The cost of using donor eggs is a significant concern for many people who are pursuing fertility treatment. In fact, one of our most common questions from intended parents is “how much do donor eggs cost?” The truth is that costs vary depending on the number of children desired and whether Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGT-A) is performed to determine embryo health or sex.

The Cost of Frozen vs Fresh Donor Eggs

At many fertility clinics the success rates of IVF with donor eggs are similar for both fresh or frozen donor eggs. As you might expect, fresh donor eggs are retrieved from the donor and fertilized immediately with sperm from the intended father or sperm donor. Fertilized eggs are incubated in the IVF laboratory for 5 days until they reach the blastocyst embryo stage, at which point they will be frozen for later transfer to the intended mother’s uterus or that of a surrogate. If Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGT-A) is planned, blastocysts are first biopsied before being frozen.

If using frozen eggs, the intended mother or surrogate begins to prepare her uterine lining with hormones, so that 6 days before embryo transfer the frozen donor eggs can be thawed, fertilized and allowed to develop to the blastocyst embryo stage in order to be synchronized with the uterine lining at the time of embryo transfer. Additional blastocysts are frozen for future use. If Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGT-A) is planned, frozen eggs are thawed and ensuing blastocysts biopsied and then refrozen awaiting the PGT-A results. In this setting, the intended mother or surrogate will prepare her uterine lining later when the PGT-A results return.

For frozen blastocysts derived from fresh eggs or blastocysts derived from frozen eggs, there is no need to synchronize the intended mother’s cycle with the egg donor retrieval cycle thus providing convenience and alleviating stress.

How Much Are Frozen Donor Eggs?

At Pinnacle Egg Bank, the cost starts at $2,850 per egg. The minimal frozen donor egg package is 6 eggs and the shipping fee is $950.

Six frozen eggs are a good option for intended parents who are hoping for one child only and do not plan to pursue gender selection or chromosomal testing (PGT-A).

Using frozen donor eggs for the IVF process has many benefits:

  • They are available and can be used immediately since they have already been retrieved and frozen
  • Easier to calendar embryo transfer since the donor’s schedule is no longer a consideration
  • Optimize work and travel schedules to lower cost
  • Egg thaw can be delayed to accommodate last minute emergencies or cancellations

Refunds for Donor Eggs

We offer a 60-day refund window so long as the eggs have not shipped. We will provide a full refund to intended parents should there be a medical concern, i.e. genetic incompatibility, and for clinics that do not affiliate.

If the match is canceled for any other reason inside the 60-day refund window, a $2,000 fee will apply. Once eggs have shipped, the sole remedy to fulfill the guarantee is a replacement batch.

We do not provide refunds on egg batches once shipped. Incidents involving survivability and unrecovered eggs will not be considered until the outcome of the entire batch has been reported and all supporting documents received. We do not offer refunds in lieu of a replacement batch.

Embryo Development Guarantee

We offer an Embryo Development Guarantee of one blastocyst for every paid batch of 6 eggs. The guarantee applies only to paid batches and not to approved replacement batches.

Our guarantee applies to the performance of the entire batch. Outcomes must be reported to determine if the Embryo Development Guarantee is met. We do not offer an egg survival or a euploid guarantee.

How Much Does IVF With a Donor Egg Cost?

While the batch of frozen donor eggs at Pinnacle Egg Bank starts at $17,100 plus $950 shipping fee, each IVF clinic has their own pricing to meet their patient’s needs. You may also choose additional services when using donor eggs; these might include sex selection if you have a preference for a boy or a girl, or testing to prevent possible chromosomal disorders. If you opt for one or both of these services, there will be additional costs at your IVF clinic.

Egg Donation Cost and Financing

We understand that conversations about costs can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many options for financing the cost of egg donation and IVF treatments. At Santa Monica Fertility, we work with several lenders who offer loans with favorable terms to individuals and couples. These lenders include:

Our staff is ready to help you estimate and understand the costs involved with donor egg IVF and to provide direction in getting the financial help if you need it.

You can view profiles of egg donors available online at Pinnacle Egg Bank database and our FAQ section offers a lot of useful information about using donor eggs. For tips on selecting your donor, read our ‘How to choose an egg donor‘ blog.

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