Express Checkout with a monthly upsell

What we tested

Making it faster for supporters to donate is one of the simplest ways to increase fundraising. But speed isn't the only goal, it's just as important to help donors choose recurring giving, which drives long-term, predictable revenue for nonprofits.

Express Checkout lets supporters donate in a tap using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, removing the need to manually enter payment information.

We tested two versions of this experience. The first introduced Express Checkout directly on the opening screen, making one-time donations faster. While it improved conversion, it also reduced recurring giving.

We then refined the experience by adding a recurring giving upsell before payment, giving supporters an opportunity to choose monthly giving without sacrificing the speed of Express Checkout.

The goal was simple: make donating faster while continuing to grow recurring giving.

Hypothesis

We evaluated two approaches to Express Checkout.

Initial version: if supporters can donate with Express Checkout immediately, overall donation conversion will increase by at least 1.5%, because removing friction helps more donors complete their gifts.

Updated version: if we combine Express Checkout with a recurring giving upsell, recurring conversion will increase by at least 6% while overall donation conversion remains within 1.5% of the original experience.

Test setup

Key results

Initial version

Express Checkout increased donation conversion but reduced recurring giving.

• +1.59% overall donation conversion
• +2.97% one-time donation conversion
• −9.96% recurring donation conversion
• No statistically significant change in ARPU

Updated version

Adding the recurring giving upsell recovered recurring performance while maintaining strong overall conversion.

• +5.07% recurring conversion on mobile
• +8.99% recurring conversion on desktop
• +11.47% recurring ARPU (mobile)
• +20.02% recurring ARPU (desktop)
• −0.97% donation conversion on mobile (within the predefined range)
• No meaningful change in fee coverage

Segment insights

The strongest recurring gains came from U.S. donors.

• +7.48% recurring conversion
• +3.33% ARPU with LTV

Conclusion

This test highlights why optimization requires iteration.

The first version successfully increased overall donation conversion, but it also reduced recurring giving — a tradeoff we weren't willing to make.

Instead of rolling it out, we refined the experience by combining Express Checkout with a recurring giving upsell. The updated version successfully recovered recurring conversion while keeping overall donation conversion within the target range.

Because the final experience improved recurring giving without compromising overall fundraising performance, we're rolling it out to all organizations.

What this means for you

Speed and depth don't have to compete. A faster Checkout can still grow monthly giving when donors are given the right moment to commit — and a well-placed upsell turns quick one-time gifts into lasting recurring giving, building the kind of predictable revenue your mission depends on.

This test shows why we evaluate every optimization across the full donor journey. A faster Checkout looked like a success at first, but the data revealed it came at the expense of recurring giving. Rather than accept that tradeoff, we kept improving until we found an experience that delivered both speed and stronger long-term fundraising outcomes.

That's how Fundraise Up approaches optimization. Every update is validated with real donor behavior, refined when necessary, and only rolled out once it demonstrably helps nonprofits raise more.

→ Explore how recurring giving can strengthen your fundraising results.