Supporter payments FAQ
These are some common questions that your supporters may have about payments, from fees to refunds.
Ko-fi fees
Creators can choose from two options:
- Set up a basic, free page and only offer donations.
- Pay a small 5% fee for each payment they receive, and in return get cool extra features.
PayPal and Stripe take their normal card processing fees. (You can learn more about fees here).
When will the creator receive a supporter’s payment?
Usually straight away. When a supporter pays a creator on Ko-fi, it goes straight to the creator's PayPal or Stripe account. We don’t hold the money for any period and the creator doesn’t have to wait for a ‘payout’.
What information about a supporter is shared when they pay a creator?
When a supporter pays a creator, Ko-fi only shares their chosen display name and email address.
They may be asked for a physical address if they purchase a physical item or subscribe to a membership tier that includes physical items, or if they are in an area where the creator charges sales tax. Their phone number may also be requested (if required for shipping).
On Ko-fi, a supporter is paying the creator directly through their payment method, they’re not paying Ko-fi itself. Please be mindful of the information shared by payment providers, as we've summarized below.
If a supporter pays with PayPal
When a supporter pays with PayPal, PayPal shares their legal name and email with the creator inside the PayPal dashboard. If a supporter uses a business account, they can choose what name and email are displayed. Find out more from PayPal here.
If a supporter pays with Stripe (Card)
Creators can also choose to connect their Stripe account to receive card payments. Stripe provides creators with your name, email and part of your address in addition to other normal information merchants are able to view. Find out more from Stripe here.
For more information on what information is shared when supporting a creator on Ko-fi, have a read here.
Can a supporter make a donation message private?
For a supporter to send a private message with their donation, they need to select 'Private Message'. Only the creator will see the message they write.
Want to know what info is shared with the creator when a supporter donates? Read more here.
Can a supporter make a public message private?
Yes, they need to head to the creator’s 'About' tab on the Creator’s homepage.
Then scroll down to find their message. Click on the "three dots" and choose "Make Message Private".
Don't worry, the creator will still see their message, it just won't show up for everyone else.
Can a supporter pay in any currency?
Creators pick their preferred currency for payments. When a supporter pays, it auto-converts to the chosen currency. They should be aware of possible exchange rates and charges - verify these with PayPal.
If they pay using PayPal, they can choose the conversion rate offered by PayPal or the one from their card issuer (the card registered with PayPal).
A supporter can’t see Paypal or pay via card as an option
Each creator chooses which payment methods they offer. They can choose to offer PayPal, direct card payments or both. When the payment method a supporter wants isn't available, this is because the creator has chosen not to offer that payment method or cannot offer that payment method for certain reason.
A member’s membership payment is overdue
If a member has supported a creator monthly or joined a creator's membership tier, their recurring payments might fail and get tagged as 'overdue'. A member can see the status of their subscriptions through their Accounts settings tab.
Ko-fi will retry overdue payments within 3 working days. Don't worry, members can still enjoy the creator's content until their paid subscription ends.
If payment retries fail a number of times, a member’s subscription may be automatically cancelled. But they can join the Creator’s membership again to get immediate access.
An overdue payment could happen because their card has expired, there's not enough money in their account, or their bank has stopped their payment. Ask for a member to check if there's enough money in their account and deal with any warnings from their bank that might be preventing the payment from succeeding.
If their card has expired, updating it is simple. A member needs to head to their Account Settings > Subscriptions and click on the three dots and then "Update Card".
Still having problems? Get in touch with us. We're always ready to help out.
What’s the difference between being a Monthly Supporter and a Member of a tier?
Monthly Supporters: These are supporters who chose the 'monthly' option when they donated. They give a recurring donation. This is now called 'Simple monthly donations (no tiers)' in the membership settings.
Members of a Tier: These supporters joined one tier and are entitled to the benefits set for that tier.
How can a member switch to a different tier?
Members can switch their membership tier anytime they like. When they upgrade or downgrade, they'll be charged the full price of the new tier. Previous payments won’t be refunded or adjusted, but creators can issue partial refunds through PayPal or Stripe if needed.
How can a member make changes:
- Log in to Ko-fi.
- Head to the creator’s memberships page
- Choose the subscription they want
- Join the membership
And that’s it! Their membership will be updated. 😊
A supporter’s payment won’t go through
Ask your supporter to try using another payment method or device. Ask them to check if their payment provider is blocking the payment. A supporter may need to contact their payment provider to verify the transaction is genuine.
If they are trying to pay by PayPal, check out our guide here.
If they are paying with card, check out our guide here.
Note
On Ko-fi, they are paying the creator directly, and payment issues may be related to the creator's payment method rather than their own account. So after reading the guides, they can reach out to us and we can check for them.
A supporter has been charged twice for a payment
This might be a pending payment, which typically disappears within 5 days. If it doesn't, ask your supporter to get in touch with us.
Can a supporter get a refund for their payment?
Payments go straight to creators. If they need a refund, they can contact the creator directly from their profile page:
- Head to the creator's page (under their profile pic) > "Send a Message".
- A supporter may also able to dispute the payment directly with PayPal or their bank if they paid by card.
How do discounts work with “Pay What You Want” listings?
A supporter can choose how much they want to pay for a shop item or commission with Pay What You Want. If they choose to pay more than the minimum price, the discount code won’t apply. The discount only works if they pay the minimum price.
For example:
- If the minimum price is £10 and the supporter pays £10, using the discount code “CAKE20” will reduce the price to £8.
But, if a supporter chooses to pay more than £10, like £20, the discount code “CAKE20” won’t reduce the price.
Need assistance? We're here to help. Feel free to submit a request. 💌
A supporter has an unexpected charge on their card or PayPal account
Ko-fi transactions are between creators and supporters, meaning only only a creator or a payment provider (PayPal/Stripe) can provide a supporter with a refund. However, we’re happy to provide guidance if help is needed.
Depending upon the transaction type, they might be able to dispute through their PayPal account (learn more here). If they paid straight from their bank, their bank can usually help them dispute the transaction.
We're here if you need us. Feel free to send any questions our way. 💌