Overview
When donors give online, a small portion of each donation goes to the payment gateway as a processing fee.
The "Exclude payment gateway charges from goal" setting lets you choose whether your fundraising thermometer, donor leaderboards, and other public displays reflect the gross amount donated or the net amount your institution actually received.
This is a display-only setting — it does not affect donor receipts, donation records, or any amounts charged to donors.
When Should You Turn This On?
Turn this on if:
You want your public fundraising total to match what actually lands in your account
Your finance team reports on net (post-fee) amounts and you want consistency
You'd rather donors and staff see a number that reflects true funds received
Leave it off (the default) if:
You want to show the full generosity of your donors, regardless of fees
You use gross amounts as your reporting standard
How It Works
The rule is straightforward:
Donor situation | What is shown |
Donor covered the gateway fee | Full donated amount — your institution received it all |
Donor did not cover the fee | Net amount — the donated amount minus the gateway fee |
Example:
Your page has a $10,000 goal. Two donations come in:
Donor | Donated | Covered fee? | ~ Gateway fee | Your institution received |
Alex | $100 | Yes | $3 (paid by Alex on top) | $100 |
Jamie | $100 | No | $3 deducted | $97 |
Toggle OFF (default): Thermometer shows $200 raised
Toggle ON: Thermometer shows $197 raised — Jamie's $3 fee is excluded; Alex's full $100 still counts because Alex covered it
Where This Affects Displays
When the toggle is on, the net amount is reflected across:
Fundraising thermometer and "amount raised"
Recent gifts feed and gift ticker
Leaderboards totals
Campaign totals
What Exports Show
Your donation export always includes two amount columns for every donation, regardless of whether the donor chose to cover the gateway fee:
Column | What it shows |
Gross Amount | The total amount charged to the donor's card |
Net Amount (Amount Without Charges) | The amount your institution received after gateway fees |
How these relate to the donor's intent depends on their choice:
If the donor covered the fee — the net amount equals their intended donation. The gross amount is the slightly higher total they were charged.
If the donor did not cover the fee — the net amount is their donation minus the gateway fee, which will be slightly lower than what they gave.
Important: When the "Exclude payment gateway charges from goal" toggle is off, your giving page displays the gross amount — which may be higher than the net amount shown in your export for the same donation. If you want the page display and your export's net column to match, turn the toggle on.
Where to Find This Setting
On your giving page settings, look for "Exclude payment gateway charges from goal" under the Campaign Settings section.
FAQs
Does this work for all payment gateways?
Yes — it applies to all payment gateways supported on the platform.
Do I need the "Allow donor to cover charges" option enabled for this to work?
No. The toggle works independently of whether that option is turned on.
Will my thermometer show a lower number after I turn this on?
Possibly. For any donation where the donor did not cover the fee, the gateway fee will be subtracted from the displayed total. This is expected — it now reflects what your institution actually received.
Does it apply retroactively to past donations?
Yes. As soon as you turn the toggle on, all past and future donations on that page are recalculated to show net amounts.
Can I switch it back off?
Yes, at any time. Turning it off reverts all displays to gross donation amounts.
Does this change donor receipts or donation records?
No. Receipts, records, exports, and amounts charged to donors are completely unaffected. This setting only changes public-facing display numbers.