A Better Gift, Plainly Answered

What is A Better Gift?

A Better Gift is a private funding network that helps you raise money from friends and family for personal needs. Whether you need help with medical bills, rent, education costs, car repairs, or other life challenges, you can create a private request and share it with people who care about you.

How is A Better Gift different from other crowdfunding platforms?

Key differences include:

• Private by design: Your request is only visible to people you share it with — it is never listed in any public directory, though you may choose to share your link publicly on social media
• Simple, transparent fee: A 6.9% service fee is added on top of each contribution and paid by the contributor — recipients keep 100% of every dollar
• Direct payments: Funds go directly to your bank account through Stripe. We never hold your money
• Friends & family focus: Designed for raising money from people you know, not strangers

Is A Better Gift free to use?

Free for recipients. A 6.9% service fee is added on top of each contribution and paid by the contributor. The person receiving the funds always gets 100% of the stated contribution amount — nothing is deducted. There are no setup fees, monthly fees, or withdrawal fees.

What can I raise money for?

You can create private requests for a wide range of personal needs, including:

• Medical bills and healthcare expenses
• Rent and housing assistance
• Education costs and tuition
• Car repairs and transportation
• Emergency expenses
• Moving expenses
• And other personal needs

See our Terms of Service for a list of prohibited uses.

Will A Better Gift work for my situation?

If your situation involves a real personal need — rent, medical, funeral, vet, car, education, moving, or simply a tough month — and you have people in your life who would help if they knew, A Better Gift is built for you. There's no application, no eligibility check, and no approval process. You decide what you need help with, you decide who to share your request with, and A Better Gift handles getting the money to your bank account.

How fast will A Better Gift get money to me?

Funds from each contribution arrive in your bank account within 1-2 business days. The moment someone contributes through your private link, Stripe processes the payment and routes it directly to your bank — A Better Gift never holds the money along the way. It's not instant, but it's faster than a personal loan, faster than rental assistance applications, and far faster than a public crowdfunding campaign that needs weeks to gain traction.

Is A Better Gift right for me if I only need a small amount?

Yes. There's no minimum request amount and no requirement that you're in a "big enough" crisis. A Better Gift works for a $200 vet bill just as well as a $5,000 medical expense. The platform exists for the situations where the people who already care about you would help if they knew — whether that's a single contribution from one friend or a dozen smaller ones from your wider circle.

What fees does A Better Gift charge?

No setup fees, no monthly fees, no withdrawal fees. The 6.9% service fee covers payment processing and platform operations and is paid by the contributor — not deducted from what you receive.

Who is Stripe and why do you use them?

Stripe is one of the world's most trusted payment processors, used by millions of businesses including Amazon, Lyft, and Shopify. We chose Stripe because:

• They're PCI Level 1 certified (highest security level)
• They handle all regulatory compliance for payment processing
• They provide fast, reliable payouts to your bank account
• They offer industry-leading fraud protection

What payment methods can contributors use?

Contributors can pay using:

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
• Debit cards
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• ACH bank transfer (US only)

How much will I actually receive from a contribution?

You receive 100% of every contribution. The 6.9% service fee is paid by the contributor on top of their contribution amount:

• $100 contribution → Contributor pays $106.90, you receive $100.00
• $250 contribution → Contributor pays $267.25, you receive $250.00
• $500 contribution → Contributor pays $534.50, you receive $500.00

How do I receive the money raised?

Funds are deposited directly into your linked bank account through Stripe. When you create a request, you'll connect a bank account through Stripe's secure verification process. Contributions are then automatically deposited according to your payout schedule.

How long does it take to receive funds?

• Standard: Contributions are processed immediately and arrive in your linked bank account within approximately 2 business days — this applies to all accounts
• Debit card: If you link a debit card instead of a bank account, funds still arrive within approximately 1-2 business days

Weekends and bank holidays extend timing by calendar days, not additional business days.

Does A Better Gift hold my funds?

No. A Better Gift never holds, controls, or has custody of your funds. All contributions are processed by Stripe and routed directly to your connected bank account. We simply provide the technology platform that connects you with contributors.

Why do I need to verify my identity?

Identity verification is required by financial regulations and helps protect against fraud. Stripe handles this verification process, which may include:

• Confirming your legal name and date of birth
• Verifying your address
• Verifying your Social Security Number (last 4 digits or full)
• In some cases, uploading a government-issued ID

This ensures that funds go to the right person and helps prevent fraud.

Is there a minimum or maximum I can raise?

Requests have a minimum goal of $500 and a maximum goal of $10,000. Individual contributors may contribute more than the stated goal if they choose — there is no cap on what a single contributor can give.

Is it safe to contribute through A Better Gift?

Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe using bank-grade security:

• 256-bit SSL encryption
• PCI Level 1 compliance
• Advanced fraud detection
• A Better Gift never sees or stores your card number

Can I contribute anonymously?

Yes. When contributing, you can choose to hide your name from the request creator. Your contribution will still be recorded for your own records.

Can I get a refund?

All contributions are final and non-refundable once payment is processed. Please review your contribution carefully before confirming. See our Refund Policy for complete details.

Are contributions tax-deductible?

No. Contributions made through A Better Gift are personal gifts to individuals, not charitable donations. They are not tax-deductible. If you need a tax deduction, consider donating to a registered 501(c)(3) charity instead.

Is my personal information safe?

Yes. We take security seriously:

• All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Payment information is handled only by Stripe (PCI Level 1 certified)
• We never sell your personal information
• Access to data is strictly controlled

See our Security page and Privacy Policy for more details.

Who can see my private request?

Anyone with your link. Your request is never listed in any public directory or search results — but if you share your link publicly on social media, anyone who sees that post can view and contribute to your request. You control who sees it by choosing how you share your link.

What information do contributors see?

Contributors see the information you include in your request (your name, description, goal amount, etc.). They do not see your bank account details, address, or other private information.

How do I report suspicious activity?

If you see something concerning, contact our Trust & Safety team at support@abettergift.com.

Is A Better Gift a money transmitter?

No. A Better Gift is a technology platform, not a money transmitter. We don't hold, control, or transmit funds. All payment processing is handled by Stripe, which holds the necessary licenses and regulatory approvals. We act as a limited agent on behalf of request creators solely to facilitate the transfer of contributions. See our Compliance Overview for more details.

Will I receive a tax form?

Stripe may issue a 1099-K form if you receive $600 or more in a calendar year. This is a reporting form, not a tax bill. Whether funds you receive are taxable depends on your specific situation — we recommend consulting a tax professional.

What is the "agent-of-payee" relationship?

When you create a fundraising request, you appoint A Better Gift as your limited agent for the purpose of receiving contributions on your behalf. This means:

• Contributions are legally considered received by you when processed
• A Better Gift facilitates the transfer but doesn't control your funds
• You remain responsible for how you use the funds

This is a standard structure used by many technology platforms and is explained in our Terms of Service.

What if someone misuses funds raised on A Better Gift?

Misusing funds (using them for purposes other than stated) violates our Terms of Service. We may:

• Suspend or terminate the user's account
• Report to law enforcement if appropriate

All contributions are final. In cases of fraud or platform misuse, contact us at support@abettergift.com.

Where can I find your legal documents?

All our legal documents are available in our Transparency Center:

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Refund Policy
• Compliance Overview