The Best Cash Wedding Registries, Compared on Fees and Payouts

The best cash wedding registry for most couples is RegistryBee if you want guests choosing real gifts from any store while you keep 100% of every gift. The Knot or Zola suit couples planning everything inside one big wedding suite, Honeyfund suits couples happy to take gift cards or a prepaid card, and Joy suits guest lists who like Venmo or PayPal.

This is RegistryBee's own blog, and we are in this comparison. Competitor details come from their own help and fee pages, checked in November 2026. They can change, so confirm before you commit.

The comparison

Here is what that looks like on a real amount. On RegistryBee, $10,000 given as 100 gifts of $100 reaches you as the full $10,000, paid to your bank on Mondays without you having to request a transfer. All the math is in the cash registry fees comparison, and the fee calculator lets you enter your own gifts.

RegistryBee: best for real gifts from any store, with 100% to you

Couples add gifts from any store, and guests choose and give a real item from that list on the registry page. The money goes to the couple, so you get each gift on your own schedule, from the store you want. You keep 100% of every gift, and the registry is free for couples. No sales tax is charged because nothing ships. Payouts land in your bank every Monday via Stripe, so you do not have to remember to request a transfer. Guests are told the gift will not ship right away and that you will decide when and where to get it. RegistryBee can also send thank you postcards for you, and it works for baby registries too.

Good for: couples whose guests love choosing something real, and couples who do not want to rely on a single store's catalog.

What guests pay: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction at checkout. A $100 gift costs the guest $103.30, and you receive the full $100.

The Knot: best for keeping everything in one big planning tool

The Knot takes no percentage of cash gifts, and its card fee is 2.5%. Guests can also use Venmo without a fee, unless they pay with a credit card. You can run the fund alongside a store registry and wedding website.

Good for: couples already using The Knot's website and planning tools.

Keep in mind: the guest always pays the card fee, since couples cannot pay it for them. You also need a verified bank account before deposits can be processed.

Zola: best for flexibility on who pays

Zola also charges 2.5%, and it is the only large registry here that lets you decide who pays. The default is the guest. If you want guests to see a clean amount, you can absorb the fee at transfer. It also offers a zero-fee Venmo option, and you can convert funds to store credit with a 5% bonus if you plan to spend at Zola anyway. Funds have no transfer deadline.

Good for: couples who want a mixed registry and control over the fee.

Keep in mind: your first transfer can take up to 10 business days, and transfers need a US checking account. Venmo gifts only show in your totals after the guest returns to log them.

Joy: best for peer-to-peer gifting

Joy's strongest feature is that Venmo, PayPal and Cash App funds are free on its end, with money going directly to you. If your guest list is comfortable with those apps, that can bring your cost to nothing while still sitting on a good-looking wedding website.

Good for: younger guest lists and couples who want to avoid processing fees.

Keep in mind: the card option costs guests 3.5%, the highest percentage here, plus $1.70 for you on each transfer. App payments also happen outside Joy, so if a guest does not finish, Joy suggests a polite reminder.

Honeyfund: best when guests should pay nothing

Honeyfund charges guests no fee and no platform fee. If you are happy to take your money as gift cards or a prepaid Mastercard, you can receive every dollar. For honeymoon spending on a card, that is hard to beat.

Good for: couples focused on a honeymoon or experiences who want to keep guest checkout clean.

Keep in mind: getting real cash is where the cost sits. PayPal and Venmo cost 2.2%, with a $10,000 lifetime cap. Bank deposits cost 3.5% + $0.59, and they must be set up before your first gift, as the Wallet is the US default and cannot send to a bank. Read honeyfund alternatives for when that matters.

What about plain Venmo or a check?

Both are free and both work. Venmo costs nothing from a balance, bank or debit card, and 3% on a credit card. Checks cost nothing at all, and older guests may prefer them. The trade-off is that you lose the gift experience and the record-keeping, and your guests have to do more work. Most couples are better off with one of the above and a line saying checks are welcome too.

Which should you pick?

Answer these in order and stop at the first yes.

1. Do you want guests to give real gifts from any store, while you keep 100% and get each one when and where you want? Start with RegistryBee.
2. Are you planning your whole wedding on Zola or The Knot already? Their built-in cash funds keep everything in one place.
3. Is the money only for a honeymoon you will pay for by card? Consider Honeyfund and its gift card and prepaid card routes.
4. Is your guest list mostly comfortable with payment apps? Consider Joy or the Venmo option on Zola or The Knot.
5. Still deciding? Run your own numbers in the fee calculator.

Three things that matter more than the fee

The fee difference between platforms is usually a few dollars per guest. These decide more:

• How the page feels to your oldest guest. Open the checkout on a phone and try it. If your aunt will not get through it, the fee does not matter.
• When you need the money. If you are paying for a trip the week after the wedding, payout timing matters more than a small fee difference.
• How you share it. A short, warm line on your website does most of the work. Use the guides to asking for money and honeymoon fund wording.

Not sure you want cash at all? Start with cash vs traditional registry.