Cash Registry Fees Compared: What $10,000 in Gifts Really Costs on Each Platform

On $10,000 in card gifts, the biggest difference between cash registries is who pays the fees and how much of the money reaches you. On RegistryBee, couples pay nothing and keep the full $10,000, paid to the bank every Monday. On Zola and The Knot the card fee is 2.5%, usually paid by guests. Joy charges guests 3.5% plus a small transfer fee for the couple. Honeyfund charges guests nothing but costs the couple $220 to $409 to turn gifts into cash.

This is the RegistryBee blog, so we are one of the companies in the table. All competitor figures below come from each company's own help or fee pages, checked in November 2026. Fees change, so confirm before you sign up. To run your own numbers, use the cash registry fee calculator.

The worked example: $10,000 in gifts

Assume 100 guests each give $100 by card, and all of it ends up as cash in your bank account where possible.

The Honeyfund bank range exists because its page lists 3.5% + $0.59 without saying whether the $0.59 applies per gift or per transfer. Its own example applies it to one $100 gift ($95.91 kept), which over 100 gifts gives $9,591. One single transfer would give $9,649.41.

How each fee works

RegistryBee: free for couples, 100% of every gift to you

RegistryBee is free for couples, and you keep 100% of every gift. Guests choose a real gift from your list, and pay 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, worked out so the couple receives the full gift. The exact formula is (gift + $0.30) / (1 - 0.029) - gift. In practice:

Guests buying several gifts in one checkout pay the 30 cents once. Gifts can come from any store, there is no sales tax because nothing ships, and payouts reach your bank each Monday without you requesting a transfer. RegistryBee can also send your thank you postcards.

The Knot: 2.5%, always on the guest

The Knot says it takes no percentage, and guests pay a 2.5% processing fee on card gifts. Couples cannot cover it for them. Guests who use Venmo with a balance, bank account or debit card pay nothing, while a credit card through Venmo costs 3%.

Zola: 2.5%, and you choose who pays

Comparison blogs disagree on this one, but Zola's own page settles it. Couples choose who pays in their settings, and the default is the guest, shown as a "Handling Fee" at checkout. If you absorb it, it comes out when you transfer funds. Zola says it makes no money on cash funds. Its zero-fee Venmo option is free from a Venmo balance, bank or debit card, though guests must return to Zola to log the gift.

Joy: 3.5% on cards, $1.70 per transfer

Joy's help center lists a 3.5% processing fee paid by the guest, which goes to Stripe, plus a $1.70 flat fee on each transfer to your bank. Joy's marketing says zero fees, and that is accurate for its Venmo, PayPal and Cash App routes, where money goes straight to you. Batch transfers to keep the $1.70 to a minimum.

Honeyfund: free for guests, fees at cash-out

Honeyfund's fee page shows no guest fee, with an optional contribution to Honeyfund at checkout that couples can switch off. The cost arrives when you redeem:

• Prepaid Mastercard or gift cards: 0%. Cards load up to $2,500 each, and "fees may apply" is noted in the card terms.
• PayPal or Venmo: 2.2%. Honeyfund's help center lists limits of $100 to $2,500 per request and $10,000 lifetime across both.
• Bank account: 3.5% + $0.59. This has to be set up before your first gift, and it is not available with the Wallet, which is on by default for US couples.

Also note that Wallet balances inactive for more than 18 months attract a $10 monthly fee, according to the same page.

If gift cards and a prepaid card suit how you will spend the money, Honeyfund's 0% redemption route is a real advantage, especially for a honeymoon you will pay for by card anyway.

Who should pay the fee?

There is no etiquette rule here, so it is a choice between two trade-offs.

• Guests pay: you keep the full gift, and the guest sees a slightly larger total at checkout. Most people expect this now, and a few dollars on a $100 gift rarely changes behavior.
• Couple pays: guests see only the amount they chose, which feels cleaner, but you give up the money. On Zola that is $250 on $10,000.

On RegistryBee, the guest covers the card fee, so you keep 100% of every gift. If you care about guests seeing a clean number, Honeyfund and Zola's couple-absorbs setting both offer it.

Payout timing

Fees are one thing, and when you can actually use the money is another. That matters if your honeymoon or deposit is soon after the wedding.

Allow time for bank verification on any platform. Do it before guests start giving, not the week before you fly.

What about plain Venmo?

Sharing your Venmo handle costs nothing when guests pay from a balance, bank or debit card, and 3% on a credit card. It costs little, but older guests may not use it, nothing is tracked for your thank you notes, and it can feel less like a gift than a registry page. It works best as an extra option alongside a registry, which is exactly how Zola, The Knot and Joy use it.

A note on conflicting claims

You will find different numbers online, including on competitors' pages. Honeyfund's fee page, for example, lists both a 2.5% cash-out fee and a 2.5% guest fee for Zola and The Knot, while those companies' own help pages describe a single 2.5% card fee. We have used each company's own description of its own fees. Treat any comparison, including this one, as a starting point and confirm on the provider's page.

How to choose

1. You want to keep 100% of every gift, list gifts from any store and get paid automatically: RegistryBee.
2. You are planning your whole wedding on Zola or The Knot: their built-in cash funds.
3. You want guests to pay nothing and can spend on cards: Honeyfund.
4. Your guests all use payment apps: the Venmo options on Zola, The Knot or Joy.

The best cash wedding registries guide compares features beyond fees, and honeyfund alternatives goes deeper on that platform. If you are still setting things up, start with how to set up a honeymoon fund.