Fees

Startnext has been community‑funded since 2010. We have no outside shareholders or investors, and we reinvest potential profits into the platform and our mission. That lets us work for the public good and focus on real‑world impact. Startnext is a “Zebra company” and B Corp certified.

Who pays Startnext?

Until October 2025, Startnext ran on voluntary contributions from project creators, backers, and co‑funding partners. For more consistency, transparency, and cost control, we moved to a fixed, values‑based pricing model.

Backers ultimately cover a project’s costs through their pledges. We calculate fees at payout and deduct them from the funding amount on the invoice.

Your selected plan determines your fees. Fees include Startnext’s commission plus payment processing fees, plus VAT where applicable.

Fees are charged only when your project reaches its start level, the funding phase ends, and we pay out your funds. Fees are deducted before payout. We issue an invoice including VAT (or without VAT under reverse charge, if applicable).

Depending on the crowdfunding type, we offer different fee models or product plans. As a project creator, you first choose your crowdfunding type and then select a plan. The plan determines the features and services the Startnext team provides for you.

Payment processor transaction costs are passed through as a flat rate. They are not included in Startnext's commission.

Effective November 13, the following fee structure applies (before discounts, excluding VAT):

Fundraising for nonprofits, NGOs, activism, education, and democracy projects (pink)

• Basic Plan: 8%

• Pro Plan: 10%

• Premium Plan: 12%

Classic crowdfunding for startups, creators, musicians (green)

• Basic Plan: 9%

• Pro Plan: 11%

• Premium Plan: 14%

Fundraising for private projects (orange)

This type is exclusively reserved for projects with purely private benefit (e.g., personal health, education, legal costs, etc.). In certain cases, it can also be used for third parties (for emergency aid, etc.).

• Basic Plan: 4%

• Pro Plan: not available

• Premium Plan: not available

Included are costs for identity verification of project creators, refund processing, investigations, and fraud prevention. Transaction costs and VAT are not included.

The assignment to the correct crowdfunding type is the project creator's responsibility during the onboarding process. We reserve the right to reassign a project to the correct model even during the funding phase. Discounts are retained, but success commissions adjust according to the plan.

Tiered discounts on large project amounts

The following tiered discounts apply to the success commission for these funding amounts, with the discount always applying to the respective amount range:

• from €25,000 = -5%

• from €50,000 = -15%

• from €100,000 = -20%

• from €500,000 = -30%

• from €1,000,000 = -50%

The tiered discount is applied to the commissioned portion of the funding amount and thus reduces the effective commission. Transaction costs are excluded from discounts.

Startnext is not a payment service provider. We work with Stripe and PayPal and pass their fees through. Fees only apply upon successful payout.

• PayPal: 3.5% + €0.45 net per transaction (typical share 70%)

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.): 2% + €0.25 net per transaction (typical share 20%)

• SEPA direct debit: 0.5% + €0.35 net per transaction (typical share 10%)

Transaction fees exclude VAT. For planning, assume an average of about 3.5%.

Platform commission and processing fees are non‑refundable after payout. Extra costs may apply for returns, fraud, or international cards and will be passed through if incurred.

Projects on the Basic plan show a checkout box inviting backers to support community work and funds. We suggest 5% by default. This is optional and can be set to 0%.

VAT is already included in this contribution.

If we generate more than we spend on salaries, rent, and infrastructure, we reinvest the surplus or keep it as a reserve.

Recent reinvestments include:

• Our own co‑funding campaigns such as COVID‑19 relief totaling over €500,000 and the weekly Launch Day Show (€500 per show)

• Daily, free, public Office Hours