CHURCH SOLUTIONS
Church Giving Platform Cost & Fees Explained
What you pay for your giving platform is money that doesn’t reach your ministry. Here’s what SecureGive’s platform and processing fees look like, and how to evaluate what you’re actually paying anywhere else.
For churches evaluating giving platforms, fees come in two forms: a monthly software fee and a per-transaction processing fee. SecureGive’s monthly plans start at $149, with processing rates that average 2% or less across all transactions. There’s no long-term contract, and rates are published for every plan.
The two types of fees every church should understand
Most giving platforms charge two separate costs: a monthly platform fee and a transaction processing fee. Understanding both (and how they interact) is the only way to accurately compare what platforms actually cost your church.
Monthly platform fee
A flat fee charged each month for access to the software, regardless of giving volume. This covers the platform itself: the giving portal, admin dashboard, integrations, and support.
Transaction processing fee
A percentage (and sometimes a flat per-transaction amount) charged on every gift processed. This is where the significant cost difference between platforms typically lives, because it scales directly with your giving volume.
When a platform advertises low monthly fees, look closely at the processing rates. When one advertises low processing rates, check what’s included in the platform fee and what’s an add-on. The real cost is always both together.
What SecureGive charges
SecureGive offers three plan tiers. All plans include the same Ministry-Minded processing rates.
Premium
$299/mo.
- Everything in Basic
- Virtual Terminal
- Up to 5 Campuses
- Auto Card Updater
- SecureGive API Access
Plans are billed monthly with no long-term contract required. Annual billing is available at a discount ($135/month for Basic, $270/month for Premium).
SecureGive's processing rates
Processing rates apply to every transaction regardless of plan. Here’s the full breakdown:
Online Card
Online • Mobile • Text
Debit Cards
1.75% + 30¢
Credit Cards
2.5% + 30¢
Effective Rate for Most Churches
2% or Less
Effective rate = total fees ÷ total processed
In-Person Card
Giving Kiosk
Debit Cards
1.5% + 30¢
Credit Cards
2% + 30¢
Pin Debit
1% + 30¢
ACH/eCheck
Online • Mobile • Text
Per Transaction
$1.50
Flat rate for any amount
Non-Cash
Stock • Crypto
Stock
4%
Crypto
4%
For most churches, the blended effective rate (total processing fees divided by total dollars processed) comes out to approximately 2% or less. That figure accounts for the mix of debit, credit, and ACH transactions typical across a congregation.
What "effective rate" means and why it matters
The effective rate is total processing fees divided by total dollars processed. It gives you a single number that reflects what you’re actually paying.
Processing rates are quoted per payment method, but your congregation doesn’t all give the same way. Some give by credit card, some by debit, some by ACH. Your actual cost is the blended result of all of them.
SecureGive’s effective rate averages 2% or less for most churches.
A church processing $50,000 per month at a 2% effective rate pays $1,000 in processing fees. The same church at 3% pays $1,500, a $500 monthly difference, or $6,000 per year that doesn’t reach ministry.
Calculate your effective rate
Enter your monthly giving and total monthly fees and we’ll calculate your effective rate for you.
Your effective processing rate
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Enter your giving and fees to see your rate.
Why processing fees exist and why they vary so much
Processing fees are the cost Visa, Mastercard, and other card networks charge every time a card transaction is completed. Any platform that accepts card payments passes along some version of that cost.
What varies is how much each platform marks up those rates. Card networks charge processors a base interchange rate. Platforms then set their own rates on top of that. The gap between what the card network charges and what your church pays is the platform’s margin on every transaction.
Some platforms keep that margin thin while others inflate it substantially, treating processing fees as a profit center rather than a cost to minimize.
SecureGive’s Ministry-Minded Processing is built to keep fees as low as possible for your church. Our rates are set to cover costs, not to generate margin on top of your congregation’s generosity.
"Free" platforms aren't free and "0% fees" means your donors pay
Two fee structures common in the church giving space deserve specific attention.
"Free" giving platforms
“Free” giving platforms typically eliminate the monthly software fee entirely and recover their costs through processing rates, often 3% or higher.
For a church receiving $10,000 per month in giving, a 3% rate costs $3,600 per year in processing alone. At $50,000 per month, that’s $18,000. A platform with a $149 monthly fee and a 2% effective rate costs roughly $12,800 annually at the same volume, $5,200 less, despite having a monthly fee.
The word “free” refers to the software cost only, never to the total cost.
"0% transaction fee" platforms
“0% transaction fee” platforms don’t eliminate processing costs, they shift them to your donors by making fee coverage mandatory rather than optional.
When every gift automatically has a fee added, your donors are the ones absorbing it, without a choice. SecureGive offers donors the option to cover fees voluntarily, but never requires it.
The church decides whether to make that option available; the donor decides whether to use it.
What other platforms charge and what to watch for
Most church giving platforms are not transparent about their fees. Some require you to contact sales for a rate quote. Others publish rates but bury the real costs in contract terms or add-ons.
When evaluating any giving platform, ask these specific questions:
- What is the monthly platform fee at my church's size and giving volume?
- What are the processing rates for debit, credit, and ACH separately?
- Are there additional fees for features like text-to-give, check scanning, or multi-campus support?
- Is there a setup fee or onboarding cost?
- Is there a contract? What is the length and terms for leaving?
- What is the effective rate you would expect for a church with my transaction mix?
Platforms that cannot or will not answer these questions directly are telling you something.
SecureGive publishes its full rates publicly. There are no hidden costs for fees.
How donor-covered fees work
Most giving platforms, including SecureGive, offer the option for donors to cover transaction fees when they give. When a donor selects this option, the processing fee is added to their gift total, and the full intended amount reaches your church.
This feature is available on all SecureGive plans. When enabled, many churches see a significant portion of givers opting to cover fees voluntarily which effectively reduces the church’s net processing cost.
Donor-covered fees don’t eliminate processing costs; they shift who pays them. Churches should communicate this option clearly to givers and never require it.
Common Questions About Church Giving Cost and Fees
Most church giving platforms charge a monthly software fee plus per-transaction processing fees. SecureGive's plans start at $149/month for the Basic plan and $299/month for Premium. Enterprise pricing is available by quote. Processing fees average 2% or less across all transaction types for most churches.
Processing rates for church giving platforms typically range from 2% to 3.5% depending on the platform and payment method. SecureGive's rates come in at 1.75% + $0.30 for debit cards and 2.5% + $0.30 for credit cards online. ACH bank transfers are $1.50 flat. Most churches see a blended effective rate of approximately 2% or less.
A monthly fee is a flat charge for access to the giving platform software — dashboards, integrations, support, and features. A transaction fee is charged on each individual gift processed, typically as a percentage of the gift amount. Both fees together determine the true total cost of a giving platform.
No.There's no long-term contract. Monthly plans can be cancelled without penalty. Annual billing is available at a discounted rate for churches that prefer it.
Yes. SecureGive allows donors to voluntarily cover processing fees when they give. When a donor opts in, the fee amount is added to their total gift, and the full intended amount is deposited to the church. This is optional, the church decides whether to offer it, and the donor decides whether to use it. SecureGive never requires donors to cover fees.
No. Platforms that advertise free software typically charge processing rates of 3% or higher to recover their costs. For any church receiving more than $10,000 per month in giving, a 3% processing rate costs more annually than a platform with a modest monthly fee and lower rates. The word "free" refers only to the software, never to total cost.
Card networks like Visa and Mastercard charge every processor a base interchange rate on each transaction. Platforms then set their own rates on top of that. The difference between the base rate and what your church pays is the platform's margin. Some platforms keep that margin minimal; others use it as a significant revenue source. Asking for an effective rate rather than a quoted rate is the best way to compare platforms accurately.
Divide your total monthly processing fees by your total dollars processed. The result is your effective rate. For example, if your church processes $40,000 in a month and pays $900 in processing fees, your effective rate is 2.25%. This is the most accurate way to compare the real cost across giving platforms.
See SecureGive in the context of your church
Every church’s cost looks a little different based on giving volume, transaction mix, and which plan fits your needs. Schedule a demo and our team will walk through a free rate review, showing you exactly what SecureGive would cost for your church and how it compares to what you’re paying now.