Stripe Fee Calculator
Enter any charge amount and see your exact net payout after Stripe fees — plus a side-by-side comparison with PayPal, Lemon Squeezy, and Paddle. Toggle reverse mode to calculate how much to charge so you net a specific amount.
Fee = Gross × 2.9% + $0.30 Payment Processor Fee Comparison (for $100.00 Charge)
| Gateway | Fee Deducted | Net Payout | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | -$3.20 | $96.80 | 3.20% |
| PayPal (3.49% + $0.49) | -$3.98 | $96.02 | 3.98% |
| Lemon Squeezy (5% + $0.50 MoR) | -$5.50 | $94.50 | 5.50% |
| Paddle (5% + $0.50 MoR) | -$5.50 | $94.50 | 5.50% |
How Stripe fees work
Stripe uses a blended rate model: every successful charge costs a percentage of the transaction plus a fixed per-transaction fee. For domestic US card payments that's 2.9% + $0.30. The fixed fee is the key variable at low transaction values — on a $1.00 charge the $0.30 fixed component alone consumes 30% of gross revenue. On a $1,000 charge it becomes negligible at 0.03%.
Fee formulas
Forward (what you keep): Net = Gross − (Gross × 0.029 + 0.30)
Reverse (what to charge): Gross = (Target + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029)
For international cards add 1.5% to the rate. For currency conversion add another 1%. For in-person Terminal transactions use 2.7% + $0.05. For ACH Direct Debit use 0.8% with a $5.00 cap and no fixed fee.
Stripe vs PayPal vs Lemon Squeezy vs Paddle
| Gateway | Rate | Fixed | Net on $100 | Handles Tax? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% | $0.30 | $96.80 | No |
| PayPal | 3.49% | $0.49 | $96.02 | No |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5.0% | $0.50 | $94.50 | Yes (MoR) |
| Paddle | 5.0% | $0.50 | $94.50 | Yes (MoR) |
Lemon Squeezy and Paddle charge more per transaction, but their Merchant of Record model means they collect VAT, GST, and US sales tax on your behalf — removing significant legal and accounting overhead for global SaaS products. For US-only bootstrapped products, Stripe almost always wins on net payout.
Reduce effective fees with better distribution
Payment fees are a cost per acquisition — if your CAC is high, even saving 0.5% on processing is marginal. The compounding fix is acquiring customers at zero marginal cost through organic channels: a permanent, dofollow Launchory listing drives recurring discovery traffic, and our SaaS churn calculator helps you spot where you're bleeding revenue before fees even enter the picture. New here? Check our startup launch checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is Stripe's standard processing fee?
Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card transaction for domestic US cards. International cards add 1.5%, and currency conversion adds another 1%. For in-person Terminal transactions it's 2.7% + $0.05. ACH Direct Debit is 0.8%, capped at $5.00.
What is the formula this calculator uses?
Forward mode (what do I keep?): Net = Gross − (Gross × rate + fixed fee). Reverse mode (how much to charge to net a target?): Gross = (Target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate). For ACH the fixed fee is $0 and the fee is capped at $5.
How does Stripe compare to PayPal fees?
PayPal's standard rate is also 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction for checkout — higher than Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. On a $100 sale, Stripe nets you $96.80 vs PayPal's $96.02. The gap widens at scale: at $100,000/month the difference is roughly $780 in favour of Stripe.
What are Lemon Squeezy and Paddle's fees?
Lemon Squeezy acts as a Merchant of Record and charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction — higher than Stripe, but it handles global VAT/sales tax collection, compliance, and refunds automatically. Paddle charges 5% + $0.50 similarly. Both are worth the premium if you sell in multiple tax jurisdictions and don't want to deal with tax compliance.
Does Stripe charge a monthly fee?
No. Stripe has no monthly fee, no setup fee, and no minimum volume requirement on its standard plan. You only pay the per-transaction percentage and fixed fee when a charge succeeds. Enterprise pricing (Stripe Interchange++) is available for high-volume businesses.
How can I reduce my Stripe fees?
The most impactful tactics: (1) Route bank transfers and US customers to ACH (0.8%, capped at $5) — this pays off on transactions above $6.67. (2) Encourage annual billing to reduce transaction count. (3) At $80K+/mo in volume, Stripe will negotiate custom rates. (4) A verified startup directory listing on Launchory can drive organic traffic that converts at zero acquisition cost, effectively reducing your effective CAC and per-customer payment cost.
Does the fee change based on the card type or country?
Yes. Stripe adds 1.5% for international cards (non-US issued) and another 1% if currency conversion is needed. So a UK customer paying in GBP on a USD Stripe account incurs 2.9% + 1.5% + 1% = 5.4% plus $0.30 fixed. This calculator models all three scenarios.
Can I pass Stripe fees on to customers?
Legally yes in most jurisdictions (Stripe's ToS allows surcharging in the US as of 2013), but Stripe itself doesn't support adding a surcharge natively. You'd need to calculate the grossed-up amount yourself — which is exactly what reverse mode in this calculator does. Note: surcharging credit cards is still banned in some US states and countries; check local law.