Accept cards, ACH, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay donations
Donately lets your donors give the way they already pay: credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Connect Stripe, PayPal, or both, choose which methods each form shows, and every gift lands in one donor record. Every method is included on every Donately plan.
Quick answer
What payment methods can donors use on Donately?
Donors can give by credit and debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club), ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. Connect Stripe, PayPal, or both, choose which methods each form shows, and every gift lands in one donor record. Every method is included on every Donately plan.
Every payment method, at a glance
Stripe, PayPal, or both
Connect either one, or both, and gifts go straight to your own account. Stripe covers cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. PayPal adds its own button for donors who prefer it.
Apple Pay and Google Pay donations
One tap, no card number to type. Apple Pay and Google Pay appear automatically for donors whose device supports them.
They work out of the box on Donately-hosted pages. For forms embedded on your own site, register your domain once in Settings → Payment Processors.
ACH bank transfer donations
Donors sign in to their bank and give straight from their account. No account numbers, no micro-deposits.
PayPal donations
Connect your PayPal Business account and switch PayPal on for any form. Gifts land in the same reports and donor records as every other gift, and recurring PayPal gifts are supported too.
Monthly giving on every payment method
Donors can set up a recurring gift on the same form they use for a one-time gift.
You choose what each form offers
Every form has its own payment settings, so a gala ticket form and a monthly-giving form can offer different methods. Works on embedded donation forms and hosted campaign pages, and both are built for mobile.
Per form, with a live "Ready" badge that shows each processor can take gifts.
Individually: Credit Card, US Bank Account, and Mobile Wallet.
Stacked, horizontal, or Auto.
With "Hide payment until an amount is entered," so donors pick an amount before they see payment fields.
What payment methods cost
Every payment method is included on every plan. Plans differ only by platform fee: Free has no monthly fee and a 4% platform fee; Low Fees is $99/month with a 2% platform fee; No Fees is a $5,000 one-time license with a 0% platform fee on up to $1M raised. Standard processing fees from Stripe or PayPal apply on all plans. On the No Fees license, you save over $40,000 for every $1M raised.
How to set up your payment methods
Then make a small gift on your phone and on a laptop to see exactly what your donors see.
Connect a processor
Go to Settings → Payment Processors and connect Stripe, PayPal, or both.
Open your form's Payment section
Switch on the processors you want donors to see.
Pick your Stripe methods
Under Advanced: Credit Card, US Bank Account, and Mobile Wallet.
Embedding on your own site?
Register your domain for Apple Pay and Google Pay in Settings → Payment Processors.
Publish
Payment changes save to your draft and go live when you click Publish.
Frequently asked questions
What payment methods can donors use on Donately?
Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club), ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. You choose which ones each form shows.
Does Donately accept PayPal donations?
Yes. Connect your PayPal Business account in Settings → Payment Processors and switch PayPal on for any form. Donors see a PayPal button, pay on PayPal, and the gift comes back into Donately with the rest of your donations.
Can I use Stripe and PayPal at the same time?
Yes. Most organizations connect both: Stripe for cards, bank transfer, and wallets, and PayPal as a separate button for donors who prefer it.
Can I accept Apple Pay donations?
Yes. Apple Pay works automatically on Donately-hosted pages. For a form embedded on your own website, register your domain once in Settings → Payment Processors and Apple Pay appears for donors on supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Can I accept Google Pay donations?
Yes. Google Pay is covered by the same Mobile Wallet setting as Apple Pay and appears for donors using Chrome or Android with a saved card.
Why isn't Apple Pay showing on my embedded form?
The domain in your browser's address bar needs to be registered and show "Apple Pay active" in Settings → Payment Processors. Each subdomain counts separately, so www.example.org and give.example.org each need their own registration. Then test on a device that has a card in Apple Wallet.
Do I need to upload an Apple verification file to my website?
No. Stripe handles Apple's verification when you register the domain in Donately.
Can donors give by ACH bank transfer?
Yes. Turn on US Bank Account in your form's payment settings. Donors connect their bank through Plaid, with no micro-deposits. ACH needs a one-time approval on your Stripe account.
How long do ACH donations take to clear?
Several days, unlike cards. The gift shows as pending until it settles. PayPal eCheck payments can take up to six business days.
Can donors set up recurring gifts with any payment method?
Yes. Cards, ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay can all start a recurring gift, on the same form donors use for a one-time gift.
Does Apple Pay work with PayPal?
No. Apple Pay and Google Pay run through Stripe, so you need a connected Stripe account to offer them.
Can I accept donations from outside the US?
Yes. Donors anywhere in the world can give by card. ACH bank transfer is for US bank accounts.
Can I accept cash and check?
Yes, for your records. Cash and check gifts aren't shown to online donors, but you can always record them yourself from the dashboard so they sit alongside online gifts.
Are payment methods an extra cost?
No. Every payment method is included on every Donately plan. Standard Stripe or PayPal processing fees apply.
Can different forms offer different payment methods?
Yes. Payment settings live on each form, so you can offer ACH on a major-gift form and keep a quick-give form to cards and wallets.
Is it secure?
Card, bank, and wallet payments are processed by Stripe, and PayPal payments are completed on PayPal. Donately's 2026 dashboard also includes Sentinel, which protects your forms from fraud and card testing.
Give donors every way to pay
Cards, ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, included on every Donately plan.