Transparent, direct, and secure — every step of the way
Unlike traditional crowdfunding platforms that hold your funds, A Better Gift uses a direct payment model. When someone contributes to your request, the money goes directly to your bank account — we never hold or control your funds.
A Better Gift acts as your limited agent solely to facilitate the transfer of contributions. All payment processing is handled by Stripe, a PCI Level 1 certified payment processor trusted by millions of businesses worldwide.
Here's exactly what happens when someone contributes to your request:
Your friend or family member clicks to contribute and enters their payment information on our secure, Stripe-powered checkout form.
Stripe securely processes the credit card, debit card, or bank payment. Stripe handles all sensitive payment data — A Better Gift never sees or stores card numbers.
Through Stripe Connect, the funds (minus processing fees) are routed directly to your connected Stripe account. A Better Gift does not hold these funds at any point.
Stripe automatically processes the funds to your linked bank account according to your processing schedule (typically within 2 business days for established accounts).
We've partnered with Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment processors, to handle all financial transactions on our platform.
By using A Better Gift, you also agree to Stripe's Services Agreement. Stripe is responsible for the secure processing and handling of all payment transactions.
We believe in transparent, simple pricing with no hidden fees.
| Contribution Amount | Service Fee (6.9%) | Total Charged to Contributor | Recipient Receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | $6.90 | $106.90 | $100.00 |
| $250.00 | $17.25 | $267.25 | $250.00 |
| $500.00 | $34.50 | $534.50 | $500.00 |
A 6.9% service fee is added on top of the contribution amount and paid by the contributor. The person receiving the funds always gets 100% of the stated contribution — no deductions. There are no setup fees, monthly fees, or withdrawal fees.
How quickly you receive your funds depends on your account status:
Processing schedules are managed through Stripe and can be customized (daily, weekly, or monthly) in your account settings.
| Feature | A Better Gift | Traditional Crowdfunding |
|---|---|---|
| Funds Handling | ✓ Direct to your bank | Platform holds funds first |
| Platform Fee | ✓ 6.9% (paid by contributor — recipient keeps 100%) | 0–5% of funds raised |
| Privacy | ✓ Private sharing only | Publicly listed campaigns |
| Who Sees Your Request | ✓ Only people you share with | Anyone on the internet |
| Payment Processor | ✓ Stripe (industry leader) | Varies (often proprietary) |
| Processing Control | ✓ Automatic to your bank | Manual withdrawal required |
Contributors can use the following payment methods:
All payment methods are processed securely through Stripe with the same fee structure.
No. We use Stripe Connect which routes funds directly to your connected account. A Better Gift never holds, controls, or has custody of contributed funds.
All contributions are final and non-refundable once payment is processed. Please review our Refund Policy for details.
A 6.9% service fee is added on top of each contribution and paid by the contributor. The recipient always receives 100% of the contribution amount. There are no platform fees charged to recipients, no monthly fees, setup fees, or withdrawal fees.
No. A Better Gift is available to US residents only. Both request creators and contributors must have US-based payment methods. International payments and currency conversion are not supported.
Identity verification is handled by Stripe during account setup. You'll need to provide basic information and, in some cases, a government-issued ID. This is required by financial regulations and helps protect against fraud.
