Payment processing
Rules updated: Jul 27, 2026Access verified: Jul 17, 2026Enter order value, monthly volume, and actual rates to compare processing costs.
Enter your contracted rates; results update instantly.
Per-transaction fee = transaction amount × percentage rate + fixed fee.
Monthly fees = unrounded per-transaction fee × monthly transaction count. Displayed values are rounded to cents.
Monthly difference is the absolute gap between PayPal and Stripe monthly fees.
PayPal and Stripe both have multiple transaction types, international cards, currency conversion, disputes, refunds, and offline rates. This tool compares editable base rates only.
Small orders are more exposed to fixed fees. Review effective rate rather than percentage rate alone.
When processor percentage rates are close, fixed fees matter most on small orders. These scenarios hold rates constant and vary order value and volume to separate per-order price from overall fit.
All three order sizes use the editable PayPal and Stripe rates on this page. They isolate the fixed-fee effect and exclude international cards, FX, disputes, refunds, and negotiated pricing.
Scenario 1
Order value: $10.00 · Monthly orders: 1,000
PayPal
Fee per order: $0.84 · Effective rate: 8.4%
Monthly fees: $839.00
Stripe
Fee per order: $0.59 · Effective rate: 5.9%
Monthly fees: $590.00
Lower fee: Stripe · Monthly difference: $249.00
Prioritize effective rate for small orders because the fixed charge consumes the largest share of revenue.
Scenario 2
Order value: $50.00 · Monthly orders: 200
PayPal
Fee per order: $2.24 · Effective rate: 4.5%
Monthly fees: $447.00
Stripe
Fee per order: $1.75 · Effective rate: 3.5%
Monthly fees: $350.00
Lower fee: Stripe · Monthly difference: $97.00
At a mid-range order value, weigh the monthly difference against checkout conversion, dispute tools, and operating effort.
Scenario 3
Order value: $250.00 · Monthly orders: 80
PayPal
Fee per order: $9.22 · Effective rate: 3.7%
Monthly fees: $737.20
Stripe
Fee per order: $7.55 · Effective rate: 3.0%
Monthly fees: $604.00
Lower fee: Stripe · Monthly difference: $133.20
Higher order values dilute fixed fees, while international-card, risk, and dispute costs may become more material.
The default models a common US PayPal Checkout commercial transaction assumption of 3.49% plus $0.49, but PayPal has many payment-type rates.
The default models a common US domestic online card assumption of 2.9% plus $0.30. International, invoicing, and other products can differ.
Not necessarily. Conversion rate, buyer trust, payout timing, disputes, subscriptions, tax tooling, and platform integrations can matter more than the raw fee difference.
Seller guide
Compare Stripe vs PayPal fees by order value and monthly volume with editable rates, effective costs, a worked example, and official sources.
Read the fee and profit guideThis tool is for business planning and education only. It is not financial, tax, legal, or marketplace compliance advice. Platform fees, promotions, logistics, taxes, refunds, payment processing, statement adjustments, and exchange rates change. Use official dashboards, settlement reports, advisors, and contracts as the source of truth.