Stripe fees: what Stripe charges on each payment

Stripe fees in one table

Stripe fees are charged per payment. On standard pricing Stripe has no setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees, and the card fee is charged only on payments that succeed. The US online card rate is 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards and digital wallets.

The table lists the fees a small online seller is most likely to meet, as Stripe's US pricing page states them. The first row is the base rate for an online sale with a domestic card. Most of the others are add-ons or one-off charges that apply only in some cases.

Stripe fee calculator: the fee on one $50 sale

Example: one $50 order paid online with a US-issued card, in US dollars, entered by the buyer at checkout. The same steps work for any amount, so you can use them as a manual Stripe fee calculator.

1. Take the percentage

   Multiply the amount charged by the percentage part of 2.9% + 30¢. Use the full amount the buyer pays: if the charge includes shipping or sales tax, they are part of it.

2. Add the fixed fee

   Add the fixed part of 2.9% + 30¢. It is charged once on each successful payment whatever the amount, so it is a larger share of a small order than of a large one.

3. Add any extras

   If the card was issued outside the US, add 1.5% of the charge. If the payment needs converting to another currency, add 1%. If you typed the card number in yourself, add 0.5%.

4. Total the fee

   For the example order with no extras, Stripe's fee is $1.75. The rest of the $50 goes to your Stripe balance and is then paid out to your bank.

5. Work backwards to set a price

   To receive a set amount after the fee, add the fixed fee to the amount you want, then divide by one minus the percentage rate written as a decimal. Charging that price leaves you the amount you wanted once Stripe's fee is taken.

Stripe fees compared with PayPal, Square and Shopify

The same $50 online card sale through other common ways to take payments, using each company's own published US rates. Stripe and PayPal are payment services. Shopify and Square Online are store builders whose card rates apply to sales through their own stores, and Shopify also charges for its plan.

International, manual entry and other Stripe rates

The card rate covers a domestic card entered by the buyer. Three add-ons can be stacked on top of it, and one payment can carry more than one of them. Some payment methods have their own rate in place of the card rate.

International cards: a card issued outside the US adds 1.5% to the rate. If the payment also has to be converted from one currency to another, a further 1% applies, so an order from abroad can carry both.

Manually entered cards: if you type a buyer's card number in yourself, for example for a phone order, the rate rises by 0.5%.

Buy now, pay later: Klarna payments cost 5.99% + 30¢ each, a higher rate than a card payment.

Local-currency prices: Stripe's Adaptive Pricing shows prices in the buyer's own currency. It is included at no additional charge for businesses on standard payments pricing, and the buyer is shown a conversion fee starting at 2%.

Stripe fees on disputes and refunds

A dispute, also called a chargeback, occurs when a cardholder questions your payment with their card issuer. Stripe charges $15.00 for each dispute you receive, and in rare cases, network fees also apply.

If you respond to the dispute manually, Stripe charges a dispute countered fee of $15.00. You get that second fee back if you win the dispute, and not if you lose it.

Refunds work differently. On standard pricing there are no fees for issuing refunds for cards and most other payment methods, but the payment processing, Connect and currency conversion fees from the original transaction are not returned. A refunded sale therefore still costs you the processing fee from when the buyer first paid.

Bank transfers are the exception. Stripe notes that there may be fees for refunds when bank transfers are used.

When Stripe pays you, and what payouts cost

Money from a payment first sits in your Stripe balance. Stripe then sends it to your bank account as a payout. Payouts on the standard schedule are free.

The first payout has its own timing. After your first live payment, Stripe typically schedules it to complete within 7–14 days, depending on your industry, country and risk level. Later payouts follow your account's payout schedule.

If you turn off automatic payouts and send money yourself, manual payouts typically take 1–4 business days to arrive. When money becomes available also depends on how the buyer paid: for ACH Debit payments, Stripe lists a settlement time of 4 business days.

Instant Payouts send money to an eligible debit card or bank account within minutes, at a cost of 1.5%, minimum fee of 50¢. They are optional, and new Stripe users aren’t immediately eligible for Instant Payouts.

Stripe products with their own fees

Stripe sells other tools alongside payments. Payment Links are included with standard pricing, and the rest are optional and priced separately. These are the ones a small seller is most likely to consider.

Ways to pay less in Stripe fees

Most of these leave the card rate as it is and cut the add-ons you can control.

• Let buyers enter their own card at checkout. Typing a card in yourself adds 0.5%.
• Charge in US dollars where you can. When a payment has to be converted to another currency, Stripe adds 1%.
• Use the standard payout schedule, which is free. Instant Payouts cost 1.5%, minimum fee of 50¢.
• Offer ACH Direct Debit for large invoices. It costs 0.8%, $5.00 cap, below the card rate, though Stripe lists a settlement time of 4 business days for it.
• Sort out order problems before they turn into disputes. Each dispute costs $15.00, and responding manually adds $15.00 unless you win.
• If your volume grows, ask Stripe about custom pricing, which is available for businesses with large payments volume or unique business models.

Where Nation fits

Questions about Stripe fees