You can have your checkout open with an amount already chosen for the donor. The most common use is preselecting one of your suggested amounts so that button is highlighted the moment the checkout loads. This is controlled by the Default Amount setting.
Where to find it
Open your checkout’s settings, go to the Amounts tab, and find Amount Settings. The options you see depend on how you have chosen to let donors pick an amount:
- Set an exact amount only — the checkout uses one fixed amount (labeled Set Amount). There is no separate Default Amount, because the fixed amount is the starting amount.
- Let donors choose between suggested amounts — a Default Amount dropdown appears. It lists your suggested amounts, plus No default suggestion. Pick the amount you want preselected, or choose No default suggestion to start with nothing selected.
- Let donors set a custom amount or choose from suggested amounts — a Default Amount field appears where you type any dollar amount.
How the preselection works
When the checkout loads, the amount box is filled with your Default Amount. If that amount exactly matches one of the suggested amounts being shown, that suggested amount is highlighted as selected. If you display your suggested amounts as a dropdown rather than buttons, the matching amount appears as the selected value instead.
To preselect a button, set the Default Amount to the same value as one of your suggested amounts. For example, if your suggested amounts are $25, $50, $100 and $250 and your Default Amount is $50, the $50 button is highlighted when the checkout opens.
Things to keep in mind
- One default for both one-time and recurring. There is a single Default Amount for the whole checkout. You cannot set a different default for one-time gifts and recurring gifts.
- The match must be on the tab the donor is viewing. One-time and recurring gifts each have their own list of suggested amounts. If your Default Amount is $50 but $50 only appears in your one-time list, nothing is highlighted when the donor switches to the recurring tab (the amount box may still show $50).
- A custom default is still a default. If you choose the custom-and-suggested option and type an amount that is not one of your suggested amounts, the amount box starts with that value but no suggested button is highlighted.
- A link can override your default. If a checkout link includes an
amount parameter, that value is used instead. See Checkout URL Parameters.
- Donors can change it. Under the “choose between suggested amounts” option donors pick from your suggested amounts; under the custom option they can also type their own.
For setting up the suggested amounts themselves, see Creating a Checkout. Last modified on November 2, 2026