On Startnext, there are three ways to support a project: free support, donations (for non-profit projects), and thank-you gifts. Each follows different rules. Understanding this allows you to plan your project on a solid foundation from the very beginning.
1. The minimum amount: €5
On Startnext, contributions start at €5. This minimum amount protects you as a project creator from unexpected costs: every transaction incurs a fee, regardless of the amount. Payment providers like PayPal charge 3.5% plus €0.45 per transaction. With a €1 contribution, nearly half would go toward fees; with a €5 contribution, the costs remain manageable.
2. Donations: starting at €5, amount of your choice
If you’d like to make a donation without receiving a thank-you gift, you can choose any amount starting at €5. This is particularly useful for nonprofit projects or when supporters want to give more than the cost of a thank-you gift. For fundraising campaigns, we recommend specifying a concrete figure in your communications—for example: “A donation of €50 makes X possible.”
3. Thank-you gifts: Don’t skimp on them!
A thank-you is not a promise—it’s an actual product or service. Before you see a single euro of it, five types of costs are deducted at once:
- Production costs (printing, materials, manufacturing)
- Shipping costs, including packaging (must be included in the price—there is no separate shipping field)
- Transaction fees (PayPal: 3.5% + €0.45 | Credit card: 2% + €0.25 | Direct debit: 0.5% + €0.35)
- Startnext success fee (3–14%, depending on the plan)
- Value-added tax on commissions and transaction costs (19%)
Example: Postcard + sticker set for €10
Thank-you gift: €10.00
- − PayPal transaction fees (3.5% + €0.45): − €0.80
- − Startnext success fee (5%, base plan): − €0.50
- − VAT on commission & transaction (19%): − €0.25
- − Shipping costs (letter/small package + packaging): − €2.50
- − Production costs (printing, materials): − €1.50
What you'll actually pay: ≈ €4.45
Out of €10, less than €5 remains—and that’s only if production costs are low. Anyone who produces at a higher cost or ships heavier items will lose money.
Work backward: production costs + shipping costs + approx. 15% buffer for platform fees = minimum price. Anything above that is your profit.
- Physical thank-you gifts: no less than €15–20
- Digital thank-you gifts (downloads, acknowledgments): starting at €10–15
4. The typical shopping cart: €35–75
The average contribution on Startnext ranges from €35 to €75. This isn’t a coincidence—it reflects what the crowd is actually willing to pay. Make sure your most important thank-you gift falls within this range: this is the sweet spot where most backers are willing to make a purchase.
Here’s a rule of thumb: Funding goal ÷ €50 = number of backers you need. For a €10,000 goal, that comes to 200 people—a realistic number.
Anyone who sets a €5 "thank you" as their main offer is hoping for a lot of support. The reality is quite different: people tend to go with the lowest amount listed. Someone who was willing to give €30 will often end up giving only €5—not on top of that, but instead of it. Setting the price too low diminishes the perceived value of your project.
A reasonably priced thank-you gift in the range of €35–75 will benefit your project more than five small, symbolic donations.