Choose a payment provider that handles the payment on its own payment page, that offers the payment methods your donors already use and that can collect recurring donations. Fees and support also matter, but these three points determine whether donors complete their donation and how much of the security work your organisation has to do.
Why should donors pay on the payment provider’s own page?
Most payment providers let you choose between a payment form built into your own website and a payment page that the provider hosts, to which the donor is sent to pay. For a small organisation, the hosted payment page is almost always the better choice. Card details then never pass through your website, and your organisation only has to complete the shortest self-assessment of PCI DSS, the security standard of the card industry, which is called SAQ A. With a payment form on your own website, the security of your website, including every plugin on it, becomes part of the security of every donation.
Which payment methods do your donors use?
Donors are more likely to complete a donation when they can pay with a method they already use. In the Netherlands, for example, most donors will expect iDEAL. From the end of 2026, iDEAL will gradually be replaced by Wero, a European payment method, so check that your provider supports Wero and will make the change for you.
How do recurring donations work?
A monthly donation gives your organisation a predictable income, so check how each provider handles recurring donations. In Europe, recurring donations are usually collected by SEPA Direct Debit, which means that the donor gives permission once, often by making a first payment by iDEAL or card, and the provider then collects the amount every month. A donor can ask their bank to refund a direct debit within eight weeks without giving a reason, so a small part of your recurring donations may be returned. Ask each provider how a donor can stop a recurring donation, as a donor who cannot find this option may ask their bank instead.
What do payment providers charge?
Payment providers charge a fixed amount per payment, a percentage of the amount, or both, and the costs differ per payment method. For small donations, a fixed amount per payment weighs more heavily than a percentage, so compare providers using the amount of a typical donation to your organisation. Also check whether the provider charges a monthly fee, how quickly donations are paid into your bank account, and whether it offers a reduced rate for charities.
Where are the data of your donors kept?
A payment provider stores the names, email addresses and payment details of your donors. Under the GDPR, your organisation is responsible for choosing a provider that handles these data lawfully, so read where the provider stores the data before you sign up. A provider based in the European Union can keep the data within the EU. A provider based in the United States transfers data under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which the General Court of the European Union upheld in September 2025. An appeal against that judgment is pending at the Court of Justice, and the two previous frameworks for transfers to the United States were both struck down by that court, in 2015 and 2020.
Before you go live, make a test donation with each payment method, including a recurring donation, and check that the confirmation email and the payment in your records are correct.
If you would like help adding donations to your WordPress website, please email us at hello@fourteenrockets.com.
