Transparency Center

How A Better Gift Works — In Plain Terms

Transparency means being able to explain, simply, how the platform handles money, identity, privacy, and rules. Here is the whole picture in plain language.

We never touch your money

A Better Gift is a technology platform — not a bank and not a money transmitter. When someone contributes to a request, the money does not pass through us. Payment is processed by Stripe, a licensed, regulated, PCI Level 1 certified payment processor, and routed through Stripe Connect directly to the recipient's connected account and on to their bank. At no point does A Better Gift receive, hold, or control contributed funds. Our role is limited to facilitating the transfer on the recipient's behalf. See how payments work →

One fee, shown before you give

There is a single fee: 6.9%, all-in. It is added at checkout and paid by the contributor, which means the recipient receives 100% of the amount intended for them. There are no subscription fees, no setup fees, and no withdrawal fees. Creating a request is free, sharing it is free, and contributors do not need an account to help. The amount shown at checkout is the only fee — nothing is taken out afterward. See the full fee breakdown →

Who can receive money

Everyone who receives contributions is identity-verified before money can reach them, in two layers. Stripe performs its own Know Your Customer checks during account setup — confirming legal name, date of birth, address, tax identification, and bank account ownership, and requesting a government ID where required. In addition, A Better Gift verifies every recipient with a government-issued photo ID before they can receive contributions. This verification is required by financial regulations and exists to protect against fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. More on trust & safety →

Requests stay private by default

A request on A Better Gift is never posted to a public directory and is never indexed by search engines. It is visible only to the people the requester chooses to share the link with. There is no public feed, no browsable list of campaigns, and no search result tied to a request. Privacy is the default here, not a setting you have to go find. What private fundraising means →

How your information is handled

A Better Gift collects only the information needed to run the service and meet legal requirements, and handles it in line with applicable privacy laws, including the CCPA and GDPR. That includes data-minimization practices and the right to access or delete your information. Exactly what is collected, how it is used, and how long it is kept is set out in full in the Privacy Policy. Read the Privacy Policy →

Our regulatory position

A Better Gift operates under an agent-of-payee model — a recognized legal structure in which the platform acts as a recipient's limited agent solely to facilitate the receipt of contributions, rather than transmitting funds independently. Because Stripe is the licensed and regulated payment processor, anti-money-laundering programs and tax reporting run through Stripe: where IRS thresholds are met, Stripe issues 1099-K tax forms to recipients. A Better Gift is not a bank, money transmitter, charity, or custodian of funds, and does not provide tax or legal advice — recipients are responsible for any taxes owed and should consult a professional about their own situation. Read the full compliance overview →

When something needs attention

Once a payment is processed, contributions are final; the Refund Policy explains this in detail. The rules about what can and cannot be fundraised for are set out in the Terms of Service — requests are reviewed for policy compliance, anyone can report a concern, and violations can lead to account suspension. A Better Gift also cooperates with valid legal requests. How concerns are handled →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does A Better Gift hold my money before sending it to my bank?

No. A Better Gift is a technology platform, not a bank or money transmitter. When someone contributes to a request, the money does not pass through A Better Gift. Payment is processed by Stripe — a licensed, regulated, PCI Level 1 certified processor — and routed through Stripe Connect directly to the recipient's connected account and on to their bank. At no point does A Better Gift receive, hold, or control contributed funds. Funds arrive in the recipient's bank in 1-2 business days.

What does the 6.9% service fee actually cover?

The 6.9% all-in fee is paid by the contributor at checkout and covers payment processing (handled by Stripe), fraud prevention, identity verification, platform operations, and customer support. There is no separate processing fee, no subscription fee, no setup fee, and no withdrawal fee — the 6.9% shown at checkout is the only fee charged. Recipients receive 100% of the contribution amount. Creating a request is free, sharing it is free, and contributors do not need an account to give.

How does A Better Gift verify recipient identity?

Every recipient is identity-verified in two layers before they can receive contributions. Stripe performs its own Know Your Customer (KYC) checks during account setup — confirming legal name, date of birth, address, tax identification, and bank account ownership, and requesting a government ID where required. In addition, A Better Gift verifies every recipient with a government-issued photo ID. This dual verification is required by financial regulations and exists to protect against fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

Is A Better Gift regulated as a money transmitter or bank?

No. A Better Gift operates under an agent-of-payee model — a recognized legal structure in which the platform acts as a recipient's limited agent solely to facilitate the receipt of contributions, rather than transmitting funds independently. Because Stripe is the licensed and regulated payment processor, anti-money-laundering programs and tax reporting run through Stripe: where IRS thresholds are met, Stripe issues 1099-K tax forms to recipients. A Better Gift is not a bank, money transmitter, charity, or custodian of funds, and does not provide tax or legal advice — recipients are responsible for any taxes owed and should consult a professional about their own situation.

How does A Better Gift handle disputes or policy violations?

Once a payment is processed, contributions are final — the Refund Policy explains this in detail. The rules about what can and cannot be fundraised for are set out in the Terms of Service. Requests are reviewed for policy compliance, anyone can report a concern (by emailing support@abettergift.com), and violations can lead to account suspension. A Better Gift also cooperates with valid legal requests. For specific concerns or disputes about a contribution, recipients and contributors can contact support directly for resolution.