your purchase. Normally, credit card and platform fees take a small portion of each checkout. Trellis covers those fees for us, so your entire donation goes to our cause. They give you the option to chip in a little extra at checkout to help them cover those costs and improve their platform. It’s completely optional, but it means more charities like ours can benefit from their services.

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

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: Can we customize the language for how donors are asked to cover fees?

A: While we understand the motivation, our testing has shown that language changes can significantly reduce overall support. That puts the sustainability of the 0% Fees model at risk.

We’re constantly reviewing feedback and improving the donor experience. However, to maintain fairness and financial sustainability, we can’t implement certain changes that would undermine the broader model.

Q: Why is the default support amount above 3%?

A: The reason comes down to donor behavior patterns. In many campaigns, a portion of donors choose not to include any additional amount toward platform costs. That’s completely fine and expected. But what makes the 0% fee model work is that some donors do choose to add more, which helps offset the costs for those who don’t.

By setting the default higher, we help ensure the model as a whole remains sustainable, even if only a minority of donors opt to include additional support.

This approach allows your organization to benefit from 0% Fees while still ensuring Trellis can provide a stable, high-quality platform to power your fundraising.

Q: What about 2.5% fee 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 model. The 0% Fees feature only applies to the transaction fees that are charged at the time of purchase. 

Q: What Trellis plans are eligible for 0% Fees?

A: 0% Fees are currently available to organizations on the Pro, Pro Plus, or Enterprise plans. At this time, Starter plans are not eligible.