Stripe Fees Explained: How to Calculate Processing Costs
Understand Stripe's fee structure for USD, EUR, GBP, and BRL. Use our calculator to see exactly what you'll pay and receive.
Stripe is the payment processor of choice for millions of businesses, from solo founders to enterprise companies. Its developer-friendly API and transparent pricing are major draws, but the fee structure has nuances that are easy to overlook — especially when dealing with international transactions, currency conversion, and refunds. Understanding exactly how Stripe calculates fees will help you price your products accurately and avoid surprises.
Stripe's Fee Structure by Region
Stripe uses a percentage-plus-fixed-fee model. The exact rates depend on where your Stripe account is based (not where your customer is). Here are the standard rates for the most common regions:
| Region | Domestic Rate | International Card |
|---|---|---|
| United States (USD) | 2.9% + 30¢ | +1% international, +1% conversion |
| Europe (EUR) | 1.5% + 25¢ | +2% for non-EEA cards |
| United Kingdom (GBP) | 1.5% + 20p | +2% for non-UK cards |
| Brazil (BRL) | 3.99% + R$0.39 | +2% international |
European merchants benefit from significantly lower domestic rates (1.5% vs 2.9% in the US) due to EU regulations on interchange fees. If your customers are primarily in Europe and you can base your Stripe account there, the savings are substantial.
How to Calculate Net Amount
The formula for calculating what you receive after Stripe fees is:
For a $100 charge on a US Stripe account with a domestic card:
For a $100 charge with an international card requiring currency conversion:
That additional 2% for international + conversion is meaningful at scale. A business processing $50,000/month in international transactions pays an extra $1,000/month compared to domestic-only transactions.
Calculate Your Stripe Fees Instantly
Enter your charge amount, select your currency, and see exactly what Stripe will deduct and what you will receive.
Open Stripe Fee CalculatorTips to Minimize Stripe Fees
- Price to absorb or pass through fees. If you want to receive exactly $100, charge $103.30 (for US domestic). The formula to calculate the charge amount is:
(desired_amount + fixed_fee) / (1 - percentage_fee). - Use local payment methods. SEPA Direct Debit in Europe (0.8%, capped at €5) and ACH in the US (0.8%, capped at $5) have much lower fees than card payments. Encourage customers to use these where possible.
- Negotiate volume discounts. Stripe offers custom pricing for businesses processing over $100,000/month. Even at lower volumes, it is worth reaching out — especially if you have low chargeback rates.
- Minimize currency conversions. If you have significant revenue in EUR or GBP, open a Stripe account in that region to avoid the 1% conversion surcharge.
- Batch small transactions. The fixed fee (30¢ in the US) hits hardest on small transactions. A $5 charge loses 8.9% to fees, while a $100 charge loses only 3.2%. If possible, batch small purchases.
Stripe vs. PayPal vs. Square
How does Stripe compare to the other major payment processors?
| Processor | Online Rate (US) | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ | Best developer API, most flexible |
| PayPal | 3.49% + 49¢ | Higher fees, but buyers trust the brand |
| Square | 2.9% + 30¢ | Same online rate, stronger for in-person POS |
Stripe and Square have identical online rates, but Stripe is significantly more developer-friendly with better APIs, webhooks, and subscription management. PayPal's higher fees come with the advantage of buyer familiarity — some customers complete purchases faster when they see the PayPal button.
Understanding Refund Fees
An important detail many businesses overlook: when you issue a refund on Stripe, the processing fee is not returned. If you charged $100 and paid $3.20 in fees, refunding the full $100 means you lose the $3.20 fee entirely. The customer gets their $100 back, but you absorb the processing cost.
This policy is standard across Stripe, PayPal, and Square. It means high refund rates can be costly. For a business with a 5% refund rate processing $100,000/month, the unrecoverable fees on refunds alone are approximately $160/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stripe charge a monthly fee?
No. Stripe's standard pricing has no monthly fees, setup fees, or minimum charges. You only pay when you process a transaction. However, some premium features like Stripe Tax (0.5% per transaction), Radar for Fraud Teams ($0.07 per screened transaction), and Stripe Atlas ($500 one-time) have additional costs.
What about international transaction fees?
Stripe charges an additional 1% for international cards (cards issued outside your country) and another 1% if currency conversion is required. For a US merchant processing a European card in EUR, the total would be 2.9% + 30¢ + 1% (international) + 1% (conversion) = 4.9% + 30¢. To avoid the conversion fee, settle in the original currency.
How do refund fees work?
When you issue a refund, Stripe returns the full transaction amount to the customer but does not refund the processing fee to you. For a $100 charge where you paid $3.20 in fees, you would refund $100 to the customer and lose the $3.20. This is standard across all major payment processors.