Stripe vs PayPal fees
Computed with the same calculators as the tool pages · updated
Stripe vs PayPal fees on a $100 payment: Stripe takes $3.20 and PayPal takes $3.98, so Stripe is $0.78 cheaper. Stripe's standard US rate is lower on both the percentage and the fixed fee, so it is cheaper at every amount in the table below.
Fees on the same sale
| Sale | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.59 5.9% (lowest) | $0.84 8.4% |
| $25.00 | $1.03 4.1% (lowest) | $1.36 5.5% |
| $50.00 | $1.75 3.5% (lowest) | $2.24 4.5% |
| $100.00 | $3.20 3.2% (lowest) | $3.98 4.0% |
| $500.00 | $14.80 3.0% (lowest) | $17.94 3.6% |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 2.9% (lowest) | $35.39 3.5% |
| $5,000.00 | $145.30 2.9% (lowest) | $174.99 3.5% |
Green is the lowest fee at that price. Assumptions: Stripe: US domestic card, no international or currency-conversion surcharge. PayPal: Checkout and invoice rate, US domestic, the like-for-like match for a card processor.
The standard rates
Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30¢ per successful US card payment, with no monthly fee. PayPal charges 3.49% plus 49¢ through PayPal Checkout or an invoice. (A goods-and-services payment sent straight to your PayPal account costs 2.99% with no fixed fee, but that is not a checkout you can put on a store.) On a $1,000 invoice the gap is $6.09; on a $10 sale it is $0.25.
Both add surcharges for international cards and currency conversion. The Stripe fee calculator and PayPal fee calculator include them, and both work backwards to the price you need to charge to receive a set amount.
When PayPal can still be worth it
Some buyers will only pay with PayPal, and offering it can lift conversion by more than the extra fee costs. Many stores run both: Stripe for cards, PayPal as a button beside it. PayPal also has an opt-in micropayments rate of 4.99% plus 9¢, which beats its standard rate on very small payments.
Questions sellers ask
How much does PayPal charge for a $5000 transaction?
$174.99 through PayPal Checkout or an invoice at 3.49% plus 49¢, so $4,825.01 arrives. Stripe would take $145.30 on the same card payment.
Is Stripe cheaper than PayPal?
At standard US rates, yes, at every amount: $1.75 against $2.24 on $50, and $14.80 against $17.94 on $500. Negotiated or high-volume pricing can change that for large businesses.
Should I use Stripe or PayPal for my business?
Use Stripe as the default card processor if cost matters most, and add PayPal as a second button if your buyers ask for it. The extra $0.78 per $100 on PayPal payments is often cheaper than the sales lost by not offering it.
Do Stripe and PayPal charge monthly fees?
Neither charges a monthly fee on its standard plan. You pay per successful transaction, plus surcharges for international cards, currency conversion and disputes.