The short version: your platform is never the thing holding a backer's money. Here's exactly what happens between a pledge and a payout.
If you're evaluating whether to self-host a crowdfunding platform, the payments question comes up first: who's actually liable for that money while it sits between a pledge and a payout? With Stripe Connect, the answer is straightforward - Stripe is, not you.
Every creator on the platform completes Stripe Connect's Express onboarding: identity verification, bank account details, and acceptance of Stripe's terms. That flow is hosted by Stripe, not your platform, which means you're not the one collecting or storing KYC documents. Once details_submitted and charges_enabled are both true on their account, they can receive funds.
All-or-Nothing campaigns authorize a backer's card at pledge time but don't capture the charge. Nothing is billed until the campaign hits its goal. If the deadline passes without reaching the goal, every authorization is released automatically - no admin has to trigger it, and no backer is ever charged for a campaign that didn't happen.
Flexible campaigns charge immediately, since there's no all-or-nothing condition to wait on.
When a charge succeeds, Stripe splits it in the same transaction: your platform fee stays with your Stripe account, and the creator's share transfers directly to their connected account. This is a transfer_data parameter set on the original charge, not a second manual step - there's no batch job, no "pay creator" button, and no window where the full amount sits in a single account waiting to be divided.
If you're self-hosting, you don't have a compliance team handling money-transmitter licensing the way a large SaaS platform might. Routing everything through Stripe Connect means Stripe is the regulated party holding funds in transit, and your application is orchestrating API calls - not custody. That's the practical reason "self-hosted" and "Stripe Connect" pair well: you get full control of the product experience without taking on the liability of holding customer funds yourself.
You set your own platform fee percentage. You decide the funding models available. You control moderation, refund policy, and the campaign experience end to end. Stripe Connect handles the money movement; everything else about running the platform is still yours.
See the full payouts breakdown on the product page →
We install it, brand it and connect payments on your domain, so you can focus on growing your community. See the launch packages, or try the live demo first.
See launch packages →Keep reading: How much it costs to build a crowdfunding websiteHow a launch works, day by day