Stripe Fee Calculator

Understanding the two-part fee structure and what triggers additional charges.

Every Stripe charge has two components: a percentage fee (proportional to the transaction size) and a flat fee (fixed per transaction). The standard online rate of 2.9% + $0.30 means a $10 sale costs $0.59 in fees (5.9%), while a $500 sale costs $14.80 (2.96%). The flat portion matters most for small transactions — for anything under ~$10, Stripe fees become disproportionately expensive relative to revenue.

Beyond the base rate, Stripe adds surcharges for specific scenarios: international cards add 1.5%, currency conversion adds another 1%, manual card entry adds 0.5%, and instant payouts cost 1% (min $0.50). Businesses relying heavily on international customers should model these carefully, as the true effective rate can climb to 5–6% per transaction.

Stripe's volume discounts kick in at significant scale. If you process more than roughly $80,000/month, it's worth contacting Stripe to negotiate custom pricing. Stripe will also match or beat competitor quotes in many cases — always worth asking if you're evaluating alternatives.

Stripe vs major alternatives — percentage fee visualised. Flat fees vary; compare total cost at your typical transaction size.

Rates shown are standard online card rates. Enterprise, in-person, and ACH rates differ significantly.

The flat fee makes Stripe expensive for micro-transactions. Here's the effective rate at common price points.

Based on standard 2.9% + $0.30 plan. Effective rate above 5% signals the flat fee is disproportionately large — consider minimum order values or bundling low-value items.

Practical ways to lower your effective rate without switching processors.

1. Pass fees to the customer. Adding a credit card surcharge (where legally permitted) directly offsets your cost. Stripe supports this via its "pass-through" pricing feature. Check your local laws — surcharges are restricted in some US states and European countries.

2. Use ACH / bank transfers for large transactions. Stripe charges just 0.8% (capped at $5) for ACH Direct Debit. For a $1,000 invoice, that's $5 instead of $29.30 — a saving of 83%. If your customers are US-based businesses, ACH is the single highest-impact fee reduction available.

3. Negotiate custom rates. Once you exceed roughly $80K–$100K/month in volume, Stripe will negotiate. Having competitor quotes from Braintree or Adyen strengthens your position significantly.

4. Set minimum order values. If you sell items under $10, the flat $0.30 fee disproportionately erodes margin. Setting a $15–20 minimum eliminates the most fee-heavy transactions.

5. Reduce refunds and chargebacks. Refunds forfeit the original processing fee. Chargebacks add a $15 dispute fee on top. Investing in clear product descriptions, better customer support, and Stripe Radar reduces both.