How the fee is calculated
Fee = 2.9% × charge + $0.30. A $50 charge costs $1.75 (3.5% effective); $500 costs $14.80 (2.96%). Fixed $0.30 dominates small charges — bundle or set minimums.
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Stripe Fee Calculator — 2.9% + 30¢ Per Charge
Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge — no monthly fee. International cards add ~1.5%, currency conversion another 1%. Enter the charge amount.
Worked examples (2026 rates)
| Sale total | Fee | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 | 5.9% |
| $25.00 | $1.02 | $23.98 | 4.1% |
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 | 3.5% |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.2% |
| $250.00 | $7.55 | $242.45 | 3% |
Every number above is computed by the same in-browser engine as the calculator, from the published 2026 fee schedule — nothing is hardcoded.
Stripe fee mechanics: the $0.30 that taxes small charges
Stripe's standard US online rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge, with no monthly fee — you pay nothing until you sell. The fixed $0.30 is trivial at $100 (0.3%) and brutal at $3 (10%), making a $3 charge cost 12.9% all-in. The break-even thinking: below about $10, the fixed component exceeds 3% of the charge, so micro-transactions need batching (one charge for multiple items), minimum order values, or Stripe's separate pricing for very small payments where available. Billing for subscriptions adds 0.5-0.8% on recurring invoices, and invoicing products carry their own rates — the 2.9% + $0.30 is specifically the card-charge baseline this calculator models.
Hidden costs: international cards, disputes and reserves
Three line items never show in the headline rate. International cards add ~1.5% and currency conversion another ~1%, so a third of your revenue from abroad can push blended processing past 3.5%. Disputes cost $15 each plus the reversed amount and the non-refunded processing fee; a 1% dispute rate on $50 average orders adds ~$0.15 per order in dispute fees alone — and every lost dispute erases the entire sale, not just the fee. And sustained high dispute rates trigger rolling reserves — Stripe holds back a percentage of every payout for months, which is a cash-flow cost no fee calculator shows. Radar fraud rules are included, but aggressive blocking trades fees for declined legitimate sales.
Stripe vs PayPal vs Square in 2026
All three process US online card payments, at different prices: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, Square 2.9% + $0.30 online (but 2.6% + $0.10 in person), PayPal 3.49% + $0.49 for standard checkout. On a $100 online sale you keep $96.70 with Stripe or Square versus $96.02 with PayPal — the gap widens with volume ($680 per $100k). PayPal justifies its premium with buyer trust and one-click wallet conversion; Square wins any business taking cards in person with cheaper tap/dip rates and free hardware; Stripe wins developers, with the best APIs, subscription tooling and multi-currency support. Many businesses run Stripe as the card rail and PayPal as an optional wallet despite its higher rate, because wallet availability lifts conversion.
FAQ
What does Stripe charge per transaction?
2.9% + $0.30 for US-issued cards online. International cards add ~1.5%; disputes cost $15 each.
Is Stripe cheaper than PayPal?
Yes: 2.9% + $0.30 vs 3.49% + $0.49. On a $100 sale you keep $96.70 vs $96.02.
Does Stripe have monthly fees?
No — pay per successful charge only. Billing (subscriptions) adds 0.5–0.8% on recurring invoices.
What exactly happens to fees when I lose a Stripe dispute?
Each dispute costs a $15 fee on top of the reversed transaction amount; the 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee is not refunded when you lose, though Stripe returns the $15 if you win. Disputes also pause the contested funds immediately. Stripe's dashboard lets you submit evidence (tracking, logs, emails, CVC/AVS match results) and its smart dispute tools auto-fill much of it. Keeping your dispute rate under about 0.75% matters: above that, Stripe can impose rolling reserves that hold a percentage of all your future revenue.
How much extra do international and premium cards cost?
US-issued standard cards pay 2.9% + $0.30. Cards issued outside the US add ~1.5%, and if currency conversion is involved add another ~1% — an EU customer charged in EUR can therefore cost about 4.4-5.4% total. That is worth pricing in: stores with heavy international traffic sometimes raise prices by region or bill in the customer's currency and absorb conversion deliberately rather than surprise themselves at reconciliation.
When do Stripe payouts hit my bank?
New accounts start on a rolling schedule with an initial delay (often 7-14 days) while Stripe assesses risk, then settle to a standard 2-business-day payout for most US businesses. Eligible accounts can enable instant payouts to a debit card for a small percentage fee. Payouts batch by day, and a single disputed or flagged charge can hold back the whole batch — another reason to keep dispute rates low.