specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Ko-fi
providerId: ko-fi
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Creator Economy
- Donations
- Memberships
- Shop
- Payments
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Ko-fi spend. Ko-fi is a monetization platform, so cost flows in
  two directions. Ko-fi does not bill for API/webhook usage; instead it takes a
  platform fee out of the money you collect (0% on tips and donations; 5% on
  memberships, shop sales, and commissions on the Free plan). Ko-fi Gold is a
  flat monthly subscription that removes the 5% platform fee. Separately,
  third-party payment processors (PayPal, Stripe) charge roughly 2.9% + $0.30
  per transaction on both plans. There is no metered per-request or per-webhook
  charge.
notes: >-
  Fee percentages and the Ko-fi Gold monthly price should be verified on
  ko-fi.com/pricing during reconciliation. Processor fees are set by PayPal and
  Stripe, not Ko-fi, and vary by region and payout method.
sources:
- https://ko-fi.com/pricing
- https://ko-fi.com/gold
- https://help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002506494-Does-Ko-fi-take-a-fee
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Ko-fi
serviceCategory: Creator Monetization and Payments
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Commission and Subscription
  billingFrequency: Per Transaction and Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Ko-fi
  ServiceCategory: Creator Monetization and Payments
  ProviderName: Ko-fi
  PublisherName: Ko-fi
  InvoiceIssuerName: Ko-fi
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Commission and Subscription
meters:
- name: platform_fee_memberships_shop_commissions
  description: 5% platform fee taken from memberships, shop sales, and commissions on the Free plan (0% on Ko-fi Gold).
  unit: percent
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - payment_type
- name: platform_fee_tips
  description: Platform fee on tips and donations - 0% on both plans.
  unit: percent
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: gold_subscription
  description: Flat monthly Ko-fi Gold subscription that removes the 5% platform fee.
  unit: months
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: processor_fee
  description: Third-party payment processor fee (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) charged by PayPal or Stripe.
  unit: transactions
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - processor
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Reconcile Ko-fi payout reports against the webhook events your endpoint receives (by kofi_transaction_id) to see gross revenue, platform fee, and processor fee per payment type.
- name: Allocation
  description: Split revenue and fees by payment type - tips, memberships, shop, commissions - since only tips/donations are truly 0% fee.
- name: Optimization
  description: Compare the 5% platform fee against the flat Ko-fi Gold subscription; Gold pays for itself once monthly membership/shop/commission revenue exceeds roughly $240.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner to review monthly Ko-fi payouts, Gold subscription cost, and processor fees against creator revenue targets.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com