Payment Policy

1. Payment Methods

Donations.com supports two categories of payments:

Cryptocurrency (Non-Custodial): Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana payments are sent directly to the recipient's wallet. Donations.com never holds, touches, or manages these funds.
Card Payments (Stripe Connect): Credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay payments are processed through Stripe. Funds go directly to the recipient's connected Stripe account.

2. Stripe Eligibility Requirements

To protect our community and comply with payment regulations, Stripe access requires meeting the following criteria:

For Verified 501(c)(3) Charities

Charities must meet the following before Stripe donation payments are enabled:

Valid EIN verified through IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS)
Legal charity name matches the profile and Stripe account
IRS determination letter or equivalent documentation provided
Manual review and approval by a Donations.com administrator
Stripe Connect onboarding completed
May use "donation" language after approval

Note: EIN verification alone is not sufficient. All charity accounts require manual admin review before donation payments are enabled. This protects donors and ensures compliance.

For Creators & Individuals

Regular users must meet all of the following requirements before requesting Stripe access:

✅ Donations.com account age: At least 7 days on the platform
✅ X/Twitter account connected: Established account with 30+ followers
✅ X/Twitter account connected: Established social presence required
✅ X account age: At least 30 days old — newly created X accounts are not permitted
✅ Admin review: Manual approval by a Donations.com administrator
✅ Stripe onboarding: Complete Stripe's identity and business verification

Why these requirements? These measures protect donors from fraud, prevent abuse of the payment system, and ensure compliance with Stripe's policies. New or unverified accounts with no established social presence pose a higher risk. We take payment security seriously.

Language Compliance

Payment descriptions sent to Stripe are automatically adjusted based on account type:

Charities: "Donation to [Name]" — appropriate for tax-exempt organizations
Creators: "Tip for [Name]" / "Support for [Name]" — appropriate for individual creators

This distinction is enforced automatically and cannot be overridden. It ensures compliance with payment processor guidelines and protects both creators and supporters.

3. Stripe Access Is a Revocable Privilege

Stripe access is a revocable privilege and may be removed at any time for trust, safety, fraud, policy, or compliance concerns.

4. Denial & Revocation

Stripe access may be denied or revoked at any time if:

An account is found to be fraudulent or misrepresenting identity
The associated X/Twitter account is suspended, deleted, or found to be fake
The user violates our Terms of Service or payment guidelines
Stripe flags the account for review
Connected social accounts are removed after approval
Page type is changed to use prohibited language
Unusual payment volume, refund patterns, or chargeback activity is detected

Revoked accounts will be frozen and downgraded. All approval decisions are logged and auditable.

5. Ongoing Compliance & Re-Review

Approval is not permanent. Accounts are subject to re-review if:

Payout account or banking details are changed
Page type is switched to nonprofit
Social accounts (X, Twitch) are disconnected
Significant increase in payment volume
Dispute or chargeback activity exceeds thresholds
Profile name or content changes suggest impersonation

6. Refunds

Refunds for card payments are handled through Stripe. Recipients are responsible for processing refunds through their Stripe dashboard. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible.

Platform Policies