If you want visitors to enter custom donation amounts on your WordPress site, you need two things: a Stripe account and a plugin that integrates with Stripe. This guide walks through using WP Full Pay (the free WP Full Stripe plugin) to build a pay-what-you-want donation form, connect Stripe, embed the form, and run a test payment.
Fee upfront
WP Full Pay’s unlicensed (free) version charges a 5% application fee on every transaction in addition to Stripe’s processing fees. For example, a $100 donation loses $5 to the plugin before Stripe’s fee is applied. Buying a license removes the 5% plugin fee. Intro prices quoted on third-party sites start around $79.50/year for one site, with higher tiers available; confirm current official pricing before purchasing. Rough break-even: if a license costs $79.50/year, you’ll need about $1,590 in annual donations for the license to pay for itself versus the 5% fee. The plugin keeps working after a license expires, but the 5% fee returns.
Overview of the setup
1) Install the plugin. 2) Connect your Stripe account in test mode. 3) Create a donation form with suggested amounts plus an “Other” box. 4) Embed the shortcode on a page. 5) Test a donation and confirm it in the Stripe dashboard.
Install and connect
– Install: In WordPress go to Plugins > Add New and search for “full pay”. Install and activate “Stripe Payment Forms by WP Full Pay” (directory slug wp-full-stripe-free).
– Connect Stripe: The plugin adds a Full Pay menu and onboarding. Connect via Stripe Connect and start in test mode using your Stripe test keys. You can switch to live later without rebuilding the form.
– Security: Card details flow directly to Stripe (PCI level 1) and never touch your server.
Build the donation form
– Create the form: Full Pay > Forms > Add new form. Give it a display name and a lowercase identifier (used for the shortcode). Choose Form type: Donation and a layout (this walkthrough uses Inline). Create & edit the form.
– Suggested amounts and custom amount: In the Payment tab choose your currency and add suggested donation amounts (example: $10, $50, $100, $1,000). Enable “Allow custom amount to be entered” to add an Other box. Set a Minimum donation amount so people can’t enter tiny values that cost you more in fees than they donate.
– Frequencies: Enable one-time and any recurring options you want (recurring works in the free version).
– Transaction description: Set a clear transaction description or token (e.g., %FORM_NAME%) so payments are easy to find in Stripe.
– Form fields: Keep the form minimal to avoid friction — billing address and terms checkbox are optional. You can add custom fields if needed. There is a Fee Recovery area listed as coming soon (donor pays processing fees) but not available yet.
– Receipts: The easy option is to let Stripe send the receipt emails. Save the form and copy the shortcode from Manage Forms.
Embed and test
– Embed: Paste the shortcode into a Shortcode block on your donation page. Gutenberg won’t render the live form in the editor, but it will appear on the frontend.
– Test payment: With the plugin in test mode, visit the donation page and use Stripe’s test card 4242 4242 4242 4242 (any future expiry, any CVC, any ZIP). Submit the donation — the form should confirm success.
– Confirm in Stripe: Open your Stripe dashboard in test mode and verify the payment appears with the transaction description you set. When ready, swap in your live keys and flip the plugin to live mode.
Common gotchas
– The 5% fee returns if your license lapses. The plugin still runs but charges the application fee again.
– Test and live are separate: test keys accept only test cards, live keys accept only real cards. A mode mismatch is the most common “stopped working” report after launch.
– Keep the plugin updated: security fixes matter. A missing-authorization vulnerability affecting older versions was patched in 2026, so update promptly.
– Fee recovery (donor covers processing fees) is listed as forthcoming. If fee-shifting is required today, you may need a different plugin.
Final notes
WP Full Pay is a fast way to accept custom-amount Stripe donations in WordPress. The free version is functional and transparent about its 5% application fee; for low-volume fundraisers it’s a reasonable trade. For higher volumes, buy a license to eliminate the per-transaction plugin fee and retest your break-even math each year.
What’s your donation setup? Share your approach or questions in the comments.
