Stripe vs PayPal fees
The same sale through both processors, at the same price. See what each takes, what the headline rate hides, and which one fits a digital product.
Mode
Where you sell from
The region sets the currency and the rates. Nothing is converted.
What you keep
One sale at $25.00
Stripe
$23.97
Fee $1.03
Effective fee 4.1% of the sale price.
PayPal
$23.64
Fee $1.36
Effective fee 5.4% of the sale price.
Stripe leaves $0.33 more
At the default card and Checkout rates, before international cards, currency conversion, disputes or subscriptions. The method table below shows the other rates.
- Stripe default
- Stripe standard card rate for the US.
- 4.1%
- PayPal default
- PayPal Checkout rate for the US.
- 5.4%
The headline rates
At the standard US rates, Stripe is 2.9% + 30¢ and PayPal Checkout is 3.49% + 49¢. In the UK, Stripe is 1.5% + 20p for a standard UK card and PayPal is 2.9% + 30p. Those are the numbers most comparisons stop at; they are only the first layer.
| Region | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| United Kingdom | 1.5% + 20p | 2.9% + 30p |
Standard domestic card and Checkout rates. Figures checked on 19 October 2026; see the sources at the bottom.
What each charges at common prices
The fee is not a constant percentage. The fixed fee dominates at low prices, which is why a $5 sale and a $100 sale do not have the same effective rate on either processor.
| Price | Stripe fee | Stripe net | PayPal fee | PayPal net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $0.45 | $4.55 | $0.66 | $4.34 |
| $10.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 | $0.84 | $9.16 |
| $25.00 | $1.03 | $23.97 | $1.36 | $23.64 |
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 | $2.24 | $47.76 |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | $3.98 | $96.02 |
To receive $100 after fees in the US, charge $103.30 with Stripe and $104.13 with PayPal. The difference is $0.83, roughly the same as the gap at a $100 sale.
The fixed fee is the story
At $5, Stripe’s 30¢ is 6% of the sale and PayPal’s 49¢ is 9.8%; at $100 they are 0.3% and 0.49%. A page that compares only the percentage is not comparing the fee a small seller actually pays. The effective rate at $5 is 9.0% with Stripe and 13.2% with PayPal; at $100 it is 3.2% and 3.98%.
This is also why a low-ticket digital product is harder to make work on either processor. A $3 template is not a smaller version of a $30 template; the fixed fee takes a much larger share. If the product is cheap, price it high enough to clear the fixed fee, bundle it, or use a checkout that covers processing in its platform fee.
By payment method
The cards-versus-Checkout comparison is the default, not the whole rate card. These are the selectable methods in the two calculators:
Stripe (US)
- Card — 2.9% + $0.30
- International card — 4.4% + $0.30
- ACH Direct Debit — 0.8%, capped at $5
- Klarna — 5.99% + $0.30
PayPal (US)
- PayPal Checkout — 3.49% + $0.49
- Goods & Services — 2.99%, no fixed fee
- Card — 2.99% + $0.49
- Pay Later — 4.99% + $0.49
- Venmo — 3.49% + $0.49
- Micropayments — 4.99% + $0.09
Method-level detail lives on the Stripe fee calculator and the PayPal fee calculator. International cards, currency conversion, ACH/Bacs, Klarna and Pay Later all change the result.
Beyond the per-sale fee
Subscriptions, invoicing, disputes and payouts are separate lines. Stripe Billing adds 0.7% of subscription volume; Invoicing Starter adds 0.4% per paid invoice. PayPal supports subscriptions and invoicing at its own product rates. Both charge for disputes and neither returns the original processing fee on a refund.
Stripe’s standard payouts are free; instant payouts cost 1.5% in the US with a 50¢ minimum, or 1% in the UK with a 40p minimum. PayPal’s standard bank withdrawal is free; its instant transfer is 1.5% with a 50¢ minimum in the US. Those costs are not in the per-sale calculator because they apply to the transfer, not the sale.
Which is cheaper for a digital product?
On card fees alone, Stripe is cheaper at the standard US and UK rates. The gap is small per sale but real at volume. The cases where PayPal can still be the better choice are about the buyer, not the rate:
| Scenario | Cheaper on fees | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| $9 ebook | Stripe | The fixed fee hurts both; Stripe’s is lower. |
| $25 template | Stripe | Stripe leaves $0.33 more per sale. |
| $99 course | Stripe | The percentage gap is larger in dollars. |
| International buyers | Depends | Both add a surcharge; the rate and currency differ. |
| Buyers without a card | PayPal | A sale at a higher fee beats no sale. |
Where PayPal wins
PayPal has the stronger consumer brand and a large base of buyers who already have an account. At checkout, that recognition can convert a buyer who would hesitate at a card form. It also has Venmo, Pay Later and invoicing in the same account, and a dispute process many buyers know. If the audience is consumer-facing and price-sensitive, the extra fee can be cheaper than the sales it loses.
Where Stripe wins
Stripe is cheaper on the standard card rate, has stronger developer tooling, and handles subscriptions, invoices, tax products and payouts in one account. It is the better fit if you have a site or an app and want control over the checkout. Its international and currency-conversion rates are also easier to model, because the published card rates are specific.
Neither one delivers the file
Both processors take the payment and stop there. They do not host the product, deliver the download, expire the link, cap the number of unlocks or handle sales tax. If the buyer already knows you, that is the gap a paid link fills. Unlockable is one option: one file, one price, one link, with card processing covered and a link that can expire or be capped. See Unlockable’s pricing for the fee model, or the creator fee calculator for the full platform comparison.
Related calculators and guides
Drill into the Stripe fee calculator and the PayPal fee calculator, compare the Square fee calculator, or use the markup calculator to price the product after fees.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Stripe cheaper than PayPal?
- At the standard US card and PayPal Checkout rates, yes: Stripe is 2.9% + 30¢ and PayPal is 3.49% + 49¢. On a $10 sale Stripe leaves $9.41 and PayPal leaves $9.16; on $100 Stripe leaves $96.80 and PayPal leaves $96.02. The gap changes with the payment method, the region and the buyer’s funding source.
- How much does Stripe charge per transaction?
- In the US, the standard domestic card rate is 2.9% + 30¢. In the UK, the standard UK card rate is 1.5% + 20p. International cards, premium UK cards, Klarna, ACH, Bacs and currency conversion have their own rates; the Stripe fee calculator lists them.
- How much does PayPal charge per transaction?
- In the US, PayPal Checkout is 3.49% + 49¢. In the UK, the commercial transaction rate is 2.9% + 30p. Goods & Services, cards, Pay Later, Venmo and micropayments have different rates, and international payments add a surcharge.
- Why is the gap different at $10 and $100?
- Because both processors charge a fixed fee. At $10, Stripe’s 30¢ is 3% of the sale and PayPal’s 49¢ is 4.9%, before the percentage. At $100 they are 0.3% and 0.49%. The fixed fee makes small sales proportionally more expensive on both, and it makes PayPal’s higher fixed fee hurt more at low prices.
- Which is better for selling digital products?
- Both process the payment; neither delivers the file, caps the link, expires access or handles sales tax. On card fees alone, Stripe is cheaper at the standard rates. PayPal can be worth offering because some buyers trust it or do not have a card. The delivery and access-control problem is separate from the processor choice.
- Does PayPal charge more for international payments?
- Yes. US commercial transactions add 1.5%; UK transactions from outside the EEA add 1.99%, while EEA senders add 1.29%. Stripe’s US international card rate is 4.4% + 30¢ (the 2.9% rate plus 1.5%); its UK international card rate is 3.15% + 20p.
- What about subscriptions and invoices?
- Stripe Billing adds 0.7% of subscription volume; Invoicing Starter adds 0.4% per paid invoice. PayPal supports subscriptions and invoicing at its standard rates, with its own product fees. Both are more than a per-sale card fee, and both are outside the simple comparison.
- Do either refund the processing fee when I refund a sale?
- No. Both processors let you refund the buyer, but the original processing fee is not returned. Refund a $10 Stripe payment and the $0.59 fee stays with Stripe; the same applies to PayPal’s $0.84.
- What do disputes cost?
- Stripe charges $15 per dispute received in the US and £20 in the UK, plus another $15 or £20 if you counter manually. PayPal lists a $20 chargeback fee in the US and £14 in the UK, with a standard dispute at $15 or £12 and a high-volume dispute at $30 or £24. These are not in the per-sale result because most sales do not have one.
- Can I offer both?
- Yes, and many sellers do: Stripe for cards and PayPal for buyers who prefer an account. The cost is two integrations, two sets of disputes and two payout schedules. If you sell one file to an audience that already knows you, a single checkout that covers cards and wallets may be simpler than running both.
- What does “effective fee” mean?
- It is the total fee divided by the sale price, shown as a percentage. At $10, Stripe’s $0.59 fee is 5.9% even though the headline rate is 2.9% + 30¢. The effective rate is the number that matters when you compare a small sale with a large one.
- Is either one a merchant of record?
- Not on the standard plans. Stripe Managed Payments is a separate merchant-of-record product; PayPal’s standard processing leaves sales tax to the seller. Gumroad and Fourthwall are the merchant-of-record options on this site’s comparison pages.