How to Use This Calculator
Calculate your true profit after Stripe fees in under 60 seconds—before you set your prices or accept payments.
Enter Your Sale Price
The total amount you'll charge the customer for your product or service.
Add Your Product Cost
Include materials, manufacturing, wholesale cost, or service delivery costs.
Select Your Payment Type
Choose Domestic Card, International Card, or ACH Bank Transfer based on your customer's payment method.
Review Your Fee Breakdown
See your processing fees, net profit, and profit margin calculated instantly.
Pro Tip: Toggle "Currency Conversion" if you accept payments in foreign currencies to see the additional 1% fee impact on your margins.
Why Accurate Stripe Fee Calculation Matters
Stripe processes over $1 trillion in payments annually, making it one of the most popular payment processors for online businesses. While their standard rate of 2.9% + $0.30 seems straightforward, the true cost often surprises sellers—especially when international cards, currency conversion, and chargebacks enter the picture.
For a typical e-commerce business with $100,000 in annual sales, Stripe fees alone can range from $3,200 to $4,500 depending on your customer mix. Understanding exactly where these fees come from—and how to minimize them—can add thousands to your bottom line.
The Hidden International Fees Trap
A business selling internationally might pay 4.4%+ per transaction (2.9% + $0.30 + 1.5% international + 1% currency conversion) instead of the base 2.9% + $0.30. That's a 50% increase in processing costs that catches many sellers off guard!
This Stripe fee calculator gives you the complete picture—all fees calculated instantly so you can price products profitably and optimize your payment strategy.
Understanding All Stripe Fees (2025 Rates)
Stripe fees consist of several components depending on the transaction type. Understanding each fee is crucial for accurate profit calculation.
1. Domestic Card Processing
Stripe's standard rate for US-issued credit and debit cards. This applies to Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover—Stripe simplified their pricing in 2022 to a single rate for all card brands.
Standard Card Rate
2.9% + $0.30
Per successful transaction
2. International Card Processing
When a customer pays with a card issued outside the United States, Stripe adds an additional 1.5% fee on top of the standard rate. This covers the additional complexity and risk of cross-border transactions.
International Card Rate
2.9% + $0.30 + 1.5%
Additional 1.5% for non-US issued cards
3. Currency Conversion Fee
If you accept payments in a currency other than your settlement currency (e.g., accepting EUR but settling in USD), Stripe charges an additional 1% for currency conversion. This is on top of any international card fees.
Currency Conversion
+1%
When converting between currencies
4. ACH Direct Debit
ACH payments are significantly cheaper than card payments, especially for high-value transactions. The $5 cap means any transaction over $625 pays a maximum of $5 in fees—ideal for B2B, subscriptions, and high-ticket items.
ACH Bank Transfer Rate
0.8% (max $5.00)
Capped at $5 per transaction
5. Additional Fees
Beyond standard processing, Stripe charges for other services:
| Fee Type | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wire Transfers | $8.00 | Per incoming transfer |
| Chargebacks/Disputes | $15.00 | Refunded if you win |
| Instant Payouts | 1% | Minimum $0.50 per payout |
| Radar (Fraud Protection) | $0.05-$0.07 | Per screened transaction |
Stripe Fee Formulas
Here are the core formulas used to calculate all your Stripe fees and profitability. Understanding these helps you optimize pricing and payment acceptance strategies.
Domestic Card Fee
For a $50 sale: ($50 × 2.9%) + $0.30 = $1.45 + $0.30 = $1.75 total Stripe fee.
Fee = (Sale Price × 2.9%) + $0.30International Card Fee
For a $100 international sale: ($100 × 2.9%) + $0.30 + ($100 × 1.5%) = $2.90 + $0.30 + $1.50 = $4.70 total fee.
Fee = (Sale Price × 2.9%) + $0.30 + (Sale Price × 1.5%)ACH Direct Debit Fee
ACH fees are capped at $5. A $1,000 transfer: MIN($1,000 × 0.8%, $5.00) = MIN($8.00, $5.00) = $5.00 fee.
Fee = MIN(Sale Price × 0.8%, $5.00)Net Profit After Fees
Your true profit per sale after deducting both product costs and all Stripe processing fees from the sale price.
Net Profit = Sale Price − Product Cost − Total Stripe FeesReal-World Stripe Fee Examples
Let's walk through practical examples to see how Stripe fees impact profitability across different scenarios.
Example 1: Domestic Card Payment
Standard US Card Payment
Sale Price: $50, Product Cost: $20, US customer paying with Visa card
Example 2: International Card with Currency Conversion
UK Customer Paying in GBP
Sale Price: $100, Product Cost: $40, UK customer paying with British credit card, settling in USD
Example 3: High-Value ACH Payment
B2B Service via ACH
Sale Price: $2,000, Service Cost: $800, Client pays via ACH bank transfer
Stripe vs PayPal vs Square
How does Stripe compare to other popular payment processors? Here's a side-by-side comparison:
| Fee Type | Stripe | PayPal | Square |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Card Processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | 3.49% + $0.49 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| International Cards | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1% |
| Currency Conversion | +1% | +4% | +1% |
| ACH/Bank Transfer | 0.8% (max $5) | $0 receive | 1% (max $1) |
| Chargeback Fee | $15 | $20 | $0 |
| Best For | Developers, SaaS, subscriptions | Marketplaces, buyer protection | Retail, in-person + online |
Bottom Line: For pure online businesses with tech-savvy teams, Stripe offers the best combination of competitive rates and developer tools. PayPal wins for marketplaces needing buyer trust, while Square excels at omnichannel retail. Calculate your specific fees with our Margin Calculator to compare true profitability.
Common Stripe Fee Mistakes
Avoid these costly Stripe fee errors that reduce business profitability:
Forgetting International Card Fees
Many sellers price products assuming 2.9% + $0.30 on all transactions. If 30% of your customers are international, you're actually paying 4.4%+ on nearly a third of sales. Build international fees into your pricing.
Ignoring Chargeback Costs
A $15 dispute fee might seem small, but chargebacks also cost you the original sale amount. A 2% chargeback rate on $100 products means you're losing $230 per 100 sales. Invest in fraud prevention.
Not Using ACH for High-Value Sales
On a $1,000 sale, card processing costs $29.30 while ACH costs just $5.00—saving you $24.30. For B2B or high-ticket items, offering ACH (even with a small discount incentive) dramatically improves margins.
Processing Refunds Incorrectly
Stripe refunds the percentage fee but keeps the $0.30 flat fee. On low-value items, this matters. A full refund on a $10 sale still costs you $0.30. Consider store credit or exchanges when possible.
Not Negotiating Volume Discounts
Businesses processing $80,000+/month can negotiate custom rates with Stripe. Many eligible businesses never ask. Contact Stripe sales to discuss Interchange Plus pricing—it can reduce fees by 0.2-0.5%.
How to Reduce Your Stripe Fees
Strategic decisions can significantly reduce your Stripe fees and improve profitability. Here are proven tactics to minimize fees:
Offer ACH Payments for High-Value Sales
For transactions over $625, ACH is always cheaper than cards. The $5 cap means huge savings on high-ticket items. On a $1,000 sale, you save $24.30 compared to card processing.
Localize Your Business for International Sales
If you have significant volume in another country, consider opening a Stripe account in that region to avoid international fees. This can save 1.5-2.5% per international transaction.
Reduce Chargebacks with Fraud Prevention
Use Stripe Radar, clear billing descriptors, and proactive customer service to minimize disputes. Each prevented chargeback saves you $115+ ($15 fee + $100 average lost sale).
Negotiate Custom Rates at Volume
At $80k+/month volume, contact Stripe to discuss Interchange Plus pricing. Large merchants can save 0.2-0.5% on every transaction, which adds up to $2,000-$5,000+ annually.
Increase Average Order Value
The $0.30 flat fee has less impact on larger orders. A $10 sale pays 3.29% effective rate, while a $100 sale pays just 3.2%. Bundle products or use minimum order incentives to reduce per-transaction overhead.
Frequently Asked Questions
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