> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wegive.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why the Effective Fee Rate Varies by Donation Size

> WeGive Help Center article explaining why smaller donations show a higher effective fee percentage than larger ones, and why two donations of the same amount can have different fee rates.

If you divide the fee on a transaction by the donation amount, you may notice that smaller donations show a higher effective fee percentage than larger ones — even though the fee rates have not changed. This is expected behavior, not an error.

***

## Why smaller gifts show a higher effective rate

WeGive's processing fee has two parts: a **percentage of the donation amount** plus a **fixed dollar amount per transaction**. Because the fixed portion is the same regardless of donation size, it makes up a larger share of smaller transactions.

**Example:** Suppose the fee is 2.9% + \$0.30 per transaction.

| Donation | Percentage portion | Fixed portion | Total fee | Effective rate (fee ÷ donation) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| \$10 | \$0.29 | \$0.30 | \$0.59 | 5.9% |
| \$100 | \$2.90 | \$0.30 | \$3.20 | 3.2% |
| \$1,000 | \$29.00 | \$0.30 | \$29.30 | 2.93% |

The percentage rate (2.9%) stays the same — only the fixed \$0.30 component changes how the overall effective rate looks depending on the transaction size.

***

## Why two donations of the same amount can have different rates

WeGive stores separate processing rates for **American Express** cards and **all other card brands** (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.). American Express typically carries a higher processing percentage.

If one donor gives $100 with an Amex card and another gives $100 with a Visa card, the two transactions will have different fee amounts — and therefore different effective rates — even though the donation amount is the same. This is normal processing behavior, not a configuration issue.

ACH (bank transfer) transactions also have their own rate, separate from card rates.

***

## What you can do

* **Nothing needs to be fixed.** The fee percentages and fixed amounts are configured correctly — the apparent variation is a natural result of how transaction fees work across the payments industry.
* **To see your organization's exact fee rates**, go to **Settings > Payments** in the WeGive dashboard and review the product code configuration for card and ACH transactions.
* **To reduce the impact on donors**, consider enabling **Cover Fees** on your checkout forms so donors can choose to cover the processing fees themselves. See [Billing and Subscriptions](/external/support/settings/billing-and-subscriptions) for details on how fee coverage works.


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