Stripe Payment Processing Fee Calculator

The Stripe pricing stack (US, 2024)

Stripe’s pricing looks deceptively simple, 2.9% + $0.30, and then stacks several surcharges that catch new merchants off guard.

The math

fee = (amount × rate) + $0.30 net = amount − fee

A standard $100 domestic charge: $100 × 0.029 + $0.30 = $3.20 fee, net $96.80. An international card with currency conversion on the same $100: rate becomes 4.4% + 1.0% = 5.4%, so $5.40 + $0.30 = $5.70 fee, net $94.30.

The card surcharges do not stack with each other, so the selector below lists each rail at its finished rate rather than asking you to add anything up. The currency conversion box does stack, on top of whichever card rail you pick. It is left out of ACH, which settles in dollars between two US bank accounts and has nothing to convert.

The $0.30 destroys small transactions

The fixed $0.30 isn’t proportional, so it hits small transactions disproportionately:

If your business runs many small transactions (tips, micro-purchases, $5 digital downloads), the fixed component crushes margins. Stripe offers a “micropayment” pricing tier of 5% + $0.05 for businesses whose average transaction sits under $10, and you have to apply for it directly.

The crossover is worth knowing precisely rather than by feel. Standard costs 2.9% + $0.30, micropayments 5% + $0.05, so they meet where 0.029a + 0.30 = 0.05a + 0.05, which is a = $11.90. Below that the micropayments tier wins, above it the standard tier does. The rail selector below includes both, so you can check your own average ticket against that line.

Passing the fee to the customer

Many small businesses gross up the charge so they receive the target amount net:

charge = (target amount + $0.30) ÷ (1 − rate)

To receive exactly $100 from a domestic card: charge = ($100 + $0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $103.30 Stripe takes $3.30, you net $100.

Legal note: surcharging is permitted in most US states but prohibited in several, among them Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, though some of those are loosening. Even where legal, you must disclose the surcharge upfront. Some Stripe-connected platforms (Shopify, Squarespace) have built-in surcharge support; others require a workaround in the cart.

Stripe vs the alternatives

At low volume, under about $50,000 a year, Stripe is the simple winner: no monthly fee, a good API, decent support. Past $1M a year, interchange-plus pricing (Adyen, Braintree, or a negotiated Stripe deal) typically saves 0.3 to 0.8%, which is real money at that scale.

Disputes and chargebacks

A disputed charge costs $15. Win the dispute and Stripe refunds the $15. Lose it and you also forfeit the original transaction amount. Stripe’s chargeback rate threshold is roughly 0.75%; above that, you risk account freezes or termination. High-risk industries (adult content, supplements, regulated services) are often refused outright by Stripe’s automated underwriting.

Refunds: the asymmetry that surprises

Refunds are free at face value, but Stripe does not return the original processing fee. Refund a $100 charge and the customer gets $100 back while you eat the $3.20 fee. Builds up across many refunds in industries with high return rates (clothing). Factor 1 to 3% of revenue as a “fee leakage” budget.

Payout timing

Default: 2-day rolling payout (US bank account). Faster options: same-day or instant payouts via Stripe Instant Payouts (1% fee, minimum $0.50). New accounts often start at 7-day rolling until trust is established. Build cash flow forecasts around 2-day payouts unless paying for instant.