Does Stripe cost money
Yes, Stripe costs money, but only when you process payments: it charges a fee on each transaction, with no setup or monthly fees on a standard account.
Because the charge is tied to each successful payment, a business that processes nothing pays nothing for the basic account. The rate depends on the payment method and the country where the business operates.
- Online card payments: In the US, the usual rate is 2.9% plus $0.30 for each successful charge. In India, domestic transactions are typically charged somewhere between 2% and 4.3%.
- In-person payments with Stripe Terminal: Card payments taken in person cost 2.7% plus $0.05 per transaction.
- ACH direct debit: US bank debits are charged at 0.8%, with the fee capped at $5 per transaction.
Some payments carry extra charges on top of the base rate.
- International cards: A card issued outside the business's country adds a further 1.5%.
- Currency conversion: Converting a payment from one currency to another adds roughly 1% to 2%.
- Optional products: Tools such as Stripe Billing, Stripe Tax and specialised fraud protection are priced separately, either as an added percentage or a monthly charge.
Rates differ from country to country, so the figures that apply to a given business are listed on the Stripe pricing page for its own region. Before signing up, it helps to check which payment methods you expect to accept and whether many of your customers will pay with foreign cards or in another currency, since those factors change the total cost.