UK whole-of-market comparison

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.

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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. Last reviewed 2026-05-11.

The ranking

1. Stripe Reader S700

4.0 / 5

Best UK charity online setup

Touchscreen handheld smart terminal (no built-in printer; external receipt printer via the optional dock or USB) · Custom (Stripe pricing) · Stripe 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.

3. SumUp Solo

4.2 / 5

Best for charity in-person donations

Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract

SumUp Solo at £99 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	Custom (Stripe pricing)	£229	Stripe terms
#3	SumUp Solo	1.69% per transaction	£99 to £149 hardware	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. Typical discount is 30 to 50 basis points (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.

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Named UK account team for the life of the agreement. Acquirer pays our commission on completed introductions, so it costs you nothing on top.

24/7 dedicated support
Direct line to a named UK account manager, not a generic acquirer helpline. When your terminal goes down on a Saturday night you call us.
Quarterly rate reviews
As your card volume grows your rate should drop. We renegotiate against the 40+ UK acquirer panel every quarter, so you never overpay because you forgot to ask.
Chargeback and dispute help
UK chargeback fees vary by acquirer and are set out in your merchant agreement, and many disputes are friendly fraud that can be defended with the right evidence. We draft the response and escalate where the acquirer drags its feet.
Switching support when you outgrow
If a better acquirer fit emerges as you grow we manage the cutover. No exit-fee surprises, no dual-running gap. Same account team across acquirers.

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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: acquirers, including some brands ranked here, pay us commission on completed introductions. Commission never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.

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Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director, Best Business Loans Ltd. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.