Fee pages change without notice. Every figure here was read on the company's own page on 2026-09-16 and quoted as published that day. Check each provider's current fee page before you decide.
Short answer: "free" and "0%" on these pages describe each platform's own charge or setup cost, not the card fee. Card fees are published separately. Who pays the card fee differs: the guest at checkout, the couple at cash-out, or either, by the couple's choice. Five of the eight here publish at least one fee-free option; Donairo does not. Two numbers matter — what the guest pays, and what the couple receives.
The $100 card gift, side by side
A US guest gives $100 by credit card. Where a provider lets the couple choose who pays, the cell says which setting the figure assumes.
| Service | Who pays | Published fee wording (verbatim) | Giver pays | Couple receives | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeyfund | Couple, on payout | "We don't take a cut of what your guests give."; redemption "0%" (gift cards / prepaid card), "2.2%" (PayPal, Venmo), "3.5% + $0.59" (bank) | $100.00 (+ optional "Honeyfund Gives" contribution) | $100.00, $97.80 or $95.91 depending on cash-out | 2026-09-16 |
| Zola | Giver, by default | "ours is just 2.5%"; "The default option is for guests to cover the fee" | $102.50 by card; $100.00 via Venmo balance, debit card or bank | $100.00 | 2026-09-16 |
| The Knot (Cash Fund) | Giver (card) | "The standard 2.5% processing fee… is paid by guests at checkout"; Venmo gifts from a "Venmo balance, linked bank account, or linked debit card" pay no fee | $102.50 by card; $100.00 via Venmo balance, bank or debit card | $100.00 | 2026-09-16 |
| Joy (WithJoy) | Giver (card) | "This fee goes to Stripe, not Joy, and is paid by the guest" (illustrated at 3.5%) | ≈$103.50 by card; $100.00 via Venmo, PayPal or Cash App | $100.00 into the fund; bank transfers carry a "$1.70 flat fee per transfer", whatever the amount | 2026-09-16 |
| MyRegistry | Both sides | "The PayPal® fee is 2.5% per transaction"; handling fee "Up to $100: $3.95" | $103.95 | ≈$97.50 | 2026-09-16 |
| PayPal Pools | Giver (card only) | "no cost to contribute when you use your PayPal balance or bank account… from within the US"; "Fees apply for credit and debit card transactions" — PayPal's consumer fee table lists "2.90% + fixed fee" ($0.30 USD) for card-funded domestic personal payments | ≈$103.20 by card at that rate; $100.00 from balance/bank | $100.00 | 2026-09-16 |
| GoFundMe | Couple | "One transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30"; "Automatically deducted from each donation…" (US individual rate) | $100.00 (+ optional contribution) | $96.80 | 2026-09-16 |
| Donairo | Couple, unless the giver covers | 1% platform fee + PayPal's country rate; US "3.49%" + "$0.49"; PayPal's cross-border surcharge is extra and comes out of the couple's payout | $100.00 (≈$105.22 if covering fees) | $95.02 ($100.00 if covered) | 2026-09-16 |
Notes on each one
Honeyfund. Guests pay no Honeyfund fee; the couple pays at payout, at the rate in the table. Its fees page also lists an "account maintenance fee of $10 per month" on a Wallet "inactive for longer than 18 months in a row". Its how-it-works page calls gift cards and the prepaid card "completely fee-free". The card's issuer sets its own terms: a "Foreign transaction fee: 2%", an "Inactivity fee: $5.95 per month after 6 months of no use", and "No cash access" (Honeyfund help centre).
Zola. Zola's "0% fees" line refers to Zola's own cut. It publishes the 2.5% card fee separately. There is also a fee-free rail: a Venmo contribution "using their Venmo balance, debit card, or bank". Payouts need "a United States checking account with a United States address", and the first transfer "can take up to 10 business days" (Zola help centre).
The Knot. Its help centre puts the "standard 2.5% processing fee" on the guest at checkout. It says couples "receive 100% of the wedding gift amount". Couples cannot absorb it: the fee "must be paid by the guest". Venmo gifts sent from a balance, bank or debit card carry no fee.
Joy. Its cash-fund page says "Joy has zero fees on cash gifts. We don't take a dime". Its help article puts the card cost on the guest, at a rate "subject to change". Joy's page says contributions through Venmo, PayPal and Cash App "carry no fees".
MyRegistry. Fees fall on both sides: a PayPal fee "deducted from the amount contributed", plus MyRegistry's "nominal non-refundable handling fee" added at checkout.
PayPal Pools. Cards fall under PayPal's consumer fee table. The US page says "It's free to create a pool".
GoFundMe. Its pricing is plain: "No fee to create a fundraiser: $0.00", then one transaction fee per donation. The same page says the donor contribution prompt is "never required". It also runs a wedding fundraising page.
How to read a fee page
- Percentage or fixed? A flat $4 handling fee is 8% of a $50 gift and 0.8% of a $500 one; tiered handling fees rise with the gift.
- A second fee at the exit? Some services publish a separate redemption, withdrawal or transfer fee — read the cash-out page as well as the checkout page.
- Which rail? Not every service offers every rail — check which of bank, balance, Venmo or card the checkout actually shows.
If you are in the UK
Not all of these are UK products. Check each provider's supported countries first. PayPal publishes a separate UK Money Pools page reading "Free to set up. Free to transfer to your PayPal balance. Plus there's no fee to contribute using GBP within the UK".
Donairo supports GB couples at 1% plus PayPal's GB rate of 2.90% + £0.30. On a £100 gift: £1.00 platform, £3.20 processing, £95.80 received.
Where Donairo fits — and where it doesn't
Donairo is not free. It costs a flat 1% platform fee plus PayPal's rate for your country. In the US that is 3.49% + $0.49. No monthly fee, no subscription. On a $100 card gift: $1.00 platform, $3.98 processing, $95.02 to the couple. With fee coverage on, a guest pays about $105.22. The couple then receives $100.00.
Zola, The Knot and Joy also give you a wedding website, RSVP tracking, a guest list and a registry of real items. Donairo is none of that, and it has no fee-free rail: Honeyfund, Zola, The Knot, Joy and PayPal Pools each publish a fee-free option. It is one public gift page at your own URL. It carries a QR code and a live goal. Money goes straight to the couple's own PayPal. Donairo never holds it. There are no tax receipts.
FAQs
Does Zola take a percentage of a honeymoon fund?
No — Zola's page advertises "0% fees"; the card fee is "just 2.5%", and "The default option… for guests to cover the fee". Venmo contributions from a balance, debit card or bank avoid it (checked 2026-09-16).
Do these fees affect tax?
In the US, wedding gifts are generally not income to the recipient under 26 U.S.C. §102, but rules differ by country and situation. Ask a professional about yours.
Sources
- Honeyfund fees page (redemption percentages, guest-fee wording, maintenance fee; checked 2026-09-16)
- Honeyfund how it works (fee-free redemption wording; checked 2026-09-16)
- Honeyfund help centre, "Is there a fee to use the Mastercard?" (2% foreign transaction fee; $5.95/month inactivity fee after 6 months; no cash access; checked 2026-09-16)
- Zola wedding registry ("0% fees" claim; checked 2026-09-16)
- Zola, how cash gifts work ("ours is just 2.5%"; checked 2026-09-16)
- Zola help centre, who covers the 2.5% fee (default is the guest; checked 2026-09-16)
- Zola help centre, zero-fee cash funds (Venmo rail; checked 2026-09-16)
- Zola help centre, transferring cash funds to a bank account (US checking account required; first transfer up to 10 business days; checked 2026-09-16)
- The Knot help centre, "Why is there a credit card fee?" (2.5% processing fee paid by guests at checkout; checked 2026-09-16)
- The Knot help centre, "Is the Cash Fund really free to create and use?" (couples receive 100% of the gift amount; checked 2026-09-16)
- The Knot help centre, "Can I pay the transaction fee on Cash Fund gifts so my guests don't have to?" (fee must be paid by the guest; Venmo balance, bank or debit card gifts carry no fee; checked 2026-09-16)
- Joy cash fund registry ("zero fees on cash gifts"; checked 2026-09-16)
- Joy help centre, credit card contributions (Stripe fee paid by the guest, $1.70 transfer fee; checked 2026-09-16)
- MyRegistry cash gift funds (2.5% PayPal fee and handling-fee tiers; checked 2026-09-16)
- PayPal Pools, US (free to create, free from balance or bank within the US; checked 2026-09-16)
- PayPal Pools, UK (UK page wording on fees; checked 2026-09-16)
- PayPal consumer fees, US (cards: 2.90% + fixed fee; checked 2026-09-16)
- GoFundMe pricing (2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee, no fee to create; checked 2026-09-16)
- GoFundMe wedding fundraising landing page (checked 2026-09-16)
- 26 U.S.C. §102, gifts excluded from gross income (checked 2026-09-16)
Donairo is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any company named here. All names and trade marks belong to their owners. Figures are those companies' own published terms on 16 September 2026.
General information only — not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by country and change; verify and consult a professional.
