The first time you add a new recipient to a fundraising or ticketed event page, you'll be asked to set up a WePay or Stripe account. WePay and Stripe are our payment processors -- they handle the credit cards, store your money, and facilitate withdrawals to your bank account.
You may choose either WePay or Stripe as the payment process for that recipient. Both payment processors are largely similar:
- They both are safe and secure
- They both feature instant setup, so you can get started raising money right away
- For US-based organizations, both charge 3.9% + $0.30 for processing fees (see more about fees here), with no additional fees
- For Canadian-based organizations, Stripe must be used as the payment processor. The transaction fee is 4.1% + C$.30 (For Stripe accounts outside of the US and Canada, the fees may be different, both higher and lower depending on your location. Contact us for more information.)
There are some slight differences between the two, however.
WePay:
- Setup is super simple -- all you need to give WePay immediately is a username and password for a new account.
- You have 14 days to enter your bank details and start withdrawing your money, but you can start raising right away without filling in that information. Note: You must enter bank details within 14 days, otherwise you won't be able to raise further money on your fundraising or ticketed event pages until you do.
- You must be US-based and have a federal Tax ID number to use WePay.
- WePay makes it very easy to manage multiple recipients under one account and keep the streams of money separate (for example money donated to your 501c3 nonprofit and money donated to your sister 501c4 nonprofit), just like how in Action Network you can have multiple groups under your single Action Network account.
- Refunds are free -- when you refund a payment, WePay gives back its fee as well.
- Learn more at WePay.com
Stripe:
- Setup isn't quite as simple -- you will need to provide Stripe with information such as your bank details during the setup process, it cannot be saved until later.
- Stripe is available in many countries and currencies (see here for a list)
- Each recipient in Action Network will need its own Stripe account if you want to keep the funding streams separate. Or, you can use one Stripe account, but there will be no way for you to separate out the funds raised towards each different Action Network recipient.
- If you make your Stripe account after September 14, 2017, you will be charged Stripe's fee on refund, though your activist will see a full refund.
- For Stripe accounts outside of the US the fees may be different, both higher and lower depending on your location. Contact us for more information.
- Learn more at Stripe.com
Choose which payment processor you'd like to use for your recipient and follow the onscreen directions to set up and link your account. If you choose Stripe, also choose a currency you'd like to charge donors in. Once you've created your account and granted us access to it, you'll be taken back to the Action Network to finish setting up your fundraising or ticketed event page.
Each time you add a new recipient on a fundraising or ticketed event page, you'll be asked to set up a payment processor for that recipient if you haven't set one up already. The process is the same as the above for each recipient. In this way you can raise different streams of money for different things, such as a separate 501c3 and 501c4 organization, just set up another group. (You don't even have to use this group for data, actions, and email lists, it can just be a "dummy" group that's a recipient on fundraising pages and nothing else while your main group continues to sponsor actions and send emails as normal.)