About
Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for standard US cards. International adds 1.5%. AmEx adds 0.6%. ACH is much cheaper (0.8% capped at $5). Volume discounts available above $80K/month.
What is Stripe Fee Calculator?
A Stripe Fee Calculator computes stripe fee from the inputs you provide. It applies the standard formula to the values you enter and returns the result instantly, without sending any data to a server. Free Stripe Fee Calculator. The tool.
Stripe Fee Calculator
2.9% + $0.30 standard cards. Add 1.5% for international or AmEx.
Inputs
$
Stripe Fee
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Breakdown
You receive
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Effective rate
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Per $1000
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Note
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About Stripe processing fees
Stripe is a payment processor: when a customer pays you by card, Stripe moves the money, handles fraud screening and compliance, and deposits the net amount into your bank, keeping a fee for the service. Its headline pricing in the United States is a blended rate of 2.9 percent plus a fixed 30 cents per successful card charge for standard online payments. Unlike the older interchange-plus model, Stripe's standard pricing is flat, so you can predict your costs with one simple formula.
That flat structure has two consequences worth understanding. First, the 30-cent fixed component dominates on small payments and is almost invisible on large ones, so your effective percentage rate falls as the ticket size rises. Second, not every payment costs the same: cards issued in another country, premium networks like American Express, and alternative rails like ACH bank debit all carry different pricing. This calculator lets you pick the payment type and instantly see the fee, what you actually receive, and the effective rate.
Knowing your true effective rate matters for pricing, margins, and choosing whether to nudge customers toward cheaper payment methods on larger invoices.
How the fee is calculated
Every Stripe fee is a percentage of the amount plus a fixed per-transaction charge (some rails cap or flat-rate instead):
fee = amount x rate + fixed you receive = amount - fee effective rate = fee / amount US card: 2.9% + $0.30 International: 4.4% + $0.30 American Express: 3.5% + $0.30 ACH debit: 0.8%, capped at $5.00 Wire: $8.00 flat
- rate is the percentage taken from the gross amount (2.9 percent for a standard US card).
- fixed is the flat per-charge fee (30 cents on cards), which makes small payments proportionally expensive.
- The cap on ACH means very large bank-debit payments never cost more than 5 dollars.
- To pass the fee to the customer, gross up: charge (target + fixed) / (1 - rate) rather than simply adding the percentage.
Worked example
You sell a 100 dollar product and the customer pays with a standard US card.
- Percentage component: 100 x 0.029 = 2.90 dollars.
- Fixed component: 0.30 dollars.
- Total fee: 2.90 + 0.30 = 3.20 dollars.
- You receive: 100 - 3.20 = 96.80 dollars.
- Effective rate: 3.20 / 100 = 3.20 percent (higher than 2.9 percent because of the fixed 30 cents).
Result: A 100 dollar card sale nets 96.80 dollars after a 3.20 dollar Stripe fee, an effective rate of 3.2 percent. To take home a full 100 dollars you would need to charge (100 + 0.30) / (1 - 0.029) = 103.30 dollars.
Reference: fee by amount on a standard US card
| Amount | Fee (2.9% + $0.30) | You receive | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | $0.45 | $4.55 | 9.0% |
| $25 | $1.03 | $23.97 | 4.1% |
| $100 | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.2% |
| $500 | $14.80 | $485.20 | 3.0% |
| $2,000 | $58.30 | $1,941.70 | 2.9% |
Notice the effective rate falling from 9 percent on a 5 dollar charge toward the 2.9 percent floor as the amount grows. On the 2,000 dollar row, ACH (capped at 5 dollars) would save more than 53 dollars.
Common pitfalls
- Adding the percentage to pass on the fee. Adding 2.9 percent does not net your full price, because the fee is charged on the higher total. You must gross up with (target + fixed) / (1 - rate).
- Ignoring the fixed fee on micro-payments. A 1 dollar charge loses about 33 cents to fees, a third of the sale. Bundle small payments or set a minimum.
- Forgetting international and currency fees. A foreign-issued card jumps to about 4.4 percent, and currency conversion can add more. Budget for it if you sell globally.
- Assuming fees are refunded on a refund. When you refund a customer, Stripe historically does not return the original processing fee, so a refunded sale can leave you out of pocket on the fee.
- Overlooking ACH for big invoices. For high-value B2B payments, ACH at 0.8 percent capped at 5 dollars is dramatically cheaper than card, at the cost of slower settlement.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Stripe's standard processing fee in the US?
For standard online (card-not-present) payments, Stripe's published US rate is 2.9 percent of the transaction plus a fixed 30 cents per successful charge. On a 100 dollar sale that is 2.90 plus 0.30, or 3.20 total, leaving you 96.80. In-person Terminal payments are typically priced lower, around 2.7 percent plus 5 cents, and the percentage and fixed fee can differ outside the US.
Why does the fixed 30 cents matter so much on small payments?
The flat 30 cents is a large share of a small charge. On a 5 dollar payment, 2.9 percent is only about 15 cents but the fixed fee adds 30 cents, so the total fee is roughly 45 cents, an effective rate near 9 percent. On a 500 dollar payment the same 30 cents barely moves the effective rate above 2.9 percent. This is why micro-transactions are expensive to process and why bundling small charges helps.
How much extra do international and American Express cards cost?
Stripe commonly adds a surcharge for cards issued outside your country, which pushes the rate to about 4.4 percent plus 30 cents for international cards, and a currency-conversion fee may apply on top. American Express is also often priced higher, around 3.5 percent plus 30 cents in this tool. Always confirm the exact rates for your account and country on Stripe's pricing page.
Is ACH cheaper than card payments on Stripe?
Yes, substantially, for large amounts. ACH direct debit is priced around 0.8 percent capped at 5 dollars per transaction. On a 2,000 dollar invoice a card would cost roughly 58 dollars while ACH is capped at 5 dollars. The trade-offs are slower settlement (a few business days) and the risk of failed or returned debits, so ACH suits recurring or high-value B2B payments more than impulse retail.
Can I pass the Stripe fee on to my customer?
Technically you can add a surcharge so the customer covers the fee, but to net your full price you must gross up, not just add the percentage, because the fee applies to the larger total. The formula is grossed_up = (target + fixed) / (1 - rate). Surcharging is also restricted or regulated in some regions and card-network rules, so check local law before adding it.