As shown in the screenshot dated 6/5/2026, the presentation of the “Optional Donor Tip” within our Givebutter account is misleading as it creates the impression that fees are effectively optional or waived, when in reality neither processing costs nor platform costs are truly eliminated when this payment option is selected.

One of our donors expressed strong dissatisfaction with the so‑called “optional donor tip” given that a baseline processing fee of approximately 3% is applied by Givebutter to all transactions regardless of whether the “Optional Donor Tip” or “Platform Fee” payment model is used, we believe the default tip setting should be aligned accordingly—ideally set around 3%, and capped at no more than 6%.

In our case, we were required to issue a full refund for a ticket purchase because the donor was charged a 15% default tip in addition to the standard processing fee (~ 3%). This created a negative experience for the donor and undermined their trust in the transaction.

Our donor issue has caused significant dissatisfaction among our stakeholders, including our organization’s CEO and several volunteers involved in our fundraising efforts. It has also led to internal concerns and hesitation about continuing to use the Givebutter platform for future campaigns.

We remain particularly concerned that the platform makes it difficult for users to clearly recognize that the tip is optional and that opting out is unnecessarily cumbersome.

Main concerns about the donation flow UX (optional donor tips)

The “Edit” link for processing fees is easy to miss. Many donors won’t notice they can change or remove the fee coverage. This should be a clear button or more prominent control, paired with plain-language text explaining that covering fees is optional (but will reduce their donation to the organization).

The tip prompt needs clearer opt-in and transparency. A percentage default (like 15%) can feel surprising and forces donors to do math. A clearer approach would be: “Support Givebutter” as an explicit opt-in with a custom dollar amount (including a clearly visible “$0” option).

Checkout needs a simple, itemized summary before payment. Donors should see:

Donation amount

Processing fee coverage (if chosen)

Optional tip (if chosen)

Total charged today

This makes it obvious what they’re paying and reduces frustration if they want to adjust numbers.

Bottom line: The current setup makes it too hard for donors to understand they can opt out of both fees and tips (and if they opt out of fees, the organization will pay those fees, decreasing the donation). When donors are confronted with multiple optional charges (processing fees + platform tips), it creates friction in what should be a simple donation experience, and some will abandon the checkout. Streamlining the flow with clearer language, true opt-in choices, and a transparent total would reduce confusion and improve completion rates.

I think the UI around tips have changed, and caused some confusion with our donors. They were mentioning having to set a custom amount to 0 to opt-out of a tip.