# Stripe vs PayPal

Title: Stripe vs PayPal: fees

Description: Compare PayPal with Stripe. Stripe's US rate is 2.9% + $0.30. PayPal: 3.49% + $0.49 checkout · 2.99% + $0.49 cards. Read November 9, 2026. Source pages linked.

Stripe vs PayPal compares published lines. Stripe's US domestic cards are 2.9% + $0.30, read November 9, 2026. PayPal is listed at 3.49% + $0.49 checkout · 2.99% + $0.49 cards. Dispute fees that day: Stripe $15 received, and PayPal $15 dispute · $20 card chargeback.

# Stripe vs PayPal

US list prices, checkout, and what each one does when an account is reviewed.

[PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/us/business?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com)

For a low-risk online business, Stripe's published US card rate is lower than PayPal Checkout, and the product is broader. PayPal wins when a meaningful share of buyers will pay only because PayPal or Venmo is on the page. Neither one is a specialist for a business Stripe has already restricted.

| Feature | Stripe | PayPal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 2.9% + $0.30 | 3.49% + $0.49 checkout · 2.99% + $0.49 cards |
| Dispute fee | $15 received | $15 dispute · $20 card chargeback |
| Pricing | Flat rate | Flat rate |
| Payout | Standard schedule free. Instant 1.5%, minimum $0.50. | See PayPal's fee page for withdrawals. |
| Region | Global. Rates here are the US list prices. | Global. Rates here are the US commercial schedule. |
| Underwriting | Instant signup. Stripe can review, restrict, or close the account later. | Instant signup, with later review and reserves. |
| Merchant of record | No | No |
| In the fee calculator | Yes | Yes |

## Pricing

- Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30
- PayPal: 3.49% + $0.49 checkout · 2.99% + $0.49 cards

## With Stripe

You want an API, subscriptions, and a domestic card rate of 2.9% + $0.30, and your buyers will type a card number.

## With PayPal

You have measured that the PayPal button recovers more margin than the extra fee. On PayPal's own schedule that button is 3.49% + $0.49, half a point above PayPal's standard card rate of 2.99% + $0.49.

## On the pricing page

- **PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, and Venmo.** 3.49% + $0.49
- **Standard credit and debit card payments.** 2.99% + $0.49
- **International commercial transactions.** +1.50%
- **Dispute fee, USD.** $15. Applies when a buyer files a dispute on a PayPal account or PayPal checkout payment. High-volume dispute pricing is higher.
- **Card chargeback, USD.** $20. For card transactions that were not processed through a PayPal account or guest checkout.

## Questions

### Is PayPal lower than Stripe on the published line?

At $10,000 a month and a $50 ticket, PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo is $447.00 and Stripe is $350.00, using rates read on November 9, 2026. US commercial rate. International payments add 1.50%.

### What is PayPal's dispute fee versus Stripe's?

PayPal lists $15 dispute · $20 card chargeback. Stripe lists $15 when a dispute is received. Both lines were read on November 9, 2026.

### How does PayPal underwrite compared with Stripe?

Instant signup, with later review and reserves. Stripe signs businesses up quickly and can review them later. A listing on this page is not an approval.

### When should you keep Stripe instead of PayPal?

You want an API, subscriptions, and a domestic card rate of 2.9% + $0.30, and your buyers will type a card number.

### When should you choose PayPal?

You have measured that the PayPal button recovers more margin than the extra fee. On PayPal's own schedule that button is 3.49% + $0.49, half a point above PayPal's standard card rate of 2.99% + $0.49.

### Can Stripe card tokens move to PayPal?

This page does not claim that PayPal imports Stripe tokens. Ask in writing. Stripe's data export page, read on November 10, 2026, says Stripe transfers card data only to a PCI DSS Level 1 processor.

## Sources

Last verified November 9, 2026.

- Stripe: https://stripe.com/?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com
- Stripe pricing: https://stripe.com/pricing?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/business?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com
- PayPal pricing: https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com
- Stripe: payment data export: https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/data-migrations/pan-export?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com

## Related

- [Stripe pricing profile](/alternatives/stripe.md)
- [PayPal profile](/alternatives/paypal.md)
- [How to switch from Stripe](/guides/switching-from-stripe.md)
- [How Stripe's US fees add up](/guides/stripe-fees-explained.md)
- [Fee calculator](/tools/fee-calculator.md)
- [Lowest published fees](/best/lowest-fees.md)
- [All Stripe comparisons](/compare.md)
- [Stripe vs Square](/compare/stripe-vs-square.md)
- [Stripe vs Adyen](/compare/stripe-vs-adyen.md)
- [Stripe vs Braintree](/compare/stripe-vs-braintree.md)