Stripe vs PayPal Fees (US, 2026)
By Selling Fee Tools team ·
Stripe and PayPal are the two payment providers most US online stores choose between. Both charge a percentage plus a fixed fee per payment, but the rates, the extras and the fixed fee differ. This guide compares them using Stripe’s pricing page and PayPal’s US Merchant Fees page, checked in October 2026.
Online payments
| Payment | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic card or wallet | 2.9% + 30¢ | Standard card payments: 2.99% + 49¢ |
| Paid with a PayPal account (PayPal Checkout) or Venmo | — | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Buy now, pay later | Klarna: 5.99% + 30¢ | PayPal Pay Later: 4.99% + 49¢ |
| Card issued abroad / buyer abroad | +1.5% | +1.5% |
| Currency conversion | +1% if the payment is converted | 3% margin on the exchange rate |
| Card number typed in manually | +0.5% | — |
The same payments on both
| Payment | Stripe | PayPal Checkout |
|---|---|---|
| $10.00, domestic | $0.59 | $0.84 |
| $100.00, domestic | $3.20 | $3.98 |
| $100.00, from abroad | $4.70 (foreign card) | $5.48 |
On the same card payment, Stripe is cheaper, and the 19¢ difference in fixed fee matters most on small orders. PayPal is the way to accept payments from a buyer’s PayPal balance or Venmo, so stores that want to offer those use PayPal alongside, or instead of, a card processor.
Other ways to get paid
- Bank debits: Stripe’s ACH Direct Debit costs 0.8%, capped at $5.00. A $1,000 invoice costs $5.00 by ACH against $29.30 by card.
- In person: Stripe Terminal costs 2.7% + 5¢; Tap to Pay on a phone adds 10¢. PayPal QR code payments cost 2.29% + 9¢.
- Goods and services between PayPal accounts: 2.99% with no fixed fee.
Payouts and disputes
- Stripe’s standard payouts to your bank are free; Instant Payouts cost 1.5% with a 50¢ minimum. Each Stripe dispute costs $15.00.
- PayPal publishes its withdrawal and dispute fees on its Merchant Fees page; check them for your account type.
On Shopify
If your store runs on Shopify, using Stripe or PayPal instead of Shopify Payments adds Shopify’s third-party transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the provider’s own fee. The Shopify fee calculator compares the two.
Work out your own numbers
- Stripe fee calculator, with international cards, conversion, ACH, Terminal and what to charge
- PayPal fee calculator, every US payment type, with what to charge
- PayPal fees by country for UK, Canadian and Australian accounts
Sources: Stripe’s US pricing page and PayPal’s US Merchant Fees page, listed on each calculator and on our methodology page.