Why Is My Payout Less Than Expected?

If your payout was slightly lower than expected, it’s usually due to timing, processing fees, or how certain donations are handled. This article explains the most common reasons a payout amount may differ from what you calculated.

Recent Donations Are Still Processing

This is the most common reason for small differences between the amount you expect to receive and the amount that’s actually paid out. When you request a payout, the amount sent to your bank is based on your available balance at that time, not the total amount your campaign has raised overall. Any donations that are still processing won’t be included in that payout. For a deeper breakdown of processing timelines, see Accessing and Managing Your Funds.

Optional Support Percentage Set by the Campaign Owner or Recipient

Campaign owners or recipients can choose to contribute a percentage of each donation their campaign receives to support GiveSendGo. When this setting is enabled, the selected percentage is automatically deducted from each donation at the time it’s made.

Because this contribution applies to every donation until it’s changed, it can sometimes result in small, unexpected differences between the total amount raised and the amount available for payout. You can review or update this setting in your campaign dashboard at any time.

Processing Fees

All donations made to campaigns on GiveSendGo are subject to processing fees. Because fees are applied to each individual donation, even a small number of gifts made under a different fee rate can result in a slight difference between the total amount raised and the amount available for payout. For a full breakdown of how processing fees work on GiveSendGo, see our article Understanding Fees on GiveSendGo.

Currency Conversion Fees

If a donation is made in a currency different from the campaign’s payout currency, additional currency conversion fees may apply. Exchange rates and conversion fees can cause slight differences between expected and actual payout amounts. These differences are typically small but can add up over time.

Disputed Donations

In some cases, a giver may dispute a donation directly with their bank or card issuer. When a donation is disputed:

1. The disputed amount is temporarily removed from your campaign balance
   
2. While the dispute is under review, those funds won’t be included in payouts
   
3. If the dispute is resolved in your favor, the donation amount is added back
   
4. If the dispute is upheld, the donation is permanently reversed
   

If you believe a donation to your campaign has been disputed, you can review your Donation Report in the Campaign Data tab of your dashboard. For more, see our article on accessing your Campaign Data and reports.

Refunded Donations

Donations on GiveSendGo are generally not refundable. In cases where a refund does occur, the refunded amount is removed from your campaign balance before payouts are calculated. This can reduce your available balance and affect the amount included in a payout.

Still Seeing a Difference?

Most payout discrepancies come down to one or more of the reasons above, but if you’re still unsure why your payout doesn’t match your expectations, feel free to contact us. We’ll help clarify exactly what’s happening and what to expect next.

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