The bottom line
Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ for each online card payment from a US card. A month with $10,000 in online sales over 200 orders costs about $350. There’s no monthly fee, so a slow month costs only what you sell.
Stripe is built for online checkouts. It can take cards in person too, at 2.7% + 5¢, but it isn’t a POS system. You bring your own POS software or use one that works with Stripe.
Stripe fees at a glance
Visit Stripe- Pricing model
- flat
- Contract
- No contract
- Payouts
- 2 business days (standard)
- Monthly cost to take cards
- $0 (Reader bought separately)
- True cost: first year at $10,000/month in card sales (est.)
- $3,539 (12 months of processing at 400 payments a month, plus the listed monthly cost, plus the Stripe Reader M2 at $59)
| Payment type | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In person (card present) | 2.7% + 5¢ | stripe.com |
| Online | 2.9% + 30¢ | stripe.com |
| Keyed in | 3.4% + 30¢ | stripe.com |
| ACH | 0.8% | stripe.com |
Monthly fees and plans
- Standard pricing account fee: $0
- Cellular data per Terminal reader (optional): $10
Checked October 19, 2026 on stripe.com. Prices change, so confirm with Stripe before you sign.
Who it’s for
- Online shops and apps. Stripe’s page says it plugs into custom checkouts and “hundreds of third-party POS systems.”
- Businesses with uneven sales. No monthly fee means a quiet month doesn’t cost you a plan fee.
- Owners who don’t want a contract. Stripe says it charges no closure fee.
- Larger online businesses. Stripe offers custom pricing, including interchange-plus and volume discounts, for “businesses with large payments volume or unique business models.”
Who should skip it
- Shops that just want a register. Stripe doesn’t list a POS plan. You need hardware plus separate POS software.
- Businesses with many foreign customers. International cards add 1.5%, and currency conversion adds 1% more.
- Anyone who types in a lot of cards. Manually entered cards add 0.5%, for 3.4% + 30¢.
- Sellers who get a lot of disputes. Each one costs $15, plus $15 more if you fight it and lose.
The catch
Extras stack on top of the headline rate. An online sale from a foreign card that needs currency conversion costs 2.9% + 1.5% + 1%, or 5.4% + 30¢.
Disputes cost money even when you win. The first $15 is charged for every dispute you receive. Only the second $15, the fee for responding, comes back if you win.
Tap to Pay on a phone adds a fee. Stripe charges an extra 10¢ per authorization for Tap to Pay.
Hardware is extra. Stripe lists the Reader M2 at $59, the S700 and S710 at $299 each, and the T600 at $329.
Buy now, pay later costs more. Klarna payments are 5.99% + 30¢.
What it costs at your size
These are estimates. They use Stripe’s published standard rates and assume every card was issued in the US with no currency conversion.
Example 1: an online shop, $10,000 a month, 200 orders.
- Rate: 2.9% × $10,000 = $290
- Per-order fee: 200 × 30¢ = $60
- Monthly fee: $0
- Estimated total: $350 a month, an effective rate of 3.5%
If 10% of those sales came from international cards, add 1.5% × $1,000 = $15.
Example 2: in person on a Stripe reader, $10,000 a month, 400 payments.
- Rate: 2.7% × $10,000 = $270
- Per-sale fee: 400 × 5¢ = $20
- Estimated total: $290 a month, an effective rate of 2.9%, plus your POS software and the reader
If you took those 400 payments with Tap to Pay on a phone instead, add 400 × 10¢ = $40.
Try your own numbers in the Stripe fee calculator, or compare providers side by side in the fee calculator.
Compared with
Beyond the rate
What the rate table doesn't show, taken from Stripe's own terms and help pages.
Can they hold your money?
Stripe can set up a reserve it controls, and it can delay or hold payouts on a sale it thinks is likely to be disputed.
Source: stripe.comWorks offline?
Yes. Works with mobile readers through the Terminal SDK. Stripe sets an offline maximum of 10,000 USD or the same value in your currency. You take on all decline risk.
Source: docs.stripe.comLeaving
You can end the agreement at any time by closing your Stripe account in the Dashboard. Stripe says it charges no closure fees.
Source: stripe.com
Common questions
How much does Stripe charge per transaction?
For cards issued in the US, Stripe lists 2.9% + 30¢ per successful online payment and 2.7% + 5¢ per in-person payment on its Terminal readers. Manually entered cards add 0.5%. International cards add 1.5%, and another 1% applies if currency conversion is needed.
Does Stripe have a monthly fee?
No. Stripe says it doesn't charge setup fees, monthly fees or closure fees on its standard pricing. You pay per payment. If you take cards in person, you buy a reader, from $59 for the Reader M2. Cellular data on a reader is optional and costs $10 a month per reader.
What does Stripe charge for a dispute?
Stripe charges $15 for each dispute you receive. If you respond to it manually, it charges another $15. Stripe says you get that second $15 back if you win, but not if you lose. So a dispute you fight and lose costs $30 in fees, on top of the lost sale.
How fast does Stripe pay out?
Stripe's payout docs say standard US settlement takes two business days, with automatic daily payouts by default. Instant Payouts cost 1.5% of the amount, with a 50¢ minimum. Stripe also says some accounts can get same-day manual payouts if requested before 5 pm Eastern.