Shelterpay offers your customers the option to cover your organization's fees during checkout. This is just one of the many avenues that Shelterluv provides to your customers to help and support your organization through the power of giving.
In this article, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions. Of course, if you cannot find the answers you are looking for, please email the support team using the "Submit a request" button in the top menu or at the bottom of this article.
Covered Fees Overview
The option to cover fees that your customers see at the end of the Shelterpay checkout is automatically calculated to cover your organization:
- All Shelterpay-related processing fees, including 3.4% + $0.30 (Standard Stax fee per transaction)
- Your Shelterluv fee per adoption outcome (for adoption transactions only)
The option to cover fees is displayed on the very last page of the checkout. This means your customers will see the normal Donation Boost prompt first.
This checkbox to cover fees is selected by default, but your customers can opt-out (deselect) if they would like.
If you prefer this box not to be selected by default so that your customers must opt-in to cover the fees, just email help@shelterluv.com, and we can switch this setting for your account.
In your Shelterluv accounting reports, the covered fees will appear as a "Covered Fee Donation" and will include the "Donation added by the customer during Shelterluv checkout" transaction memo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Software Fees Covered" refer to on the receipt?
"Software Fees Covered" is a nominal additional amount that goes directly to Shelterluv. This amount is not charged to your organization at all. We use this to help cover our expenses, reinvest in the software, and keep our software affordable to organizations like yours.
Because software fees differ from processing fees, it is a separate line item on the receipt rather than combined with the "Processing Fee Donation" line item. You will see the donation amount you received in your Shelterluv accounting reports.
What happens when we refund a customer that covered the fees?
You can find related details to this and how this will impact your reporting here: Fee Credits Overview
Can I turn the cover fees option off for my account, or can I pay the added fee for my customers?
The cover fees option in checkout cannot be turned off. However, it does remain optional for your customers. Our data shows that with this feature, 70% of Shelterpay transactions have fees covered by adopters. This feature allows Shelterluv to cover our expenses, reinvest in the software, and keep our software affordable to organizations just like yours!
Why am I seeing slight differences in covered fees across transactions?
You may see slight differences between covered fees in your Shelterpay mobile checkout and your Shelterluv transaction reporting over time and across transactions. These differences are a part of our ongoing work within the software to A/B test and optimize donations for our customers, both with covered fees and with the Shelterpay Donation Boost.