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.
Three rates by card region
US cards (issued by US banks): 2.9% + $0.30 - Visa, Mastercard, Maestro US-issued - The cheapest tier; default for most US transactions
European Economic Area cards (issued in EU + EEA countries): 4.4% + $0.30 - 1pp higher than US rate - Reflects higher cross-border interchange fees Stripe pays card networks
International cards (US, Canada, Australia, Japan, rest of world): 5.4% + $0.30 - Highest tier, ~2× US rate - For US businesses with significant international customer bases
Plus optional currency conversion at ~2% if charge currency differs from settlement currency.
Effective rate by transaction size
| Transaction | US card | EEA card | International card |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | 5.0% | 6.0% | 7.3% |
| $10 | 3.5% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| $20 | 2.5% | 3.5% | 4.3% |
| $50 | 1.9% | 2.9% | 3.6% |
| $100 | 1.7% | 2.7% | 3.5% |
| $500 | 1.5% | 2.5% | 3.3% |
The $0.20 fixed component dominates small transactions. Below $10, effective rate is double or more 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.