Donating and Gift Aid

Many PTAs take donations on Upfayre: through their own donations page, or an appeal for something like a new minibus. Your money goes straight to the PTA through Stripe; Upfayre takes nothing from it. If you're a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 you give, at no cost to you.

1. Give once

Open the link or scan the QR code your PTA shared, choose an amount (or type your own), and give your email for your receipt. You pay by card on Stripe's secure page. Your receipt comes by email straight after, with a reference you can quote to the PTA.

In the Upfayre app, donations are made in your web browser instead: the page gives you the link to open there.

2. Add Gift Aid

If the PTA is a charity that claims Gift Aid, you'll see what it adds as you choose an amount: "your £10 becomes £12.50". Tick Yes, add Gift Aid and give your name, house name or number and postcode. HMRC needs these to match you to the tax you pay, and only the PTA's committee sees them.

You can add Gift Aid if:

you pay at least as much UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the tax year as the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations (if you pay less, you'd have to make up the difference);
it's your own money, not money you collected from others;
it's a gift, not a payment for something. Tickets, raffle tickets and anything you buy can't have Gift Aid, which is why it's only ever on a donations page.

Your declaration covers this donation, any you make to the same PTA in future, and any from the past 4 years. If you're signed in to Upfayre, next time you just tick Gift Aid: your declaration is already there.

If you pay tax at the higher or additional rate, you can claim the extra relief yourself, on your Self Assessment tax return or by asking HMRC to adjust your tax code.

3. Gift Aid on cash or a bank transfer

Gave in a bucket, or by bank transfer? Your PTA's donations page links to its Gift Aid page, where you make a declaration on its own, so they can claim Gift Aid on what you gave.

4. Give monthly

Some PTAs let you give the same amount every month. Choose Give monthly on the donations page. The first payment is taken straight away, then on the same day each month. Your email has a link to your monthly donation's own page, where you can stop it at any time; it stops straight away and nothing more is taken.

5. Change your mind

Every Gift Aid email has a link to your declaration, where you can cancel it. Gift Aid then isn't claimed on anything you give after that. Please also tell the PTA if you change your name or home address, or no longer pay enough tax. Just reply to any of their emails.

If you're signed in, Your giving on your profile lists your donations, monthly donations and declarations, each with its link.