Best UK online payment for charity donations 2026
For UK registered charities, CICs, social enterprises and community-foundation organisations taking online donations. Card payment needs differ from commercial: lower acquirer rates available (most acquirers discount for charities), Gift Aid declaration capture at donation, regular monthly Direct Debit donations alongside one-off card donations, donor-receipt issuance for tax reasons.
The ranking
1. Stripe Reader S700
4.0 / 5Best UK charity online setup
Touchscreen handheld terminal with built-in receipt printer · Custom (Stripe pricing) · Stripe terms
Stripe Checkout at 1.5% + 20p (with charity discount applicable below 1.4% on application). Native integration with JustGiving Campaigns API, BlackbaudRaisers's Edge, Donorfy, Beacon CRM. Stripe Billing handles monthly regular-giving subscriptions. Gift Aid declaration captured via the JustGiving or Donorfy integration.
3. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best for charity in-person donations
Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £99 with 0.99% rate (charity-specific SumUp discount, conditional on Charity Commission registration). Best for in-person collections, church donations at Sunday service, gurdwara langar collections, mosque Friday-prayer giving. Same-day settlement on SumUp One plan.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stripe Reader S700 | Custom (Stripe pricing) | £329 | Stripe terms |
| #3 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
FAQs
What is the best UK payment system for online charity donations?
Stripe Checkout at 1.5% + 20p (discounted below 1.4% for charities) wins for one-off online donations and integrates natively with most UK charity CRMs. GoCardless at 1% + 20p (capped £2) wins for monthly regular-giving Bacs Direct Debit. SumUp Solo at 0.99% (charity discount) wins for in-person collection at religious or community events.
Does MerchantHQ handle Gift Aid integration for UK charities?
Yes. We work with charity-friendly acquirers and platforms (Stripe, GoCardless, JustGiving, Donorfy, Beacon CRM) to set up Gift Aid declaration capture at donation. Donor ticks the Gift Aid box, declaration goes into the charity CRM, HMRC Gift Aid claim runs monthly via the charity's online HMRC account. Adds 25p back to every £1 donated by UK taxpayers.
Should a UK charity use JustGiving or its own Stripe setup?
JustGiving for campaign fundraising (sponsored runs, memorial pages, peer-to-peer fundraising) because it has the donor-network reach. Own-Stripe for charity website donations because rate is lower (1.5% vs JustGiving's 2.9% blended) and you own the donor data. Many UK charities run both: JustGiving for campaigns, Stripe via Donorfy or Beacon for direct website donations.
Can a UK charity get a lower card-acquirer rate than a commercial business?
Yes. Most UK acquirers (Stripe, SumUp, Worldpay, Adyen, Tyl by NatWest) offer charity-discount pricing conditional on Charity Commission or OSCR registration. Typical discount is 30 to 50 basis points (e.g. SumUp 1.69% commercial vs 0.99% charity, Stripe 1.5% + 20p commercial vs 1.4% + 20p charity application). MerchantHQ ensures the charity-rate is applied at onboarding.
Methodology
Rankings are based on direct hands-on testing, published rates, settlement timing, contract terms, and acquirer reliability. We do not accept payment for ranking position. See our full methodology and editorial policy.
Get a quote
Open quote form →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.