Venmo is best known for splitting dinner tabs and paying back friends, but the app has quietly built out a genuinely useful way to support causes you care about. Through the in-app “Make a Donation” flow and the “Find a Charity” directory, you can give to thousands of verified U.S. nonprofits in a few taps — and, importantly, the donor pays no extra fee to do it.
If you’ve seen the feature start to appear in your app and want to understand how it works, who the fees fall on, and how to make sure your money reaches a legitimate organization, here’s a clear, current walkthrough.
What Venmo’s “Make a Donation” Feature Actually Is
Venmo lets registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits create a charity profile — a special account type that’s separate from a regular personal or business profile. Once a nonprofit is approved through PayPal’s verification process (Venmo is owned by PayPal), its profile appears in Venmo’s searchable charity directory, and anyone can send it money directly inside the app.
The donor-facing side of this is the Find a Charity page. Instead of needing to know a nonprofit’s exact username, you can browse verified organizations by category — such as animals and pets, disaster relief, education, health, or human services — or discover charities active in your local community.
How to Spot a Verified Charity
Every approved charity profile carries a blue verification checkmark next to its name. This badge is your single most important signal: it confirms the organization completed PayPal’s nonprofit verification flow and that your donation is routed to a confirmed 501(c)(3) rather than to a personal account impersonating a cause. If you don’t see the blue checkmark, treat the account with caution.
How to Make a Donation on Venmo: Step by Step
The exact wording may differ slightly as the feature continues rolling out, but the flow generally looks like this:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the Venmo app and tap the search bar at the top of the home screen. |
| 2 | Select “Make a Donation” to open the Find a Charity page. |
| 3 | Browse by category or by local community, or search for a specific nonprofit by name. |
| 4 | Tap a charity and confirm the blue checkmark and cause details before continuing. |
| 5 | Enter your donation amount and choose your funding source (Venmo balance, bank, debit, or credit card). |
| 6 | Review and tap pay to send your donation. |
You can also reach a charity’s profile directly through a shareable profile link or a QR code that the nonprofit posts on its website, email newsletter, or event signage. Scanning the QR code or tapping the link drops you straight onto the charity’s verified Venmo page.
The Fees: Donors Pay $0, Charities Pay 1.9% + $0.10
This is the part that matters most, and it’s genuinely donor-friendly. For donations of $1.00 or more, Venmo charges a transaction fee of 1.9% + $0.10 — and that fee is charged to the charity, not to you. As a donor, the amount you enter is the amount that leaves your account. There’s no added surcharge, no “service fee” line item, and no donor-cover-the-fees prompt.
There’s also a notable perk for credit-card donors. Venmo normally adds a 3% fee on payments funded by a credit card, but donations sent to a charity profile are exempt from that 3% credit-card fee. So you can give with a credit card (and earn any card rewards you’d normally get) without paying extra.
Worked Example
Say you donate $50 to a verified disaster-relief charity:
- You are charged: exactly $50.00 — nothing more, even if you pay by credit card.
- The charity’s fee: 1.9% of $50 = $0.95, plus $0.10 = $1.05.
- The charity receives: $50.00 − $1.05 = $48.95.
For a smaller $10 gift, the charity’s fee would be (1.9% × $10 = $0.19) + $0.10 = $0.29, so the organization nets $9.71. Donations under $1.00 don’t incur the fee at all.
| Your donation | Charity fee (1.9% + $0.10) | Charity receives | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.29 | $9.71 | $10.00 |
| $25 | $0.58 | $24.42 | $25.00 |
| $50 | $1.05 | $48.95 | $50.00 |
| $100 | $2.00 | $98.00 | $100.00 |
A Few Things to Know Before You Give
- No automatic tax receipts. Venmo doesn’t generate and send IRS-ready donation receipts automatically. Keep your Venmo transaction record, and request a receipt from the charity directly if you plan to itemize.
- No recurring donations. Venmo’s charity profiles don’t currently offer a built-in “give monthly” option, so each donation is a one-time payment you initiate yourself.
- Fees aren’t refundable. Venmo doesn’t refund the 1.9% + $0.10 processing fee to the charity, so give deliberately.
- Verify before you send. Always confirm the blue checkmark and read the cause description. A verified charity profile is a confirmed 501(c)(3); a lookalike personal account is not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it cost me anything to donate to a charity on Venmo?
No. The donor pays exactly the amount they enter. The 1.9% + $0.10 transaction fee is charged to the receiving charity, and Venmo waives its usual 3% credit-card fee on donations, so even card-funded gifts carry no extra cost to you.
How do I know a charity on Venmo is legitimate?
Look for the blue verification checkmark next to the organization’s name on its profile. That badge confirms the nonprofit was approved through PayPal’s verification process as a registered 501(c)(3). Charities without the checkmark have not been verified through this flow.
Can I write off my Venmo donation on my taxes?
If the charity is a qualified 501(c)(3), your gift may be tax-deductible — but Venmo won’t issue a tax receipt automatically. Save your Venmo transaction history and ask the nonprofit for a formal acknowledgment letter. Consult a tax professional about deductibility in your situation.
What’s the difference between sending money to a friend and donating to a charity?
A regular Venmo payment to a personal account is just a peer transfer and offers no donation protections or fee waivers. A charity profile is a verified nonprofit account with the blue checkmark, the discounted 1.9% + $0.10 rate billed to the charity, and the credit-card fee exemption for donors.
The Bottom Line
Venmo’s “Make a Donation” and “Find a Charity” tools turn the app you already use into a fast, low-friction way to support real nonprofits. The standout detail: donors pay nothing extra, charities pay a modest 1.9% + $0.10, and credit-card gifts skip Venmo’s usual 3% surcharge. Just remember to confirm that blue checkmark, keep your own records for taxes, and give with intention — the fee the charity pays isn’t refundable.
WalletWisp is an informational resource and does not provide financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify current fees and features in the Venmo app before giving.
