How you add a custom amount depends on the platform, and one common shortcut doesn’t work. On Shopify, a gift-card product can’t take a donor-typed amount. Shopify’s checkout tipping can, and Stripe Payment Links have an adjustable-amount setting. GiveWP, a dedicated donation-form plugin, has a custom-amount option.
The sections below explain how each route works and what limits apply. They also cover how to choose between them.
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Pick the route that matches where the amount is entered
| Route | What the donor can do | Main catch |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify online checkout tipping | Enter a custom amount, or pick a percentage, at checkout | It is added to an order. It is not a standalone donation product. |
| Shopify gift-card product | Choose from denominations you preset | Online buyers cannot type their own amount. A gift card is store credit, not a donation. |
| Stripe Payment Link | Adjust the amount, optionally within a minimum and maximum | Configured through Stripe, not the Shopify catalog. Check current availability on your account. |
| GiveWP donation form | Enter a custom amount on a donation form | The vendor tutorial found is several years old, so current steps and plan requirements are not confirmed here. |
Before choosing, decide whether the donation is a standalone gift or an add-on to a purchase. Also decide whether you want preset buttons alongside the free-entry field, and whether you need recurring gifts.
Shopify: use checkout tipping as a donation field
Shopify’s Help Center article “Setting up tipping options for online orders” says: “Customers can add the tip as a percentage of the order total or as a custom amount.” You configure it in Shopify admin, and you can offer up to three percentage presets or a custom amount field.
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Relabel it so it reads as a donation
You can edit the checkout text, so the tip doesn’t have to look like a tip. The editable items are the title, the description, the custom-entry label, the update label and the tip label. Shopify’s own examples include “Donations”, “Add a custom donation” and “Update donation”. Use the description to say who receives the money, because the customer sees only what you write.
Limits that affect donation use
- A custom amount is capped at USD 1,000.
- A customer cannot add more than 100% of the order total. A donor adding to a USD 20 order can give at most USD 20, so this is a real constraint for small orders.
- The amount is calculated on the cart subtotal, before taxes and shipping. It still becomes part of the order total, so card or third-party transaction fees apply to it.
- Tipping is unavailable with Shop Pay Installments.
- It is also unavailable for carts containing a subscription selling plan, and Shopify says the Subscription API does not support tipping. Monthly giving needs a different tool.
Test every payment path
Shopify warns that some offsite payment gateways might not recognize the tipping line item. Place test orders through each gateway you offer and confirm the donation line appears and is captured. Shopify also notes that checkout setting changes can take up to 30 seconds to appear, so wait briefly before judging a change.
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Because the contribution is tied to an order, this route suits shops that want to invite a donation alongside purchases. It does not suit a page where someone only wants to give.
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Shopify gift-card products use denominations that you set. Each must be greater than zero, up to USD 10,000 or the local-currency equivalent, and Shopify says this limit cannot be raised. A customer cannot enter an arbitrary amount for a gift card on the online storefront.
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Shopify describes a workaround for a buyer who wants an unlisted value. You create a draft order, send the invoice, and create the custom-value gift card after it is paid. That is a manual, per-customer process. It is also the wrong tool for donations, since a gift card is redeemable store value rather than a charitable contribution.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Stripe: Payment Links with an adjustable amount
Stripe’s Payment Link API reference describes a custom_unit_amount setting. It configures an amount the customer may adjust, with optional minimum, maximum and preset fields. That makes it a good fit for a simple “give what you like” page or link that sits outside your store’s checkout.
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- Set a sensible
minimumso that processing fees don’t swallow tiny gifts. - Set a
presetto suggest a starting figure. - Set a
maximumif you want a ceiling.
Dashboard steps, account eligibility and any nonprofit-specific requirements were not established, so confirm them in your Stripe account before launch.
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GiveWP: a dedicated donation form
GiveWP’s vendor tutorial describes going to the form’s donation options, choosing multi-level donation, and enabling a custom amount. The tutorial is several years old, so menu names may have changed. Treat it as a pointer to where the setting lives, and check the current GiveWP documentation for your version and any gateway add-ons.
Which one should you use?
- Donation at the end of a Shopify purchase: use checkout tipping, relabeled as a donation, within the USD 1,000 and 100%-of-order limits.
- Standalone gift with a free-entry amount: use a Stripe Payment Link or a dedicated form such as GiveWP.
- Recurring donations: not available through Shopify tipping, which excludes subscription carts. Look at the recurring features of your dedicated donation tool.
- Fixed amounts only: a gift-card product has set denominations, but it still sells store credit rather than donations.
Limits and settings change, so re-check each vendor’s current documentation before you go live. Then run a real test donation end to end.
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