Givebutter Is Great. Until Your Raffle Includes Restricted or Regulated Prizes.
Givebutter earned G2’s #1 Nonprofit Software ranking and is genuinely excellent for donation campaigns, CRM, and simple standard raffles. It runs exclusively on Stripe. Restricted or regulated prizes including wine baskets, bourbon packages, cigar assortments, and firearms are flagged by Stripe. The flag usually doesn’t come during setup. It comes weeks later, after real ticket sales have been collected and your event is imminent.
30,000+ Campaigns
Proudly made in America
Restricted Prizes Get Flagged by Stripe Often After Weeks of Active Sales
Givebutter G2 ranking from g2.com, March 2026. Stripe restrictions from Stripe Terms of Service, restricted businesses policy. C2W experience from 2005; brand established ~2013.
Givebutter Is Stripe-Only. Stripe Restricts Restricted and Regulated Prize Categories. Read This Before You Build.
Givebutter processes all payments exclusively through Stripe, their own documentation confirms “not at this time” when asked about alternative processors. Stripe restricts specific restricted and regulated prize categories. These aren’t features you can request access to or gray areas you can navigate by calling support. They’re processor-level restrictions that affect some of the most common nonprofit raffle prizes: wine baskets at church fundraisers, bourbon packages at school galas, cigar assortments at fire department nights, and firearms including antiques and replicas at reenactment groups and sporting clubs. The flag often doesn’t appear during setup. It appears weeks later, after real money has been collected.
Bourbon, Whiskey & Alcohol Prizes Restricted
Stripe restricts alcohol-related sales in various configurations. A bourbon basket, whiskey package, wine collection raffle, or brewery experience prize may trigger Stripe’s alcohol restrictions resulting in transaction failures or account suspension. Verify before building any alcohol-themed raffle.
Firearms & Ammunition Hard Stop
Stripe explicitly prohibits transactions involving firearms, ammunition, and weapons. If your raffle prize is a rifle, shotgun, handgun, or ammunition package, Givebutter cannot process the ticket sales. VFWs, hunting clubs, sporting clays charities, fire departments: this affects you directly.
Chance2Win Has Gateway Options That Work
Chance2Win supports multiple payment gateways including Authorize.net via Fortis, which carries no restrictions on wine, bourbon, cigars, or firearms raffle ticket sales. If your event has a restricted prize category, there’s a gateway path that works. That’s been true since our platform launched, because these prizes are a core part of what nonprofits actually raffle.
The scenario we see regularly: an organization builds their event on Givebutter, ticket sales are going well, donors are engaged, momentum is building. Three to four weeks in, a restricted prize category triggers a Stripe review. The account gets locked. No advance notice. Ticket sales stop. The event is weeks out and they’re starting over on a new platform, trying to figure out what to do with the sales they already collected. Chance2Win’s manual order entry feature exists specifically for this situation, previous ticket purchases can be entered directly so the drawing pool is complete and nothing is lost.
If your event includes firearm or alcohol prizes, verify your payment processor’s terms before you invest a single hour in campaign setup. This is not a competitive claim. It’s information you need.
Restricted & Regulated Prize Categories, What Each Platform Actually Supports
Wine baskets, bourbon packages, cigar assortments, antique firearms, collectible replicas, these are common nonprofit raffle prizes. On Stripe, they fall into restricted or regulated categories. Check this table before building any campaign with these prize types, and verify current processor terms directly, as policies can change.
| Raffle Prize Category | Chance2Win (Authorize.net) | Givebutter (Stripe Only) |
|---|---|---|
| 🍷 Wine Basket / Wine Collection | Fully supportedAvailable via gateway with no alcohol restrictions | Stripe alcohol restrictions applyOne of the most flagged categories, very common at churches and school galas |
| 🥃 Bourbon / Whiskey Package | Fully supported | Stripe alcohol restrictions applyTransaction failure / suspension risk |
| 🚬 Cigar Sampler / Cigar Night Package | Fully supported | Tobacco restrictions may applyVerify with Stripe before building any tobacco-prize campaign |
| 🔫 Firearms & Ammunition | Fully supportedAvailable via gateway with no firearms restrictions | Account termination riskStripe prohibits firearms transactions, hard stop, not a gray area |
| 🎣 Hunting / Fishing Package | Fully supported | Generally permittedNo firearm component, verify before launch |
| 🧺 Basket Raffle / Tricky Tray | Full per-basket pools + independent drawsSince 2005, built for this format | Single pool, workaround onlyTheir docs: “all tickets go towards this prize option” |
| ♛ Queen of Hearts | Full progressive jackpot workflow | Not supportedNo multi-week progressive jackpot infrastructure |
| 🦆 Duck Race / Ball Drop | Numbered pool management | Not supported |
| 🎯 50/50 Raffle (live event) | Real-time, cash integratedWinner amount known when drawing closes | Manual cash management requiredTheir docs: “plan ahead and have cash on hand” |
| 🎟 Standard Cash Prize Raffle | Full support | Works well for simple eventsGivebutter genuinely strong here |
Stripe restrictions per Stripe Terms of Service, March 2026. Authorize.net restrictions per Fortis terms. Informational only, not legal advice. Always verify current processor terms and consult a qualified attorney before any restricted-prize raffle event.
Their “Multiple Prize Raffle” Is a Workaround. Not Infrastructure.
Even setting aside the Stripe restrictions, Givebutter’s raffle architecture has a fundamental limitation, and you don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what Givebutter’s own documentation says.
📄 FROM GIVEBUTTER’S OFFICIAL HELP DOCUMENTATION, “HOW TO SELL RAFFLE TICKETS ON AN EVENT CAMPAIGN”
“If you have multiple prizes, and raffle tickets are all the same price, you can sell generic raffle tickets and collect prize information at checkout as a campaign custom field.” “Donors can only select one prize option per purchase, all tickets purchased will go towards this prize option.” “An Additional information step/page is added to your checkout flow with this method.”Source: help.givebutter.com, accessed March 2026. Emphasis ours.
Read that again: “all tickets purchased will go towards this prize option.” That is not a per-basket ticket pool. That is a preference field attached to a single ticket purchase. Every ticket still enters one drawing. There is no per-basket isolation. There is no independent drawing per basket. There is no way to put three tickets toward the wine basket and two toward the spa basket in a single session.
What Givebutter describes as a “multiple prize raffle” is a data collection mechanism layered on top of a standard single-pool raffle. The data tells you what the buyer preferred. The drawing doesn’t respect separate pools, it pulls from one combined list and references the preference field.
This is not a basket raffle. A basket raffle requires per-basket ticket pools, independent drawings per basket, and ticket splitting across multiple baskets in one checkout. None of those three requirements are met.
📄 FROM GIVEBUTTER’S 50/50 RAFFLE DOCUMENTATION
“To conduct a 50/50 raffle using Givebutter, you’d sell raffle tickets like normal, but the payout amount will not be available immediately for payout to the winning ticketholder.” “Plan ahead and have cash on hand to pay out 50% to the winning ticketholder, then withdraw the full amount available in Givebutter after the pending period clears.”
Translation: on live event night, when your 50/50 winner is announced in front of the crowd, Givebutter cannot pay out from the platform. You need cash ready before you know the final number. You settle with the platform later. Chance2Win tracks the 50/50 pool in real time, unified with in-person cash sales, the winning amount is known the moment the drawing closes.
Want to know what real basket raffle infrastructure looks like?
Seven questions to ask any platform vendor, and the answers you should expect. If a platform supports per-basket pools, they’ll answer every question specifically. If they can’t, you’re looking at a workaround. Read the 7 questions →
Where Givebutter Is Genuinely Strong
We are meticulous about honesty. Givebutter earned the G2 #1 ranking. These strengths are real and should be stated clearly, because one-sided comparisons lose credibility with people who actually know the platform.
Rated #1, 871+ Verified Reviews
With a 4.8/5.0 average across 871+ verified G2 reviews, that ranking is earned, not manufactured. For donation campaigns, CRM management, and all-in-one nonprofit operations, Givebutter frequently outperforms the alternatives.
The Givebutter Guarantee
Tips enabled = Givebutter covers all fees including the 2.9% + $0.30 processing charge. Your org keeps 100% of what donors intend to give. For donation campaigns where donors willingly tip, this is a better deal than most platforms offer. They back it with a real guarantee.
All-In-One: CRM, Email, Texting
Givebutter isn’t just a fundraising tool, it’s a full nonprofit operating platform with CRM, email, texting, auctions, event management, and peer-to-peer all integrated. Organizations replacing five separate tools find genuine efficiency here.
Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, Apple Pay
Givebutter accepts more payment methods than almost any competitor: all major cards, ACH, Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, Apple Pay, Google Pay. For donation campaigns where meeting donors where they are drives conversion, this breadth is a real advantage.
Proven Scale, Not a Startup
Over $300 million in donations processed. The infrastructure is tested at scale, the processing reliability is proven, and the support systems handle volume. Givebutter is a legitimate, well-funded platform serving real nonprofit needs.
Support That Actually Responds
Givebutter’s customer support is consistently praised in reviews, 24/7 live chat and email with fast response times. Reviews specifically call out support quality as a differentiator. This is a real operational strength worth acknowledging.
Where the 15% Default Tip Sits on the Abandonment Curve
Givebutter’s default tip is set at 15%, right at the point where checkout abandonment data shows a sharp inflection. For donation campaigns it’s tolerable. For raffle buyers who’ve already decided what they want to spend, it’s meaningful friction.
Behaves like sales tax. 1 in 300 abandon. No measurable impact.
Slightly above normal. Buyers treat it like a booking fee. Acceptable range.
Abandonment spikes. Buyers read the charge as a penalty. Trust collapses.
Donors close the window angry. Pre-checked aggressive tip above the cliff.
Givebutter’s default tip is set at 15%, the cliff point in abandonment research. Organizations can disable tips (3% platform fee applies) or the Guarantee covers all fees when tips are on. The concern: many orgs don’t change default settings and raffle buyers encounter the 15% prompt without the org intending it. Threshold data from e-commerce and nonprofit fundraising research.
Three and a Half Weeks of Ticket Sales. Locked Out. No Notice. Zero Warning.
The team behind Chance2Win has been answering the raffle phone since 2005. This call came in recently. It’s one of the most concrete examples we’ve seen of the Stripe restriction problem, and it has a real resolution.
“We’re a Civil War reenactment organization. We run an annual raffle to fund the group, and this year the centerpiece prize was an authentic Civil War-era rifle. Historical artifact. Museum quality. We set everything up on Givebutter because a member had used it before and it looked great.”
“We went live and sold tickets for three and a half weeks. Real money. Real supporters who were excited about the piece. Everything looked fine in the dashboard the whole time.”
“Then one morning we were just locked out. Account suspended. No warning before it happened. No email telling us it was coming. Just locked. Stripe had flagged the firearm.”
“We had an event in weeks and three and a half weeks of ticket sales that we couldn’t access. We called Chance2Win.”
“They told us about manual order entry. We could input every ticket sold on Givebutter directly into Chance2Win, name, number of tickets, basket selections, and the drawing pool would be complete. Nobody lost their tickets. The event ran. We drew a winner from the full pool.”
“We’re on Chance2Win now. But I wish we’d known before we started.”
— Civil War Reenactment Organization, March 2026 · Account shared with permission · Same scenario occurs with wine baskets, bourbon packages, cigar assortments, and other restricted prize categories across nonprofits of all types
The manual order entry feature is why this story has a resolution. If you’ve already sold tickets on a platform that gets locked or restricted, Chance2Win can import those sales. Your drawing pool stays complete, your supporters keep their tickets, and your event runs. It’s not a common situation but when it happens, it’s everything. Talk to our team about migrating an existing raffle →
Givebutter vs Chance2Win Full Feature Comparison
This comparison focuses on raffle-specific capability and the payment processor restrictions that determine what events can run on each platform. Givebutter’s CRM, email, texting, and peer-to-peer strengths are outside this scope and are genuinely strong.
| Feature / Capability | Chance2Win | Givebutter |
|---|---|---|
| Payment processor | Flux Payments, Stripe, Square, or Authorize.net; no firearm or alcohol restrictions | Stripe only, proprietary exclusive relationship; cannot use alternative processors |
| Firearm / ammunition raffle | Fully supported, gateway options with no firearms restrictions | Account termination risk, Stripe prohibits firearms transactions |
| Bourbon / alcohol raffle prizes | Fully supported | Stripe alcohol restrictions apply, risk of transaction failure or suspension |
| Basket raffles / tricky trays | Full support since 2005, separate pools per basket, per-basket drawings, ticket splitting | Not supported, workaround only, “all tickets go towards this prize option” |
| Queen of Hearts (progressive jackpot) | Full workflow, jackpot logic, card management, multi-week draws | Not supported, no progressive jackpot infrastructure |
| Duck races & ball drops | Numbered pool management, gap-free, refund-safe, winner traceable to specific ticket | Not supported |
| 50/50 raffle (live event) | Real-time, live cash integrated, winner amount known when drawing closes | Manual cash management required, “plan ahead and have cash on hand” |
| Hybrid events (cash + check + online) | Unified drawing pool, all entry types merged, no spreadsheets | Online / card-present only |
| Cash & check ticket sales to drawing pool | Manual entry, any payment type, one drawing, one audit trail | No path for cash or check entries |
| Platform rescue / ticket import | Manual order entry, any source, drawing pool stays complete | No import mechanism, sales history inaccessible if account locked |
| Printable physical tickets | Blank and prefilled from admin | Not available |
| Manual order entry (platform migration) | Import tickets sold on another platform, drawing pool stays complete | Not applicable |
| State charitable gaming compliance | Fixed disclosed fee, meets most requirements | Verify for restricted prize events |
| Checkout model | Fixed 12% donor fee shown upfront, org keeps 100% of ticket proceeds | Guarantee: tips on = $0 to org; tips off = 3% flat + 2.9%+$0.30; default 15% tip at raffle checkout |
| CRM, email, texting, P2P | Available but not primary focus | Best-in-class, 160+ features, G2 #1 for a reason |
| Phone support during live events | Real humans who understand raffle ops | 24/7 live chat and email, chat-first model |
Feature details subject to change. Verify current capabilities before launch. Givebutter raffle architecture per Givebutter help documentation, accessed March 2026. Stripe restrictions per Stripe Terms of Service.
Restricted Prizes. Complex Formats. Events Givebutter Can’t Finish.
Wine baskets. Bourbon packages. Cigar nights. Antique firearms. Basket raffles. Queen of Hearts. Duck races. Ball drops. Chance2Win supports every format and prize category, and if you’ve already sold tickets somewhere that locked you out, manual order entry means your drawing pool stays complete.
Givebutter Free vs Chance2Win: What Each Actually Costs
Givebutter’s Guarantee model is genuinely excellent for donation campaigns. For raffle events the tip model sits at the abandonment cliff, and the tips-off 3% fee applies instead. The comparison below assumes tips-off for a like-for-like paid comparison.
Zero Fee
Fixed 12% donor service charge shown upfront. Org keeps 100% of ticket proceeds. ~1–2% abandonment. Self-sustaining since 2005.
Best for raffles under $10,000
- Wine, bourbon, cigars and firearms, no restrictions
- Multiple gateways for any prize category
- All raffle formats, basket, QoH, ball drop
- Fixed 12% shown upfront, no surprises
- Hybrid cash + check + online in one pool
- Flux Payments, Stripe
- Printable physical tickets from admin
- Phone support for live events
Premium Plan
$329 ≤$5k · $459 ≤$10k · +$329/additional $10k. 3.4–6.6% effective. Supporters see ticket price only by default. Enable a service charge and every dollar goes to your org, not to Chance2Win.
Best for raffles over $10,000
- Everything in Zero Fee, plus:
- Cleanest checkout, ticket price only by default
- Always lower than 6.9% Flex platforms
- $20k event: $788 (3.9% effective)
- $100k event: $3,420 (3.4% effective)
Chance2Win Premium vs Givebutter Tips-Off (3% + Processing)
For events where tip configuration removes the Guarantee, Givebutter’s 3% + 2.9% + $0.30 adds up. For events over $20,000 Chance2Win Premium is consistently lower and nothing comes off your raised funds.
| Event Size (Raised) | C2W Premium Fee | C2W Effective Rate | Givebutter Tips-Off (~3%+2.9%+$0.30) | C2W Premium Wins? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | $329 | 6.6% | ~$295 | ~ |
| Up to $10,000 | $459 | 4.6% | ~$590 | ~ |
| Up to $20,000 | $788 | 3.9% | ~$1,180 | ✔ |
| Up to $30,000 | $1,117 | 3.7% | ~$1,770 | ✔ |
| Up to $50,000 | $1,775 | 3.6% | ~$2,950 | ✔ |
| Up to $100,000 | $3,420 | 3.4% | ~$5,900 | ✔ |
Givebutter tips-off comparison is approximate: 3% platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30/transaction. Actual cost varies based on average ticket size and donor coverage. C2W Premium: fee paid by org, org keeps 100% of ticket proceeds. Not including payment processing fees which apply on both platforms.
When Givebutter Is the Right Choice. When It Isn’t
Platforms like Zeffy, Givebutter, and RallyUp advertise as free by asking donors for optional tips at checkout. The problem isn’t that they charge, it’s how they charge, and what it does to your conversion rate.
Givebutter is genuinely the right choice when:
- Your event is a donation campaign, P2P fundraiser, or general gala
- You need CRM, email, and texting integrated with fundraising
- Your raffle prizes don’t include firearms, ammunition, or alcohol products
- Your raffle is standard single-prize or simple multi-prize format
- Budget is the primary constraint and the Guarantee model works
- You want Venmo, PayPal, Cash App alongside credit cards
- Auctions and general event management are primary drivers
The comparison changes entirely when:
- Your prizes include restricted or regulated categories, wine, bourbon, cigars, antique firearms, Stripe will flag these, often weeks after launch with no prior warning
- You’ve already sold tickets on a locked platform, no manual order entry to recover your pool
- Your prizes include firearms or ammunition, Stripe prohibits outright, account suspension, not just a transaction decline
- You’re running a basket raffle, their workaround isn’t per-basket pool infrastructure
- Live 50/50 with real-time payout, their docs say “have cash on hand”
- Queen of Hearts is your event, no progressive jackpot infrastructure
- Ball drops, duck races, no numbered pool management
- Hybrid cash + check + online events, online and card-present only
Raffle Mastery: The Complete Book to Running Profitable Nonprofit Raffles
120+ pages of real-world raffle strategy drawn from nearly 20 years of experience supporting thousands of nonprofit fundraisers. Ticket pricing psychology, bundle tactics, promotion strategies, compliance checkpoints, and the common mistakes that kill raffle revenue.
- Ticket pricing strategies that increase average order value
- Bundle psychology, why the right packages outperform discounts
- Hybrid event playbooks for in-person + online sales
- Common compliance mistakes and how to avoid them
Givebutter vs Chance2Win: Common Questions
Can Givebutter run a raffle with restricted or regulated prizes, wine, bourbon, cigars, or firearms?
Why are wine baskets and bourbon raffles a problem on Givebutter?
Does Givebutter support basket raffles?
How does Givebutter’s 50/50 raffle work at live events?
What is the Givebutter Guarantee?
Can Givebutter run a Queen of Hearts raffle?
My raffle was locked on another platform and I already have ticket sales. Can Chance2Win help?
When should I use Givebutter instead of Chance2Win?
How does Chance2Win’s pricing compare to Givebutter?
Everything You Need to Run the Right Raffle
Important: Stripe’s terms of service, Authorize.net policies, and state raffle laws can change. Always verify current payment processor terms and consult a qualified attorney before any event involving restricted prizes (firearms, alcohol) or regulated paid-entry raffle formats. This page is informational, not legal advice.
Start With the Website That Was Built for It
Wine baskets. Bourbon packages. Cigar nights. Antique firearms. Basket raffles. Queen of Hearts. Duck races. Ball drops. Hybrid in-person and online sales. Transparent pricing. Multiple payment gateways for any prize category. Manual order entry if you’ve already sold tickets elsewhere. Real humans on the phone. The team behind Chance2Win has been doing this since 2005.