ScanRaise vs 99Pledges
Two contract-free fundraising platforms with different payout models: 99Pledges focuses on pledge events, while ScanRaise adds GPS athons, QR cards, and a broader toolkit.
The short version
99Pledges may fit a focused volunteer-run pledge event. ScanRaise may fit a group that wants GPS athons, printable QR cards, commerce tools, donor CRM, and school sign-in features at a flat 2.5% platform fee. Compare current pricing, payment flow, and scope directly.
Both ScanRaise and 99Pledges let your group keep control of its own money, and both publish their pricing openly, which already sets them apart from many fundraising vendors. The honest difference comes down to scope. 99Pledges is a focused a-thon pledge platform: auto-generated participant pages, real-time leaderboards, and fast payouts, funded mostly by optional donor tips so the platform charges $0 in fees. ScanRaise is a broader self-serve fundraising suite that includes athons but goes well beyond them.
As of mid-2026, 99Pledges charges no platform fee and no startup cost; the organization pays card processing of 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction (deducted at the end), and keeps 100% of any cash or checks entered manually. ScanRaise charges a flat 2.5% platform fee with no setup fees, monthly fees, or contracts, plus Stripe's standard processing (2.9% + $0.30) that applies to any online payment, with an optional donor-cover-fees checkbox.
This page is for a PTA, school, booster club, or youth-sports group deciding between the two. If you want a simple pledge event run by volunteers, 99Pledges is a genuinely good, low-cost pick. If you want GPS-verified activity tracking, printable per-person QR cards, auctions, raffles, a store, donor CRM, and K-12 SSO and documented data controls, ScanRaise is built for that wider job.
| Area | ScanRaise | 99Pledges |
|---|---|---|
| Fees (platform + processing) | Flat 2.5% platform fee, no setup/monthly/contract; Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 processing applies separately, with optional donor-cover-fees checkbox | $0 platform fee, no startup cost or contract; org pays 3.49% + $0.49 card processing, platform funded by optional donor tips |
| Athon activity verification | Phone-browser GPS distance tracking, a browser step counter, and per-unit pledges (per lap/page/mile). Participants can optionally connect Fitbit, select a day, review the daily summary of steps, distance, and active minutes, and choose whether to import it. | Manual tracking with real-time leaderboards; no GPS verification |
| Feature breadth beyond pledges | All-in-one: donations, P2P, event ticketing, auctions, raffles, merch store, donor CRM, email campaigns, recurring giving, printable QR cards | Pledge events only; no auctions/galas, tiered ticketing, donor CRM, or advanced analytics |
| SSO and K-12 controls | an SDPC resource listing, controls designed to support COPPA and FERPA obligations, Clever and ClassLink SSO for teachers, full Spanish site | No documented SSO and no Spanish site; serves K-12 groups without these specific integrations |
| Who it is for | Groups wanting more than a pledge page: GPS athons, QR cards, auctions/raffles/store/CRM, and K-12 SSO and data controls | Small volunteer-run pledge events at schools, PTAs/PTOs, youth sports, dance/cheer/band |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of mid-2026. Pricing and features on other platforms change often, and some vendors do not publish pricing; please confirm current details on 99Pledges’s own website before deciding.
Where 99Pledges fits
- You're running a single, simple a-thon (walk, jog, read, dance) with volunteers and want the lowest possible platform cost: 99Pledges charges $0 in platform fees and is funded by optional donor tips.
- You want zero setup overhead and auto-generated individual participant pages with real-time leaderboards out of the box, without configuring a broader toolkit.
- Your event relies on manual pledge tracking and you do not need phone-based GPS or step tracking, so the simpler model is a better fit.
- You collect a meaningful amount of cash or checks and enter them manually, since 99Pledges lets the org keep 100% of those funds with no platform cut.
Why schools pick ScanRaise
- Lower effective online cost when you pass fees to donors: ScanRaise's flat 2.5% platform fee plus a donor-cover-fees checkbox (donors may opt in) can leave more in your org's account than absorbing 3.49% + $0.49 on every transaction.
- Athons with phone-browser GPS distance tracking, a browser step counter, and per-unit pledges, so activity can be recorded without paper tracking. Participants can optionally connect Fitbit, select a day, review the daily summary of steps, distance, and active minutes, and choose whether to import it.
- An all-in-one suite beyond pledges: auctions, raffles, event ticketing, a merch store, donor CRM, email campaigns, and recurring giving in one place.
- Physical printable per-person QR donation cards plus text-to-give and live leaderboard display, useful for in-person events and door-to-door asks.
- K-12 ready: an SDPC resource listing, controls designed to support COPPA and FERPA obligations, Clever and ClassLink SSO for teachers, and a full Spanish site for bilingual communities.
ScanRaise vs 99Pledges: FAQ
Which one is cheaper, ScanRaise or 99Pledges?
It depends on how you handle fees, and both publish their pricing. As of mid-2026, 99Pledges charges a $0 platform fee and is funded by optional donor tips, but the organization pays 3.49% + $0.49 in card processing on each transaction. ScanRaise charges a flat 2.5% platform fee plus Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing. ScanRaise also offers a donor-cover-fees checkbox (donors may opt in), which can offset fees and leave more in your org's account. Run your expected donation sizes through both to compare.
Who holds the money, and how fast do we get paid?
Neither platform holds your fundraiser's money long-term as a managed service. With ScanRaise, your organization connects its own Stripe account, and donations route straight to your own bank account; ScanRaise does not hold or disburse those funds when Stripe is connected. 99Pledges deducts processing at the end and issues fast payouts, typically around the next business day. In both cases the goal is your org keeping control of its own funds.
We currently use 99Pledges. Is switching to ScanRaise hard?
ScanRaise is self-serve software, so you can set up a campaign free in about two minutes with no credit card required. If your only need is a simple pledge a-thon, 99Pledges may already cover it. Groups typically move to ScanRaise when they want more than a pledge page, such as GPS-verified activity, printable QR cards, auctions, raffles, a store, or donor CRM, alongside their athon.
What is each platform actually best for?
99Pledges is best for a simple, low-cost, volunteer-run a-thon: auto-generated participant pages, leaderboards, and fast payout with no platform fee. ScanRaise is best when a group wants a broader fundraising toolkit, including athons with phone-browser GPS distance tracking and a browser step counter, physical QR donation cards, auctions, raffles, ticketing, a merch store, donor CRM, and email campaigns. Participants can optionally connect Fitbit, select a day, review the daily summary of steps, distance, and active minutes, and choose whether to import it.
Which is the better fit for a K-12 school's SSO and data-control needs?
ScanRaise is built with K-12 in mind: it is listed in the SDPC resource registry and provides controls designed to support COPPA and FERPA obligations. It also supports Clever and ClassLink SSO for teachers, plus a full Spanish site. 99Pledges serves schools and PTAs but does not document SSO integrations or a Spanish site. If district-level SSO and documented compliance posture matter to your school, ScanRaise covers that ground.
Try ScanRaise free
Set up your first campaign in about 2 minutes. Flat 2.5%, no contract, no app. Connected Stripe campaigns receive funds through the organization's Stripe account; approved platform campaigns receive monthly payouts.
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