c. scott andreas

Hey non-profits! Good news for you –

Google Checkout is now allowing non-profit organizations to accept donations via their payment service without charging the standard merchant fees required to process credit card transactions, well, everywhere else.

Cool!

This service may not be free forever, but the GOOG has promised to honor it through the end of 2008, giving you at least 15 months of no-margin bliss.

Here’s the official word from Prem Ramaswami, Checkout’s project manager:

Today, I’m happy (OK, more like ecstatic) to introduce Google Checkout for Non-Profits — with this launch, U.S. non-profit organizations (IRS-certified 501(c)(3)s) now have an easy way to accept online donations, and donors have a fast and secure way to support their favorite groups. The best part: it’s completely free for the organizations. Through at least the end of 2008, non-profits will pay 0% + 0 cents in transaction fees for each donation they accept through Checkout. And that means donors can support these groups knowing that 100 percent of their donations will reach their charity.

Want to get started? Head to Google Checkout for Non-Profit Organizations.

(ht: Mashable)