• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to define his administration’s economic plan through the application of import tariffs, businesses and brands of all sizes are feeling the shock of rising prices. Individual creators are among those hit hardest by these unexpected costs. 

Creators attempting to fund projects on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter will soon be able to address the newfound issues of rising shipping costs, delayed timelines and more, while providing backers with a clearer explanation of why their original monetary goals may have changed. 

Kickstarter says its new “Tariff Manager Tool” is for creators in the post-campaign phase, allowing them “to apply a tariff costs to backers through the Kickstarter Pledge Manager, helping to offset those costs and maintain momentum throughout the delivery process.” 

In other words, creators will have the ability to apply per-item surcharges, which appear as a separate line item on the payment page of people who have already funded the project, explaining the suggested surcharge. 

Backers who do not want to pay the additional cost will be offered the option to decline. Creators can then reach out directly to adjust their pledge or “finding another resolution.

“We understand that asking backers to pay an additional fee — especially after a campaign has ended—can be sensitive,” Kickstarter says. “Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility and transparency necessary to navigate those conversations with clarity and care.”

The platform’s tariff tool will apply only to items sent to U.S.-based shipping addresses. 

Since its official launch in 2009, Kickstarter has continued to host an increasing number of crowdfunded projects. According to Statista, the total amount pledged – over $8 billion – more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, with over 23 million total project backers, 8 million of whom are repeat backers. 

In reaction to Trump’s tariffs -- which are now as high as 145% for goods imported from China -- some companies on Kickstarter are directly warning backers about possible delays and price hikes, while others, like Stonemaier Games, are filing lawsuits against the president. 

“We will not stand idle while our livelihood — and the livelihoods of thousands of small business owners and contractors in the U.S. — are treated like pawns in a political game,” the games company’s co-founder Jamey Stegmair said in a press release. “We now face a $14.50 tariff tax for every $10 we spent on manufacturing with our trusted long-term partner China. For Stonemaier Games, that amounts to upcoming tariff payments of nearly $1.5 million.”

Kickstarter says the launch of its Tariff Manager is “just weeks away.”