Why Your Transfer May Be Lower Than Expected

If your payout was slightly lower than expected, it’s usually due to timing, processing fees, or how certain donations are handled. Here are the most common reasons.

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 fundraiser has raised overall. Any donations that are still processing won’t be included in that payout.

For a deeper breakdown of processing timelines, see How Transfers Work on GiveSendGo.

Optional Support to GiveSendGo

Fundraiser organizers or recipients can choose to contribute a percentage of each donation their fundraiser 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 fundraiser dashboard at any time.

Processing Fees

All donations made to fundraisers on GiveSendGo are subject to third party 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 fundraiser currency, 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 fundraiser 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 fundraiser has been disputed, you can review your Donation Report in the Fundraiser Data tab of your dashboard. For more, see Accessing and Exporting Your Fundraiser Data.

Refunded Donations

Donations on GiveSendGo are generally not refundable. In cases where a refund does occur, the refunded amount is removed from your fundraiser 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, reach out to us via the Contact Us button. We’ll help clarify exactly what’s happening and what to expect next.

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