How Stripe Charges You for Payments

What Stripe Charges and When

Stripe takes a percentage of each transaction plus a fixed amount per payment. For most U.S. businesses accepting cards online or in person, Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful transaction. If you accept payments by invoice or recurring billing, the rate is the same. If a customer's card is declined, you pay nothing.

The percentage and fixed fee are deducted automatically from the money Stripe deposits into your bank account. You do not receive an invoice or bill — the fee simply reduces the amount that lands in your account. For example, a $100 card payment nets you $96.80 after Stripe's standard fee.

Stripe also charges separate fees for specific services: ACH bank transfers cost 1% (capped at $5), international card payments cost 3.9% plus 30 cents, and certain payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay follow the same rate as the underlying card. If you use Stripe's invoicing tool to send a bill that a customer pays by card, you pay the transaction fee on that card payment.

Key Takeaways

• Standard Stripe fees are 2.9% plus 30 cents per card transaction, taken from the money deposited to your bank account.
• Declined cards cost you nothing; you only pay when a transaction succeeds.
• International payments, ACH transfers, and certain digital wallets have different rates that Stripe discloses upfront.
• Stripe deposits funds to your bank account on a rolling basis, usually within one to two business days, minus all fees already deducted.
• You can see every fee charged by viewing your Stripe dashboard or downloading transaction reports by date range.

How Stripe Deposits Money and When Fees Come Out

Stripe holds your money in a temporary account and then deposits it to your linked bank account on a schedule. For most new accounts, this happens every day; established accounts may receive deposits once per week or on a custom schedule you set. The deposit includes all successful transactions from the previous day or period, minus all Stripe fees and any chargebacks or refunds.

You do not pay Stripe separately. The fee is subtracted before the money reaches your bank. If you process $1,000 in transactions on Monday, Stripe deducts its fees and deposits the remainder on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on your payout schedule and your bank's processing time. You can change your payout frequency in your Stripe dashboard under Settings > Payouts.

Stripe also holds a small reserve of your deposits for the first few months, especially if you are new or processing high-risk categories like gambling or adult services. This reserve is released gradually and is separate from transaction fees. You can see your reserve balance and release schedule in your Stripe dashboard.

Fees for Refunds, Chargebacks, and Failed Payments

When you refund a customer, Stripe returns the transaction fee you paid on that original charge. If you charged $100 and paid $2.90 in fees, a full refund returns the $2.90 to you. The refund itself does not trigger a new fee.

Chargebacks are different. A chargeback occurs when a customer disputes a charge with their card issuer, claiming they did not authorize it or did not receive what they paid for. Stripe charges you a chargeback fee — currently $15 in the U.S., though this varies by country — on top of returning the transaction amount to the customer. You also lose the original transaction fee. If a customer initiates a chargeback on a $100 purchase, you lose $100, the original $2.90 fee, and pay an additional $15 chargeback fee.

Stripe does not charge a fee when a card is declined or when a payment fails due to insufficient funds or an expired card. You only pay when money actually moves.

Fees for Different Payment Methods and Currencies

Stripe's standard 2.9% plus 30 cents applies to most credit and debit cards issued in the U.S. International cards — those issued outside the U.S. — cost 3.9% plus 30 cents. Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay use the rate of the underlying card, so a U.S. card through Apple Pay costs 2.9% plus 30 cents.

ACH transfers (direct bank-to-bank payments) cost 1% of the transaction amount, capped at $5. So a $100 ACH payment costs $1; a $1,000 ACH payment also costs $5. ACH transfers take three to five business days to complete.

If you accept payments in currencies other than U.S. dollars, Stripe converts the money at its own exchange rate and charges 1% on top of the conversion. This is separate from the transaction fee. A customer paying in euros will have their euros converted to dollars, Stripe takes 1% for the conversion, and then the standard transaction fee applies to the dollar amount.

Stripe Pricing Plans and When They Matter

Stripe offers the same per-transaction rates to all businesses on its standard pricing. There is no tiered pricing based on volume, and you do not get a discount for processing $100,000 per month versus $10,000. The 2.9% plus 30 cents applies whether you are a solo freelancer or a large retailer.

Stripe does offer Stripe Billing for recurring charges and subscriptions, but this does not change the transaction fee — you still pay 2.9% plus 30 cents per charge. Stripe Billing adds features like automatic retry on failed payments and dunning management, but these are separate services with their own pricing if you choose to use them.

Some businesses negotiate custom rates with Stripe's sales team, but this typically requires processing volume in the hundreds of thousands per month and is not available to most small businesses. If you contact Stripe sales, they will tell you whether your volume qualifies.

How to See Your Stripe Fees and Dispute Them

Every fee Stripe charges appears in your Stripe dashboard. Go to Payments > Transactions and click on any transaction to see the fee amount broken down. You can also download a CSV report of all transactions and fees for any date range by going to Reports > Transactions and selecting your dates.

Stripe's fees are not negotiable on a per-transaction basis, but you can dispute a chargeback fee if you believe the chargeback itself was invalid. To do this, you respond to the chargeback through your Stripe dashboard with evidence that the customer authorized the charge or received the goods or services. If Stripe's dispute team rules in your favor, the chargeback is reversed and the $15 fee is refunded. If you lose the dispute, you keep the $15 fee and the customer keeps their money.

If you notice a transaction fee that seems incorrect — for example, a domestic card charged at the international rate — contact Stripe support through your dashboard. Stripe support can review the transaction and correct it if an error occurred, though this is rare.

Comparing Stripe to Other Payment Processors

Stripe's 2.9% plus 30 cents is standard across most online payment processors like Square, PayPal, and Shopify Payments. Some processors charge slightly less (2.7% plus 25 cents) or slightly more (3.0% plus 30 cents), but the difference is usually less than half a percent. The real difference between processors is in features, integration options, and customer support, not in the base transaction fee.

Some payment processors offer lower rates for in-person payments (swiped or tapped cards) than for online payments. Stripe does not — the rate is the same whether a customer enters their card online or taps their phone at a register. If you process a high volume of in-person payments, a processor like Square or Clover might offer a better rate.

ACH and bank transfer fees vary more widely. Stripe charges 1% capped at $5, while some processors charge a flat $1 per transfer or a different percentage. If you receive many ACH payments, comparing ACH rates across processors can add up to real savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pass Stripe fees on to my customers?

Yes, you can add a fee to customer invoices or checkout pages to cover Stripe's charges. Many businesses add 2.9% plus 30 cents to the total, or round to 3%. You must disclose this fee clearly before the customer completes payment. Some payment processors offer a "fee recovery" feature that calculates and adds the fee automatically.

What happens if I have a negative balance in my Stripe account?

If chargebacks or refunds exceed your available balance, Stripe will attempt to debit your linked bank account to cover the difference. If the debit fails, Stripe may suspend your account until the balance is paid. You can add funds manually through your Stripe dashboard to avoid this.

Do I pay Stripe fees on tips or donations?

Yes. If a customer adds a tip or donation at checkout and pays by card, Stripe charges its standard fee on the total amount, including the tip. The fee applies to the full transaction value.

Why did Stripe charge me a fee for a payment I refunded?

Stripe refunds the transaction fee when you issue a refund, so you should not see a net fee on a refunded transaction. If you do, check your transaction history to confirm the refund was processed. If the fee was not refunded, contact Stripe support with the transaction ID.

Does Stripe charge a monthly fee or subscription cost?

No. Stripe charges only per transaction. There is no monthly fee, setup fee, or account maintenance cost. You pay only when you process a payment.