Stripe Fee Calculator (2026) - Processing & Payout Fees

How Stripe Processing Fees Work in 2026

Stripe does not charge a monthly subscription on its standard US plan. It takes a slice of each successful payment: a percentage of the charge plus, for cards, a fixed per-transaction fee. Failed payments are not billed the processing rate. Refunds, disputes ($15 per chargeback on typical US accounts), Instant Payouts, Stripe Tax, and Billing are separate line items and are not modeled here.

The architecture is simple. Cards use Fee = (Amount × Rate) + $0.30. ACH Direct Debit uses Fee = min(Amount × 0.8%, $5.00) with no fixed thirty-cent fee. International cards add a cross-border surcharge on top of the domestic percentage. Currency conversion adds about 1% when Stripe converts the money into the currency your account settles in. This calculator uses published US blended rates so you can price an invoice before the customer pays.

Worked example: you charge $100.00 on a domestic online card (2.9% + $0.30). Stripe keeps $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20. Your payout is $96.80. To actually receive $100.00, invert the formula: ($100.00 + $0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $103.30. Quote $103.30, not $100.00, if the net is what you live on.

Domestic vs. International Stripe Card Fees

“International” on Stripe is about the card’s issuing country, not the customer’s billing city. A US card used while traveling is still domestic. A UK-issued card paying a US merchant is international even if the buyer is standing in New York. Currency conversion is a second switch: it fires when the charge currency differs from your settlement currency.

Stripe domestic versus international and ACH fees on a $100 charge
Payment type	US standard rate	Fee on $100	You receive
Domestic card	2.9% + $0.30	$3.20	$96.80
International card	4.4% + $0.30	$4.70	$95.30
Currency conversion	+1% (3.9% + $0.30 on a domestic card)	$4.20	$95.80
International + FX	5.4% + $0.30	$5.70	$94.30
ACH Direct Debit	0.8% capped at $5	$0.80	$99.20

Older posts sometimes quote international cards at 3.9% + $0.30 (a +1% add-on). Stripe’s published US blended surcharge for non-US cards is typically +1.5%, which is why this tool’s International option is 4.4% + $0.30. The Currency Conversion option models the +1% FX fee on a domestic card. If both apply, use 5.4% + $0.30 from the table - or price in USD so the customer’s bank converts instead of Stripe.

How to Pass Stripe Fees to Customers Legally

Card networks and US state law treat a “credit-card surcharge” as a regulated product, not a casual invoice line. Visa and Mastercard allow surcharging in many US jurisdictions only if you disclose it before the customer pays, cap it at your actual merchant discount rate, and do not surcharge debit or prepaid cards. Some states restrict or prohibit the practice. Rules change; this is an overview, not legal advice.

Prefer gross-up invoicing over a fee line item

The cleanest compliance path for freelancers is usually to raise the listed price so Stripe’s cut is already inside the number. If you need $2,000 net on a domestic card, charge $2,061.79 - not “$2,000 + 2.9% + $0.30.” Customers see one price. You avoid labeling a “card processing fee,” which is where network-rule disputes start. Use this page’s “I want an exact net” mode and paste the breakdown into your proposal.

If you surcharge, disclose and split rails

Where surcharging is allowed, say so at checkout and on the invoice, show the cash/ACH price and the card price, and never apply the surcharge to debit. Stripe Billing and Checkout can collect a customer-facing processing amount in supported regions - still verify the setting against your country and the current Visa/Mastercard surcharge standards. Dual pricing (a lower ACH price and a higher card price) is often easier to explain than a surprise 3% add-on at the last step.

Use ACH when the invoice is large

Passing a 2.9% card fee on a $8,000 contract is a $232.20 conversation. ACH at 0.8% capped at $5 is a $5 conversation. Offer ACH for retainers above roughly $625 (the cap threshold) and keep cards for productized checkout. Bank debits take days and can reverse; cards settle faster and carry dispute risk the other way.

Stripe vs. PayPal Fee Comparison

Freelancers compare these two because both are “2.9% and a bit of fixed fee” in the public imagination. The 2026 details diverge. Stripe’s standard US online card rate is still 2.9% + $0.30. PayPal Checkout for US commercial payments is often 3.49% + $0.49, while PayPal’s classic personal/card-funded rate of 2.9% + $0.30 still appears in many quotes. International add-ons differ too: Stripe +1.5% on cards, PayPal commonly +1.5% on top of its domestic commercial percentage.

Stripe versus PayPal typical US fees on a $100 payment
Scenario ($100)	Stripe	PayPal (typical)
Domestic online card	$3.20 (2.9% + $0.30)	$3.20 classic, or ~$3.98 Checkout
International card	$4.70 (4.4% + $0.30)	~$4.70 classic, or ~$5.48 Checkout
Bank debit / ACH	$0.80 ACH (0.8%, cap $5)	Bank-funded Friends & Family can be $0
Chargeback	$15 typical	Higher dispute fees on many accounts
Monthly fee	$0 standard	$0 personal / business varies

Stripe usually wins on developer checkout, subscriptions, and ACH for large US invoices. PayPal still wins when the buyer already has a balance and refuses to type a card. Run both calculators on the same quote: the PayPal Fee Calculator and this Stripe tool. Price from the net, not the sticker percentage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much does Stripe charge per transaction in 2026?

On a standard US Stripe account, domestic online cards are 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge. International cards typically add a 1.5% surcharge (4.4% + $0.30). Currency conversion adds about 1% when Stripe converts the charge currency into your settlement currency. ACH Direct Debit is 0.8% with a $5 cap. There is no monthly fee on the standard plan - you pay when a payment succeeds. Confirm live rates in your Stripe Dashboard; volume pricing and country can change the numbers.

How do I invoice so I receive a specific amount after Stripe fees?

Use the inverse (gross-up) formula: Invoice = (Desired net + Fixed fee) ÷ (1 − Rate). To receive $100.00 on a domestic card at 2.9% + $0.30, calculate (100 + 0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $103.30. For ACH, divide by 0.992 until the $5 cap applies; above that cap, add $5. This calculator walks the invoice up by the cent after rounding so you are not left a penny short.

Are international Stripe fees higher than domestic card fees?

Yes. A US merchant taking a card issued outside the United States usually pays the domestic 2.9% plus a 1.5% international surcharge, or 4.4% + $0.30. If Stripe also converts currency, add about 1% more (5.4% + $0.30). The extra cost is driven by the card’s issuing country and settlement currency, not the customer’s shipping address.

Is Stripe ACH cheaper than cards for large invoices?

Usually, yes, for US bank-to-bank payments. ACH Direct Debit is 0.8% with a $5 maximum. On $100 that is $0.80 versus $3.20 on a domestic card. On $2,000 the ACH fee stays $5 while a domestic card costs $58.30. ACH is slower (typically several business days), can fail for insufficient funds, and is US-only. Use cards for instant checkout; use ACH for large domestic retainers.

Can I legally pass Stripe processing fees to my customers?

It depends on the country, state, and card network. In much of the US you may surcharge credit cards if you disclose the fee clearly, do not exceed your actual merchant cost, and do not surcharge debit cards. Several states restrict or ban surcharging. Card-network rules also limit how you label the fee. The safer approach for most freelancers is to gross-up the invoice so the listed price already covers Stripe, rather than adding a separate “card fee” line. This is not legal advice - check current network rules and local law.

Stripe Fee Calculator