# Stripe fees explained

Title: Stripe fees explained

Description: Stripe's US card, international, dispute, and payout fees, and what they cost at a few volumes. Read November 9, 2026. Source pages linked. No invented rates.

Figures below are Stripe's published US prices, read on stripe.com/pricing on November 9, 2026. They are standard pricing, not a negotiated contract. If your dashboard shows a different rate, the dashboard wins. Domestic cards are 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge.

## What is the Stripe rate people quote?

Domestic cards are **2.9% + $0.30** per successful charge. Failed charges are not billed that rate. Refunds do not, in general, return the original processing fee. Budget the fee on the gross charge, not on revenue after refunds.

Three add-ons sit on top of the domestic rate:

- Manually entered cards, **+0.5%**.
- International cards, **+1.5%**.
- Currency conversion, **+1%** when Stripe has to convert.

A card can be more than one of these. An international card that is also converted is not a 2.9% charge.

ACH Direct Debit is **0.8%**, capped at **$5**. That cap is why large invoices often move off cards.

## What does Stripe charge for disputes and payouts?

Receiving a dispute costs **$15**. Countering it costs another **$15**, and Stripe returns the counter fee if you win. The received fee is not described as refundable. Smart Disputes, if you use it, is **30%** of the disputed amount on disputes you win, and the received fee still applies.

Standard payouts have **no fee**. Instant payouts are **1.5%** of the amount, with a **$0.50** minimum. Connect pricing for instant payouts can differ. Stripe says so on the same page.

## What does a month of Stripe fees cost?

The calculator uses `volume × 2.9% + (volume ÷ ticket) × $0.30`. At a **$50** average ticket:

| Monthly volume | Charges | Stripe fee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 | 200 | $350 |
| $50,000 | 1,000 | $1,750 |
| $250,000 | 5,000 | $8,750 |

That is 3.50% at a $50 ticket, not 2.9%, because of the thirty cents. At a $15 ticket the fixed fee matters more. The calculator is there so you do not do this in your head.

Radar's pricing page lists fraud screening starting at $0.05 per screened transaction, and a monthly option starting at $10. Several fraud tools are also marked included on standard payments pricing. Read the Radar section before you add a round number to the card bill. Billing and Tax are separate products with their own prices on the same page. This guide does not copy a Billing percentage the pricing extract did not state cleanly.

## When is a lower headline not a lower bill?

Braintree's published US card rate is a few dollars a month under this table. PayPal Checkout is well above it. A merchant of record at 5% + $0.50 is a different service, not a cheaper card. Interchange-plus can win at higher volume and can lose on an expensive card mix. The fee guide's job is the Stripe bill. The lowest-fee page is the comparison.

## Questions

### What is the Stripe rate people quote?

Domestic cards are 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge. Failed charges are not billed that rate. Refunds do not, in general, return the original processing fee. Budget the fee on the gross charge, not on revenue after refunds.

### What does Stripe charge for disputes and payouts?

Receiving a dispute costs $15. Countering it costs another $15, and Stripe returns the counter fee if you win. The received fee is not described as refundable. Smart Disputes, if you use it, is 30% of the disputed amount on disputes you win, and the received fee still applies.

### What does a month of Stripe fees cost?

The calculator uses volume × 2.9% + (volume ÷ ticket) × $0.30. At a $50 average ticket:

### When is a lower headline not a lower bill?

Braintree's published US card rate is a few dollars a month under this table. PayPal Checkout is well above it. A merchant of record at 5% + $0.50 is a different service, not a cheaper card. Interchange-plus can win at higher volume and can lose on an expensive card mix. The fee guide's job is the Stripe bill. The lowest-fee page is the comparison.

### Where were the figures on this page read?

The sources list names the pages. This edition was read on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic card rate in that reading is 2.9% + $0.30, and a dispute received is $15.

## Sources

Last verified November 9, 2026.

- Stripe pricing: https://stripe.com/pricing?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com

## Related

- [Stripe dispute and chargeback fees](/guides/stripe-chargeback-fees.md)
- [How to switch from Stripe: what moves, what doesn't](/guides/switching-from-stripe.md)
- [Stripe account under review: what it means](/guides/stripe-account-under-review.md)
- [Is Stripe right for high-risk businesses?](/guides/stripe-high-risk.md)
- [Stripe closed my account: what to do next](/guides/stripe-closed-my-account.md)
- [All Stripe guides](/guides.md)
- [Stripe alternatives directory](/index.md)
- [Stripe pricing and US card fees](/alternatives/stripe.md)