‘The audacity’: Couple sets up honeymoon fund for wedding guests. The platform asking for a tip is the cherry on this awkward cake

A couple who used Honeyfund for their wedding registry got a surprise they did not expect. After setting up the account to collect money for their honeymoon, they found out the platform was asking their wedding guests to leave tips when they gave gifts. The couple posted about it on Reddit and many people were shocked.

Honeyfund lets couples create online registries where guests can give money instead of buying physical presents. Many couples like this option because they already have everything they need for their home. But the way Honeyfund handles fees has made some people angry.

“We set up a honeymoon fund instead of a traditional registry. Not only do they charge 2.2% to redeem your funds, they have the audacity to REQUEST A TIP,” the couple wrote on Reddit. The screenshot they shared showed a message asking guests to tip up to $10 when they were already giving money as a wedding gift.

What’s really going on with the fees

Honeyfund says it covers the transaction fees when guests give money, so 100% of the gift goes into the couple’s account. But here is where it gets tricky. When couples want to take that money out and put it in their bank account, Honeyfund charges them 2.2%. The platform does offer other ways to get the money without paying that fee, like using a prepaid Mastercard or PayPal, but those options come with their own problems.

The tips that guests see are called “Honeyfund Gives” and the company says they help keep the service running without charging guests fees. Couples can turn off the tipping option, but many do not know they can do that. This is where people feel the company is not being honest about how everything works, similar to how confusing money practices led to common terms we use today.

Other Reddit users jumped into the conversation with their own complaints. One person said the company tells you all your money goes into your account, but they do not tell you it costs money to take it back out. Another person made a joke saying Honeyfund turns something that is supposed to be free into something that is almost free but not really.

Honeyfund claims it has helped couples collect more than $600 million for their honeymoons and weddings. The company says it is a free service, but looking at complaints online tells a different story. People on the Better Business Bureau website and wedding forums have shared stories about having trouble getting their money or not understanding all the fees until it was too late. 

While there are ways to use Honeyfund without paying fees, many couples feel tricked by how the information is presented. For anyone planning a wedding, it pays to read all the details carefully so you do not run into problems you did not see coming.