---
layout: post
title: Fee breakdown for various donation platforms
tags: [money]
---

Understanding fees are a really confusing part of supporting creators of things
you like. I provide a few ways for people to support my work, and my supporters
can struggle to understand the differences between them. It comes down to fees,
of which there are several kinds (note: I just made these terms up):

- **Transaction fees** are charged by the payment processor (the company that
  takes down your card number and runs the transaction with your bank). These
  are typically in the form of a percentage of the transaction plus a few cents.
- **Platform fees** are charged by the platform (e.g. Patreon) to run their
  operation, typically in the form of a fixed percentage of the transaction.
- **Withdrawal fees** are charged to move money from the platform to the
  creator's bank account. These vary depending on the withdrawal processor.
- **Taxes** are also implicated, depending on how much the creator makes.

All of this adds up to a very confusing picture. I've made a calculator to help
you sort it out.

**Note**: For an up-to-date calculation of Patreon's fees, see [the follow-up
post](https://drewdevault.com/2019/05/06/Calculate-your-doation-fees-for-Patreon.html).

<noscript>Sorry, the calculator requires JavaScript.</noscript>
<div id="react-root"></div>
<script src="/js/donation-calc-v1.js"></script>

### Sources

**fosspay**

Only the typical [Stripe fee](https://stripe.com/us/pricing) is applied.

Note: I am the author of fosspay, if you didn't already know.

**Patreon**

[How do you calculate fees?](https://patreon.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/204606125-How-do-you-calculate-fees-)

[What are my options to receive payout?](https://patreon.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203913489-What-are-my-options-to-receive-payout-)

**Liberapay**

[FAQ](https://liberapay.com/about/faq)