Givebutter class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Whitney McClintock filed a class action lawsuit against Givebutter Inc.
- Why: McClintock alleges Givebutter secretly adds hidden fees to online charitable donations without donor consent.
- Where: The Givebutter class action lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania state court.
A new class action lawsuit accuses the fundraising platform Givebutter of secretly adding hidden fees to online charitable donations without donors’ knowledge or consent.
Plaintiff Whitney McClintock claims Givebutter, which markets itself to nonprofit organizations as offering “free fundraising at your fingertips,” automatically charges donors extra money they never agreed to pay.
McClintock alleges that when consumers donate through a charity’s website, they are directed to a Givebutter-controlled widget without being told they are interacting with a third-party platform.
The complaint further alleges Givebutter simultaneously applies two separate hidden fees to every donation: a “processing fee” and “tip,” both automatically added without affirmative consumer consent.
Neither fee is disclosed as optional, and the methods for removing them are deliberately buried, the lawsuit alleges, forcing consumers to hunt through inconspicuous links and fine print to opt out of charges they never agreed to pay.
Givebutter’s own description of fees is false, lawsuit claims
The class action lawsuit alleges Givebutter’s deception extends to its own descriptions of the fees, which tells donors that “payment processors take a cut of each transaction” and that covering the processing fee ensures the charity receives 100% of the intended gift.
However, the lawsuit claims Givebutter is itself the payment processor, meaning the fee flows directly to Givebutter as profit rather than to a third party.
McClintock makes the same allegation about the “tip,” which Givebutter describes as allowing a charity to use its fundraising platform for free. The complaint, however, argues the “tip” is pure profit for Givebutter and has no bearing on the charity’s ability to collect donations.
McClintock experienced this firsthand when she donated $20.00 to a local nonprofit called Ann’s Heart on December 19, 2023, and was automatically charged an additional $0.91 processing fee and $3.00 Tip she never authorized.
The class action lawsuit accuses Givebutter of violating Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices, Consumer Protection Law and the Delaware Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, among other claims.
McClintock demands a jury trial and requests restitution, damages and injunctive relief for a nationwide class of donors charged hidden fees without their consent.
In other alleged unlawful charges, a lawsuit accuses PayGOV of charging consumers hidden junk fees when they pay utility bills with their credit or debit cards.
What do you think of the allegations made in this Givebutter class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Justin J. Swofford, Jeffrey D. Kaliel, Sophia G. Gold and Amanda J. Rosenberg of KalielGold PLLC.
The Givebutter class action lawsuit is McClintock v. Givebutter Inc., Case No. 2:26-cv-02668, in the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County.
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