Stripe Pricing 2026: Complete Breakdown

By ToolVS Research Team · Last Updated April 2026

30-SECOND ANSWER

Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents per successful card charge in the US. International cards add 1.5%. No monthly fees, no setup fees. Volume discounts available for large businesses.

Stripe Plans & Pricing

Integrated

2.9% + 30c

per transaction

No monthly fees
No setup fees
Full API access
Dashboard and analytics
100+ payment methods

International Cards

3.9% + 30c

per transaction

Additional 1% for international
Additional 1% for currency conversion
All card types supported
135+ currencies
Global coverage

Stripe Billing

0.5%-0.8%

per invoice paid

Subscription management
Invoicing
Revenue recovery
Revenue recognition
Customer portal

Custom

Volume pricing

contact sales

Discount for >$100K/year
Interchange++ pricing
Dedicated support
Custom integrations
SLA guarantees

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Disputes/chargebacks: $15 per dispute
Radar (fraud protection): $0.05-0.07 per transaction
Stripe Tax: 0.5% per transaction (or $0.50/mo minimum)
Stripe Connect: 0.25-2% on platform payments
ACH transfers: 0.8% ($5 max)
Payout speed: Instant payouts cost 1% ($0.50 min)

Is Stripe Worth It?

Stripe is the developer gold standard for payments. The 2.9% + 30c rate is competitive for most businesses. For SaaS companies, Stripe Billing adds 0.5-0.8% but automates subscription management. For digital products, consider Paddle or LemonSqueezy which include tax compliance in their 5% rate (saving you the hassle). For in-person payments, Square (2.6% + 10c) is slightly cheaper. Volume businesses ($100K+/year) should negotiate custom rates.

Price Comparison: Stripe vs Competitors

Tool	Free	Starter	Mid-Tier	Enterprise
Stripe	2.9% + 30c	3.9% + 30c per transaction	0.5%-0.8% per invoice paid	Volume pricing
PayPal	No monthly fee	2.99% + 49c	3.49% + 49c (intl)	Custom
Square	No monthly fee	2.6% + 10c (in-person)	2.9% + 30c (online)	Custom
Paddle	No monthly fee	5% + 50c	5% + 50c	Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free plan for Stripe?

Stripe has no monthly fee or setup cost. You only pay per transaction (2.9% + 30c). This makes it effectively free to start, paying only when you earn.

What is the cheapest way to use Stripe?

Standard pricing is 2.9% + 30c. Use ACH transfers (0.8%, $5 max) for large invoices. Negotiate volume discounts for $100K+/year in processing.

Does Stripe offer discounts?

Volume discounts for businesses processing $100K+ annually. Nonprofit rate of 2.2% + 30c. Stripe Atlas startups may get processing credits.

Related: Stripe Alternatives — All Pricing Guides

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Last updated: April 15, 2026. Pricing verified monthly.