What this does: Turns on Zero Fee Payments, so payers cover a flat 5% platform service fee at checkout and your association keeps the full invoice amount.
Applies to: GrowthZone associations that take payments through GrowthZone Pay (GZ Pay). You need staff access to Finance settings.
Before you start: Agree on your refund practice and how you will tell members (see Decide before you start).
Time needed: 5 minutes to turn it on. Allow a week or two before that to announce it to members.
On this page
Turn on Zero Fee Payments
Do this once your team has agreed on the business rules below.
- Go to Finance, Administrative section, click Billing Settings and select GZ Pay Settings.
- Scroll down and select the Zero-Fee Payments check box.
- Click Save at the top of the page.
Checkpoint: The check box stays selected after you save. The next online payment shows a Platform Service Fee line at checkout.
Why this matters
Decide before you start
Agree on these business rules with your team first:
- What will payers actually see? Work out the 5% on a typical dues invoice, your largest sponsorship and your smallest event registration.
- Will you refund the fee? On every refund, staff choose whether the fee goes back to the payer. Decide once so everyone handles it the same way.
- How will you tell members? Decide who announces it, through which channel, and how you describe it: a disclosed platform service fee, not a surcharge or convenience fee.
- Do any payments need a different path? Consider whether high-dollar invoices, sponsorships or certain member tiers need a conversation before go-live.
How the platform service fee works
Payers see Zero Fee Payments as a Platform Service Fee, a separate line added at checkout.
- The fee is a flat 5% on every transaction type. GrowthZone sets it as a Zero Fees Provider Service Fee.
- GrowthZone owns, collects and accounts for the fee. It never enters your banking or reconciliation, and it is not revenue for your association.
- GrowthZone assumes all risk and liability for the fee.
- Zero Fee Payments is optional. When it is off, you pay standard payment rates.
- Payers who want to avoid the fee can pay by cash or check.
Here is how a $100 invoice compares:
| Without Zero Fee Payments | With Zero Fee Payments | |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice amount | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Platform service fee to payer | None | $5.00, shown at checkout |
| Who covers the processing cost | Your association | Offset by the platform service fee |
| Net to your association | Invoice amount less processing costs | Full invoice amount |
| What the member sees | One line item | Invoice plus service fee |
What payers see at checkout
On the payment screen, the fee shows as its own Platform Service Fee line, so payers see it before they pay.
Decide whether to refund the fee
With Zero Fee Payments on, the refund screen has one extra option: Refund platform fee to payer.
- Selected: the payer gets the item cost plus the platform service fee back. Your association covers the whole amount.
- Not selected: the payer gets only the item cost back.
For the refund steps, see Refund a Payment.
Frequently asked questions
What is my organization's rate?
Every organization pays the same flat 5%. It is no longer set per account. On a $100 invoice, the payer sees the $100 charge plus a $5.00 platform service fee. Your GrowthZone account team can explain how the 5% applies to a specific payment type.
Is this a credit card surcharge or a convenience fee?
No. It is a platform service fee, wholly developed, assessed, accounted for and collected by GrowthZone. It covers the cost of using the GrowthZone platform, not a particular card. The Zero Fees Program is exempt (out of scope) from the regulations for surcharge and convenience fee programs.
Does the 5% count as revenue for my association?
No. GrowthZone owns, collects and accounts for the fee. It never enters your banking or reconciliation, and your payout is the full invoice amount.
Consultant pro-tip: Announce the fee before members find it at checkout
Send one short note before you turn it on. Say the fee is a flat 5%, why it exists, and what it costs on a typical invoice ($5.00 on $100). Mention that payers can avoid it by paying with cash or check. Describe it as what it is: a disclosed platform service fee that GrowthZone sets and collects. Members rarely object to a fee they were told about. Brief your front desk and finance staff on the same points, and on your refund decision, that week.