Stripe is the dominant payment processor for US online businesses, particularly tech-forward e-commerce, SaaS, and creator platforms (Substack, Memberful, Patreon all run on Stripe). The pricing is published transparently but the card-region tiers can be confusing.
Two rates by card region, plus conversion
For a US-based Stripe account, the structure is simpler than it looks — just two card-origin tiers, plus an optional currency-conversion surcharge:
US cards (issued by US banks): 2.9% + $0.30 - Visa, Mastercard, Maestro US-issued - The cheapest tier; default for most US transactions
International cards (any card issued outside the US — Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, rest of world): 4.4% + $0.30 - Base 2.9% + a flat 1.5% international-card surcharge, regardless of which country issued the card - For US businesses with any international customer base
Plus optional currency conversion at +1% (so 5.4% + $0.30 total) if the charge currency differs from your settlement currency.
Effective rate by transaction size
| Transaction | US card | International card | International + conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | 8.9% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| $10 | 5.9% | 7.4% | 8.4% |
| $20 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 6.9% |
| $50 | 3.5% | 5.0% | 6.0% |
| $100 | 3.2% | 4.7% | 5.7% |
| $500 | 3.0% | 4.5% | 5.5% |
The $0.30 fixed component dominates small transactions. Below $10, effective rate can be double the headline percentage. For micro-payment businesses (donations, tips), Stripe is rarely the right tool — look at Patreon, Ko-fi, or Buy Me a Coffee with bundled processing.
When to negotiate
Volume thresholds for custom pricing (rough guidelines):
- Under $5k/month: published rates only
- $5-$75k/month: published rates, but worth contacting account manager about specific high-volume products (subscriptions, marketplaces)
- $75k-$250k/month: 5-15% discount on percentage component typically available
- $250k+/month: significant custom terms, including potentially flat per-transaction fees
Don’t ask in month 1. Build the relationship with a few months of clean processing first.
Stripe vs alternatives for US creators
| Use case | Best fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce checkout | Stripe + PayPal | Coverage of customer preferences |
| SaaS / subscriptions | Stripe Billing | Mature subscription tooling |
| Newsletter/Substack | Built-in (Stripe under hood) | No choice — Substack uses Stripe |
| Creator donations | Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee | Lower fees on small charges |
| In-person retail | Square, SumUp | Designed for card-present |
| B2B invoicing | Wise Business, Stripe Invoicing | Lower wire/SEPA fees |
| Marketplace payouts | Stripe Connect | Mature multi-party flows |
What this calculator doesn’t include
- Currency conversion (~2%)
- Disputed transaction fees ($20 per chargeback)
- Instant payout fees (1% of transfer, min $0.50)
- Stripe Tax (separate product, varies by jurisdiction)
- BNPL / Klarna / Afterpay (different fee structure)
- Custom volume discounts (published rates only)
For tax treatment of Stripe fees as deductible expenses, see the side hustle tax calculator.