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Understand bank fees

Pour :Administrateur
Preview: Understand bank fees

Each subscription direct debit goes through a payment platform (Stripe, GoCardless, PayGreen…) that takes a commission. Unisoft automatically calculates these fees and displays the complete breakdown for each child payment. This page explains the mechanism and orders of magnitude.

Gross, fees, net: the breakdown​

Each child direct debit shows three amounts:

Gross amount       Bank fees           Net amount
   50 €       −      1.30 €       =      48.70 €
AmountDefinitionWho receives it?
GrossWhat the donor paysShown on their statement
Bank feesCommission charged by the platformThe platform (Stripe, GoCardless…)
NetWhat arrives in the organization's accountThe organization

The donor only sees the gross on their statement. This is also the amount shown on their tax receipt. Bank fees are an internal expense for the organization, transparent to the donor.

Orders of magnitude per platform​

Fees vary by platform, country and payment method.

Bank cards​

PlatformTypical feesDetail
Stripe1.4% + 0.25 € (European cards) to 2.9% + 0.25 € (international)For associations, reduced rates are sometimes available
PayGreen0.5 to 1.5% (depending on contract)Rate negotiated with the association
PayPal1.2% to 3.4% + 0.35 €Depending on volume and type of payment
CardcomVariable depending on contractIsraeli market
Authorize.net2.9% + 0.30 USDNorth American market

Direct debits​

PlatformTypical feesDetail
GoCardless1% (max 2 €)Standard rate for SEPA direct debits
Stripe SEPA0.35 € fixed + 0.8% (cap 5 €)Favorable fixed rate for large amounts

Automatic calculation: estimation then adjustment​

For each direct debit, Unisoft proceeds in two phases:

PhaseDelayDetail
EstimateImmediateUnisoft applies known scales to give a first estimate
Actual feesA few hours to a few daysThe platform reports the exact amount via webhook
UpdateAutomaticUnisoft replaces the estimate with the actual value

You have nothing to do: the tracking is fully automated.

Visualize the fees​

To see fees on a specific direct debit:

  1. 1

    Open the subscription details

    Finance menu → Recurring payments → click on the subscription.

  2. 2

    Payment history section

    Each row shows the gross amount and the net amount distinctly.

  3. 3

    Click on a payment for the details

    The child payment record displays the complete breakdown: gross, fees, net, platform used.

For an overview:

  • The Payments module displays the three columns Gross, Fees, Net in the list
  • The Excel export includes the three amounts for each payment

Accounting impact​

Bank fees are an expense for the organization. For accounting:

EntryAmount
Income (donation, membership fee, etc.)Gross
Expense (bank fees)Fees
Cash flow (bank account)Net

The tax receipt issued to the donor is always for the gross — that is the amount they actually paid, and therefore that they can deduct fiscally.

Why fees vary from one month to another​

For the same subscription, fees may vary slightly month over month:

  • Scale change on the platform side (renegotiation, update of conditions)
  • Temporary promotion applied by the platform
  • Different card type if the donor changes card (premium card = higher fees)
  • Currency conversion if the donation is in a different currency from your bank account

Variations generally remain on the order of a few cents — unless there is a scale change, in which case the gap can be more significant.

Optimize fees​

Several levers to reduce the impact of bank fees:

LeverEffect
Favor direct debit for large amountsGoCardless often caps at 2 €, more favorable than a % for donations > 200 €
Negotiate with the platformThe higher the volume, the more fees can be reduced
Invite donors to cover the feesSome donation pages offer a "Add X € to cover the fees" checkbox
Use PayGreen for FranceOften cheaper than Stripe for French associations

Going further​