How much is the Stripe fee for $100?

For a standard US online card transaction, the Stripe fee on $100 is 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.20. You receive $96.80. If the card is international, add a 1.5% surcharge, making the fee $4.70 and the net $95.30. Use the calculator above for the exact amount based on your country and payment type.

How do I calculate Stripe fees?

Stripe fee = (charge amount × percentage rate) + fixed fee. For US online cards: fee = (amount × 0.029) + $0.30. Example: $100 → ($100 × 0.029) + $0.30 = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20. To find what to charge to receive a specific net amount (reverse calculation): charge = (desired net + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage rate). Example to net $100: charge = ($100 + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = $100.30 ÷ 0.971 = $103.30.

What percentage of fees does Stripe take?

Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction. In-person (Terminal) is 2.7% + $0.05. Manually keyed cards are 3.4% + $0.30. ACH bank transfers are 0.8% capped at $5.00. International cards add a 1.5% surcharge. UK domestic online cards are 1.5% + £0.20. EU domestic online cards are 1.5% + €0.25. Rates vary by country and payment method.

Can I avoid Stripe fees?

You cannot avoid Stripe's processing fees, but you can pass them to your customers. The standard approach is to gross up the charge using the reverse formula: charge = (desired net + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029). For example, to net $100, charge $103.30. This is commonly disclosed as a 'payment processing fee' or 'service fee'. Surcharging is legal in most US states but prohibited in some (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico). Always check your local laws.

What is cheaper, Stripe or PayPal?

Both Stripe and PayPal charge 2.9% + $0.30 for standard online card transactions. Stripe is slightly cheaper for in-person payments (2.7% + $0.05 vs PayPal's 2.29% + $0.09). PayPal's Venmo-funded transactions are cheaper at 1.9% + $0.10. Stripe is generally preferred by developers for its API and flexibility. For very small transactions (under $10), both processors have high effective rates due to the fixed $0.30 fee — ACH or other methods may be more economical.

Is it legal to charge customers a credit card fee?

In most US states it is legal to add a surcharge for credit card payments, but it is prohibited in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. Where allowed, the surcharge must be disclosed to the customer before purchase and cannot exceed the actual processing cost (capped at 4% by card network rules). Debit card surcharges are prohibited nationwide. Outside the US, EU rules prohibit surcharging for most consumer cards, and the UK prohibits it for all payment methods. Always verify your local laws before implementing surcharges.

Does Stripe charge fees on refunds?

Stripe does not charge a fee to issue a refund, but it does not return the original processing fee. If you refund a $100 charge, you return $100 to the customer but keep the $3.20 fee loss. For a partial refund of $50 on a $100 charge, Stripe refunds a proportional portion of the fixed fee ($0.15) but not the percentage portion. Disputed charges (chargebacks) carry an additional $15 dispute fee, which is returned if you win the dispute.

Stripe Fee Calculator

Free Stripe fee calculator — enter any charge amount to see the exact Stripe fee and your net payout, or use the built-in reverse Stripe fee calculator to find what to charge a customer so you receive a specific amount after fees. Covers US credit card rates (2.9% + $0.30), UK, EU, CA, and AU, plus online card, in-person Terminal, manually keyed, and ACH. No signup, runs entirely in your browser.

Not affiliated with Stripe. Rates accurate as of 2026 — verify current rates at stripe.com/pricing.

Country / region

Payment type

Online card Manually keyed

Surcharges

Enter an amount above to see the fee breakdown

Fee breakdown

Fixed fee

Capped at ACH maximum

Total Stripe fee

What is a Stripe fee and how does it work?

A Stripe fee is the amount Stripe deducts from each successful payment before sending your payout. Stripe charges a percentage of the transaction amount plus a fixed fee per successful card charge. Stripe credit card fees for US online card payments are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction — meaning a $100 charge costs $2.90 (percentage) + $0.30 (fixed) = $3.20 in fees, leaving you $96.80. The fixed fee has an outsized impact on small transactions: on a $1.00 charge the $0.30 alone represents 30% of the transaction.

The fee structure has two parts because Stripe's costs are also two-part: the card networks (Visa, Mastercard) charge a percentage-based interchange fee, while the fixed component covers Stripe's per-transaction overhead regardless of amount. Custom pricing is available for businesses processing over $1 million per year — Stripe will negotiate interchange-plus pricing where you pay actual interchange costs plus a small Stripe markup.

How to calculate Stripe fees — forward and reverse

Forward calculation (you know the charge amount, want the fee):

fee = (amount × percentage) + fixed_fee
net = amount − fee

Example (US, $100):
fee = ($100 × 0.029) + $0.30 = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20
net = $100 − $3.20 = $96.80

Reverse calculation (you want to receive a specific net amount, want the gross charge):

charge = (desired_net + fixed_fee) ÷ (1 − percentage)

Example (US, want to net $100):
charge = ($100 + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029)
       = $100.30 ÷ 0.971
       = $103.30

The calculator above handles both — use the I want to receive an amount tab for the reverse Stripe fee calculation.

Stripe processing fees by country (2026)

Stripe's standard domestic online card rates by region — including international card surcharge where applicable:

Country	Online card	In-person	Intl surcharge
🇺🇸 United States	2.9% + $0.30	2.7% + $0.05	+1.5%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1.5% + £0.20	1.75% + £0.10	+1.5%
🇪🇺 Europe (EUR)	1.5% + €0.25	1.75%	+1.5%
🇨🇦 Canada	2.9% + CA$0.30	2.7% + CA$0.05	+1.5%
🇦🇺 Australia	1.75% + A$0.30	1.75% + A$0.10	+1.5%

US ACH bank debit costs 0.8% capped at $5.00 — the cheapest method for large amounts. A $1,000 ACH transfer costs $5.00 vs $29.30 for a card. Manually keyed US cards cost 3.4% + $0.30 due to higher fraud risk.

How to pass Stripe fees to customers

Use the reverse formula to gross up the charge so your net equals your original price. To net $50 on a US card payment, charge $51.81: (50 + 0.30) ÷ 0.971 = 51.81. Stripe's own documentation calls this "surcharging" and permits it in Stripe's terms of service. Practically, most merchants either:

Pass fees explicitly — add a line item labelled "Payment processing fee (3%)" to the invoice. Requires disclosure before checkout.
Gross up the price silently — price the product so the net-of-fees amount meets your target margin. Cleaner UX, no disclosure required.
Offer ACH discounts — price cards at face value and offer a small discount for bank transfers, which cost 8× less for large transactions.

Legal note: credit card surcharges are prohibited in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. In the EU, surcharges on Visa/Mastercard consumer cards are banned. Always check local law before surcharging.

Stripe fees vs PayPal vs Square

For standard online card transactions, Stripe, PayPal, and Square all charge the same headline rate of 2.9% + $0.30. Differences emerge at the margins:

In-person: Stripe Terminal is 2.7% + $0.05. Square Reader is 2.6% + $0.10. PayPal Zettle is 2.29% + $0.09 — cheapest in-person.
ACH / bank transfers: Stripe ACH is 0.8% capped at $5. PayPal ACH is also 1.9% + $0.10 for Venmo-funded payments. Square doesn't support ACH natively.
International: All three add 1.5% for international cards. Stripe adds 1% for currency conversion; PayPal converts at a less favourable exchange rate.
Developer experience: Stripe has the most powerful API and is preferred for custom integrations. PayPal has the highest consumer recognition and checkout conversion for retail. Square dominates point-of-sale hardware.

For high-volume businesses processing $50k+/month, negotiated rates are available from all three — Stripe's interchange-plus model can reduce effective rates significantly below 2.9%.

Frequently asked questions

For a standard US online card transaction, the Stripe fee on $100 is 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.20. You receive $96.80. With an international card, add 1.5%, making the fee $4.70 and the net $95.30. Enter any amount in the calculator above to see the exact breakdown for your country and payment type.

Fee = (amount × percentage) + fixed fee. For US online cards: fee = (amount × 0.029) + $0.30. To find what to charge to receive a specific amount: charge = (desired net + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029). The calculator above handles both modes automatically.

US online cards: 2.9% + $0.30. In-person Terminal: 2.7% + $0.05. Manually keyed: 3.4% + $0.30. ACH bank transfer: 0.8% capped at $5.00. International cards add 1.5%. UK domestic: 1.5% + £0.20. EU domestic: 1.5% + €0.25. Canada: 2.9% + C$0.30. Australia: 1.75% + A$0.30.

You can't avoid the fee entirely, but you can pass it to customers using the reverse formula: charge = (net + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029). Alternatively, offer ACH bank transfer as a cheaper option — at 0.8% capped at $5, it's far cheaper than cards for amounts over $170. For very high volumes, Stripe offers negotiated interchange-plus pricing.

Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 is the industry standard — PayPal and Square charge identical rates. The fee covers card network interchange (typically 1.5–2%), card brand assessments (Visa/Mastercard), fraud screening, chargeback insurance, and Stripe's own margin. Stripe doesn't charge monthly fees, setup fees, or PCI compliance fees, which are common with traditional merchant accounts.

For online card payments, both charge the same 2.9% + $0.30. Stripe is slightly cheaper in-person (2.7% + $0.05 vs PayPal's 2.29% + $0.09 for Zettle). Stripe ACH at 0.8% capped at $5 beats PayPal's ACH rate. PayPal's consumer recognition can improve checkout conversion for retail, which may matter more than the fee difference.

In most US states yes, but it is prohibited in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. Where allowed, the surcharge must be disclosed before purchase and cannot exceed the actual processing cost (card network rules cap surcharges at 4%). EU regulations ban surcharges on Visa/Mastercard consumer cards. UK law bans surcharges for all payment methods. Always verify your local laws.

Stripe does not charge a fee to issue a refund, but it does not return the original processing fee. If you refund a $100 charge, you return $100 to the customer but absorb the $3.20 fee. Disputed charges (chargebacks) carry an additional $15 dispute fee, which is refunded if you win the dispute.