Question 1

Is Wishlist.de really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The wishlist is free and there is no subscription. If you take payments through Stripe, there is a 3% platform fee plus Stripe’s own fees; with PayPal we add nothing. Either way the money goes straight to your own account.

Question 2

How does the money side work?

Accepted Answer

We handle no payments and never have access to your money — contributions go directly to you, by PayPal or through Stripe. Payments through Stripe appear here as paid once Stripe confirms them. With PayPal the donor reports the payment themselves, so what you see is what they told us — the money itself you check in your PayPal account.

Question 3

Can we issue donation receipts?

Accepted Answer

Anything that goes out, goes out from you — the money reaches you directly. PayPal sends transaction records to both sides automatically. Official German donation confirmations are a separate matter: only a tax-privileged organisation may issue them, the kind holding a Freistellungsbescheid from its tax office, and the same status is what makes the simplified proof for gifts up to €300 work. Without it your group can still collect — it just cannot confirm the gifts as tax-deductible.

Question 4

Do we need proof that we’re a registered association?

Accepted Answer

No. Anyone can start right away — a registered association, a supporters’ club or a loose group of people. We ask for no papers about your association and we approve nobody. The one step is confirming your own email address.

Question 5

How safe is our donors’ data?

Accepted Answer

Servers in Frankfurt, GDPR-compliant. What we keep for each donation is the name your donor gives, the amount, and an email address or message if they add one — stored while your account is active. Card and account details never reach us at all: those stay with Stripe or PayPal.

Question 6

Can people donate without a PayPal account?

Accepted Answer

That depends on the way you chose. If you set up Stripe, donors pay by card or wallet without any account, plus whatever else your Stripe account offers. If you use PayPal, they do need a PayPal account — you pick one of the two for the list.

Question 7

Where do the donors come from?

Accepted Answer

From you. We’re not a donation search engine like Betterplace. You share your link by newsletter, on your website or on social media — and your community gives.

Question 8

How are you different from Betterplace or GoFundMe?

Accepted Answer

Setting up takes 2 minutes. The money goes directly to you. Wishlist.de never holds it.

Start a fundraiser. In 2 minutes.

For every association. For every cause.

Animal welfare

Sports clubs

Social causes

Emergencies

Who is this for?

For the organizer

For the association

For donors

Create a group fund in 2 minutes.

The money arrives directly. No detours.

Donating without a Wishlist.de account.

How it works

1. Create your list

2. Add your wishes

3. Share your list

4. Friends give

5. Done!

Why Wishlist.de?

Frequently asked questions

Ready for your fundraiser?