How Fees Work on BlockReel Fund

Complete breakdown of platform fees, payment processor fees, and net payouts on the Stripe and Solana rails.

How Fees Work on BlockReel Fund

Every dollar that comes in, and every dollar that goes out.

Fees on crowdfunding platforms are often hidden behind marketing copy. This guide shows the actual math on both rails so you can model your campaign accurately.

Jump To

1. The 5% platform fee 2. Stripe rail fees 3. Solana rail fees 4. Worked example: $50,000 raise 5. When fees are charged 6. Refund fees 7. Currency conversion costs 8. How we compare to other platforms 9. Reducing your effective fee rate

The 5% platform fee

BlockReel Fund charges a flat 5% platform fee on the gross amount raised by a successful campaign. The fee is:

• Charged only if the campaign reaches its 80% funding threshold
• Deducted automatically from the gross before payout
• Applied identically to both rails
• Routed to the DAO treasury, which funds festival prizes and production budgets

Campaigns below the 80% threshold do not incur the platform fee.

Stripe rail fees

Stripe charges a per-transaction fee on top of our platform fee. The standard US and Canada rate is:

• 2.9% + 30 cents per successful card charge (US)
• 2.9% + 30 cents per successful card charge (Canada, in CAD)
• 3.4% + 30 cents for non-US cards processed on a US Stripe account
• 0.5% extra if international currency conversion is involved

Stripe fees go to Stripe, not to BlockReel. We never see them.

> Pledge size matters on Stripe. At an illustrative 2.9% + 30 cents processing rate, a $5 pledge leaves about $4.31 after processing and a 5% platform fee on the gross. A $500 pledge leaves about $460.20 after the same fees. Actual processing rates vary.

Solana rail fees

The Solana rail uses a 5% platform fee and separate network fees:

• Platform fee: 5% on the gross raised, taken at payout
• Network fee: roughly $0.0001 to $0.001 per transaction (paid by the backer in SOL)
• No per-transaction percentage fee from us beyond the 5% platform fee
• No currency conversion fee if the pledge is in USDC or USDT (both are USD-pegged stablecoins)
• SOL pledges are recorded at the SOL/USD rate at the moment of pledge

A $500 USDC pledge leaves $475 before any other applicable costs after the 5% platform fee. Network fees are separate.

Worked example: $50,000 raise

A campaign hits $50,000, with $30,000 from Stripe and $20,000 from Solana, distributed across 200 backers (100 on each rail) at an average pledge of $250.

Stripe portion ($30,000 across 100 pledges):

• Gross: $30,000.00
• Stripe processor fees: 100 x (30c + 2.9% x $250) = 100 x ($0.30 + $7.25) = $755.00
• After Stripe: $29,245.00
• BlockReel platform fee (5% of gross): $1,500.00
• Net to creator from Stripe: $27,745.00

Solana portion ($20,000 across 100 pledges):

• Gross: $20,000.00
• Network fees: paid by backer, ~$0
• BlockReel platform fee (5% of gross): $1,000.00
• Net to creator from Solana: $19,000.00

Total raised: $50,000.00. Estimated net to creator: $46,745.00 before other applicable costs.

Both rails carry the same 5% platform fee; card processing and Solana network costs differ.

When fees are charged

• Stripe: Fees are charged at the moment Stripe captures the card. On successful campaigns, capture happens at the deadline (or just after), so all Stripe fees post then.
• Solana: Network fees are paid by the backer at pledge time (instant settlement). Our 5% platform fee is deducted from milestone payouts after campaign success.
• Platform fee: Calculated on the successful pledge amount. Card payments deduct the fee at capture; Solana milestone payouts reflect the fee.

Refund fees

Refunds happen for three reasons: backer requests a refund within the allowed window, creator cancels the campaign, or a chargeback is filed.

• Stripe refunds: Processor fees and platform-fee treatment depend on Stripe's current terms and the timing of the refund. After payout, refund recovery may require funds from the creator.
• Solana refunds: USDC paid at pledge time is held in a platform-controlled wallet. Failed-campaign refunds require an administrator to send USDC from the treasury wallet to the original backer wallet. The original network fee is not returned.
• Chargebacks (Stripe only): Stripe may assess dispute fees under its current terms.

See Backer Rights for the full refund policy.

Currency conversion costs

If your Stripe account is in USD and a backer pledges in EUR, Stripe converts at the daily rate plus a 1% conversion margin. You receive USD. The conversion fee is on top of the 2.9% + 30c processor fee.

Solana pledges in USDC or USDT have no conversion cost because the pledge is already in USD-pegged stablecoins. SOL pledges are recorded in USD at the rate at the pledge moment, but you receive SOL (not USD), so any subsequent conversion to fiat happens on an exchange of your choice at the rate of the day you convert.

How we compare to other platforms

| Platform | Platform fee | Processor fee | Total all-in (typical) | |---|---|---|---| | Kickstarter | 5% | 3% + 20c | ~8% | | Indiegogo | 5% | 2.9% + 30c | ~8% | | Seed and Spark | 5% (after backer top-up) | 2.9% + 30c | ~8% | | BlockReel Fund (Stripe) | 5% | 2.9% + 30c | ~8% | | BlockReel Fund (Solana) | 5% | Network fees | 5% plus network fees |

Both rails have the same platform rate. Card processing and network costs differ.

Reducing your effective fee rate

• Lean toward Solana for larger pledges. Encourage your highest-value backers (>$100) to use the Solana rail. Many will need a wallet onboarding nudge; we provide one in the pledge flow.
• Avoid lots of $5 pledges on Stripe. The 30c flat fee is brutal at small amounts. Set your minimum Stripe pledge tier at $10 or $15.
• Run both rails. Reach is more valuable than margin at most goal sizes.

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Next: Choosing Your Payment Rail gives you a decision tree for picking the right rail mix.