Stripe + Levitate

Stripe is a trusted payment processor used by many of our non-profit partners and clients across industries. Stripe provides the tools to securely manage payments, automate receipts, and track donor data. Levitate also partners with Stripe to collect payments through Event Registration.

Why We Recommend Stripe

Stripe integrates well with most CRM platforms, donation forms, and custom event sites. Here’s why it stands out:

Ease of Setup

Create an account in minutes and connect to your bank.

Transparency

Clear, flat-rate pricing (typically 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction).

Security

Industry-leading fraud prevention and PCI compliance.

Insights

The Stripe dashboard includes real-time reporting and export tools for accounting or CRM syncs.

If you’re accepting donations, ticketing events, or managing memberships, Stripe allows for high flexibility with low administrative lift.

How Non-Profits Are Using Stripe

Recurring Donations

Many organizations offer monthly giving options via their Donation Management System + Stripe. Donors can manage their preferences, and Stripe handles recurring billing and receipts. Through Zapier, you can connect Stripe to our Donation Boards to help with donation management and outreach. Read more about Zapier + Levitate + Stripe here.

Event Registrations + Ticketing

Stripe connects directly with Levitate for Paid Events, enabling smooth checkouts using Levitate’s Event Registration surveys.

Back-Office Efficiency

Stripe payment data can be added to Levitate using CSV Import or Zapier sync. Some non-profits also automate thank-you emails and tax receipts. Learn more about our New Donor automation and New Donation automation here.

Getting Started with Stripe

Create your Stripe account by going to https://stripe.com/! Once your account is created, you can get set up in Levitate.

Here’s a video of getting Stripe set up in Levitate

Here’s a video of creating an Event Registration with payment

Stripe FYIs

Payout Schedule

Typically 2-day rolling for U.S. nonprofits. You can customize frequency.

Stripe Fees for Businesses

Typically 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.

Stripe Fees for Non-Profits

Stripe offers fee discounts for 501(c)(3) organizations. You must apply via their support with your IRS letter.

Refunds

You can issue partial or full refunds through the Stripe dashboard; Stripe’s fees are not returned after a refund. Any refunds needed for Paid Events created through Levitate can only be handled directly through Stripe.

Donor-Covered Fees

Some Donation Management Platforms allow donors to “cover the fee.” Stripe doesn’t offer this natively, but some third-party tools specifically for charitable giving do. Currently, it is not available as an option in Levitate when ticketing for an Event, but the overall price of the ticket can be increased to essentially cover any fees that will be taken out.

FAQs

Can donations be made directly through Levitate?

Not currently, but, if you are using Stripe to collect donations through your website or another giving platform, Zapier can be used to push that donation information into Levitate’s Donation Board as long as you are collecting a name and an email address with the donation or payment details like amount and date. Read more about setting up Zapier to push payment data from Stripe to Levitate here!

How is Stripe being used in Levitate?

Levitate is using Stripe as the payment processing platform when collecting payments for event attendance. To use Stripe in Levitate, you’ll need to have a Stripe account and connect it to Levitate. From there, you’ll be able to create Event Registration surveys with a required fee that prompts Stripe to collect payment from invitees. Read more about Paid Events here.

Need more help?

If you need assistance with connecting your Stripe account to Levitate for creating Paid Events, setting up Zapier for a Stripe connection to the Donation Board, or creating a New Donor or New Donation automation reach out directly to your Success Specialist!