Learn how Shift4 processes and displays voluntary donor tips to Give Lively

In fall 2022, Give Lively introduced the option for donors to include a voluntary, not tax-deductible tip to Give Lively – a way of inviting donors to “pay free forward.”

These voluntary contributions help Give Lively extend the reach and capability of our free products and services, thus helping the nonprofits direct more resources to their missions instead of digital fundraising software.

For organizations using Shift4 as their payment processor, Shift4 also processes these tips. The details below explain how Shift4 determines, applies and displays information about voluntary donor tips.

Does Shift4 charge processing fees on voluntary tips?

Yes. Shift4 applies the same processing fees to tips as those applied to donations.

However, while the processing fees on donations are passed along to nonprofits, Give Lively assumes full responsibility for the processing fees on tips.

What are the Shift4 processing fees for voluntary tips and how are they handled?

Card payments

There are up to two components of the fee Shift4 charges on every card transaction: 

• variable fee - 1.99% to 3.4%, depending on the card brand
• fixed fee - zero to $0.25, depending on card brand.

The variable component of the transaction fee is handled by each of the responsible parties (the nonprofit or Give Lively). For example, if a donor gives $100 to a nonprofit and $15 as a tip to Give Lively using a Mastercard:

• The variable fee is 1.99%.
  
  • $1.99 applies to the nonprofit ($100 × 1.99%)
  • $0.30 applies to Give Lively ($15 × 1.99%)
• The fixed fee is divided evenly: each party pays $0.125 (50% of $0.25).

Although the total payment amount is processed as one transaction, the fee division is shown on the Shift4 dashboard within the transaction payment details. Learn more about that below. 

Will donors choosing to cover Shift4’s fees on donations to nonprofits also cover fees for voluntary tips?

Donors are not asked to cover Shift4’s transaction fees on voluntary tips to Give Lively. The ability to cover transaction fees is reserved for donations to nonprofits so that nonprofits can make the most of donor generosity.

Because the fixed component of the Shift4 transaction fee is divided when a tip is included (and Give Lively pays a portion of it), both the nonprofit’s fees and the donor’s optional fee-coverage amount will be slightly lower than if no tip had been made.

Learn more about how transaction fees are calculated and how donors can choose to cover them.

How are tips displayed in Shift4’s dashboard?

Shift4 categorizes the donor’s voluntary tip to Give Lively as a “Split.”

To view it:

• Go to the Shift4 dashboard.
• Click on “Charges” and select any transaction.

Displayed details include (see image directly below):

• Amount – the donor’s total payment (donation + tip)
• Split – the net tip amount to Give Lively, after Shift4 fees are removed
• Amount after split – the gross donation amount to the nonprofit (after the tip is removed)

To view more details, scroll down to the “Metadata” section, which details the following (see image directly below):

• Gross donation amount to the nonprofit ("gross_amount_to_ nonprofit")
• Transaction fee amount covered by donor ("transaction_fee_ covered_ by_ donor")
• Net tip amount to Give Lively ("net_tip_ to_ give_ lively")
• Addition campaign details
• Other transaction information

How should nonprofits handle refunds when a donation includes a voluntary tip?

There are three possible refund scenarios:

The donor requests a full or partial refund of the donation only.

• Use Shift4’s refund tools to refund only the donation (not the “Split,” i.e., not the tip to Give Lively).
• In the transaction view, click the blue “Refund” button in the top-right corner.
• Enter the refund amount, making sure it excludes the Split.

Important: Refunding the gross donation amount also reverses the nonprofit's portion of the processing fees. Shift4 does not reimburse these fees. The refunded processing fee is deducted from the next payout to the nonprofit.

The donor requests a refund of the tip only.

• Direct the donor to contact Give Lively customer support with the information outlined here.
• Only Give Lively can process tip refunds, and requests must come directly from the donor.

The donor requests a full refund (donation + tip)

• Ask the donor to contact Give Lively customer support first to request a refund of the tip with the information outlined here. 
• Once Give Lively confirms that the tip has been refunded, process the donation refund through Shift4 (see first scenario above).

I accidentally refunded the donor’s full payment, including the voluntary contribution, via the Shift4 dashboard.

If a nonprofit erroneously refunds any portion of the Split (the tip to Give Lively) through Shift4, the amount is deducted from the nonprofit’s Shift4 balance. Because those funds have already been transferred to Give Lively, they cannot be returned to the nonprofit.