Best UK online payment for charity donations 2026
Compare the UK shortlist below, then get matched quotes from the acquirers most likely to approve you and beat your current pricing.
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.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology.
The ranking
Ranked on fit for this use case. The score beside each pick is that terminal's overall review score across all uses, so a lower-scored terminal can rank higher here when it suits this job better. The rate, hardware and contract lines come from the same terminal data as the comparison table below.
1. Stripe Reader S700
Review score 4.0 / 5Best UK charity online setup
Touchscreen handheld smart terminal, 5.5in display, Android 10 (no built-in printer; external receipt printer via the optional dock or hub) · 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA (Stripe standard Terminal pricing) · No contract (Stripe standard pay-as-you-go 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.
2. SumUp Solo
Review score 4.2 / 5Best for charity in-person donations
Portable standalone touchscreen terminal (no built-in printer; Solo Lite is the cheaper phone-paired version) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £79 + VAT 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 | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA (Stripe standard Terminal pricing) | £229 excl. VAT | No contract (Stripe standard pay-as-you-go terms) |
| #2 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £79 + VAT list price (SumUp often discounts it) | 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. Discounts vary widely by provider (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.
How we rank
Rankings are built by desk research from each provider's published rates, upfront costs, contract lengths and settlement terms, held in a dated record per terminal (last-reviewed date shown on this page) and re-checked when published pricing changes. We do not hands-on test every device; specs are taken from provider documentation and cited. No provider pays for inclusion or position. MerchantHQ is an introducer. Quote enquiries go to one card-payments broker, Merchant Advice Service, which pays us a fee for each introduction; acquirers do not pay us commission on quote enquiries. That fee never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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