StarWaves
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Pricing
Pricing

One line item. No surprises.

We charge 3% on top of payment processing. There's no monthly fee, no setup, no seat minimum. If a donation doesn't land, you don't pay.

StarWaves
3%
per donation
+ Processing
2.2% + $0.30
Stripe pass-through
That's it.
Donor covers optional · we never sell data · politically neutral by charter
Worked example

On a $100 gift, the campaign keeps $94.50.

Donors can opt to cover the fees at checkout — when they do, you keep the full $100.

Gift amount
$100.00
Processing fee
2.2% + $0.30 · Stripe pass-through
−$2.50
StarWaves fee
3.0% · platform
−$3.00
To your campaign
$94.50
Side-by-side

What you actually pay, compared.

StarWaves
Vendor A
Vendor B
Platform fee
3% flat
3.95%+
4–6%
Monthly subscription
$50–500
$99–800
Setup fee
Often
Often
FEC Form 3 export
Included
Add-on
Manual
Recurring donations
Default-on
Setup needed
Setup needed
Embeds (web/email/QR)
One snippet
Per channel
Per channel
Apple Pay / Google Pay / ACH
All built-in
Card-first
Card-first
Politically neutral
By charter
Varies
Comparison reflects published rates as of 2026. Vendor names withheld; figures sourced from public pricing pages.
Frequently asked

The fine print, not so fine.

Is there a monthly fee or contract?

No. You pay 3% on each successful donation plus payment processing. If a donation doesn't land, you don't pay.

Can donors cover the fees?

Yes — donor-cover is a toggle on every widget. About 38% of donors opt in, on average.

What about ACH and digital wallets?

Apple Pay and Google Pay are card-network rates (2.2% + $0.30). ACH is 0.8% capped at $5.00 per gift.

Do you take partisan campaigns?

We're apolitical by charter. Federal, state, local, or PAC — left, right, or non-partisan — we take everyone who meets the FEC/state compliance bar.

How fast do payouts hit my account?

Daily payouts, T+2 standard. T+0 available on request after the first month.

Is there a setup or migration fee?

No. We migrate your existing donor list and embed your widgets for you — no charge.