PayPal vs Stripe: what each one takes
If you invoice clients or sell files from your own site, the processor's cut is often bigger than you think — especially on low-priced items, where the fixed fee dominates. Enter your price to see the fee per sale and what you keep per month.
| Option | Rate | Fee per sale | You keep / sale | You keep / month |
|---|
US rates. Currency conversion: Stripe charges +1% when conversion is required; PayPal applies a currency conversion spread of 3.00%–4.00% depending on the transaction, so enter the figure that matches your case. Chargebacks, refunds, payout and invoicing add-ons are not included.
Published US rates (checked 25 September 2026)
| Option | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout / Pay with Venmo | 3.49% + $0.49 | The rate most sellers get by default when a buyer pays with their PayPal balance or account |
| PayPal standard credit and debit card payments | 2.99% + $0.49 | Card paid through PayPal's card fields rather than a PayPal account |
| PayPal Micropayments | 4.99% + $0.09 | You have to apply for this pricing; it is aimed at low-value transactions |
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | Standard pay-as-you-go pricing for online domestic cards |
| International cards | +1.5% | Both PayPal (cross-border fee) and Stripe add 1.5% |
| Currency conversion | PayPal 3.00%–4.00% · Stripe +1% | Applied when the payment has to be converted |
Sources: PayPal merchant fees page and Stripe pricing page, both checked on 25 September 2026. Rates change and vary by country — confirm for your own account before deciding.
How to read this
The fixed fee is what decides it for cheap products
On a $3 download, Stripe takes $0.39 (13%) while PayPal Checkout takes $0.59 (19.7%). Micropayments pricing, at 4.99% + $0.09, costs $0.24 on that same sale. The calculator shows the exact price where Micropayments stops being the cheapest PayPal option for you.
Above roughly $20–$27, the normal rates win
Micropayments beats PayPal's standard card rate up to about $20 per sale and PayPal Checkout up to about $27 — after that its higher percentage costs more than the $0.40 you save on the fixed fee.
Offer both if you sell internationally
Many buyers outside the US only trust PayPal, and many prefer a plain card field. Both add the same 1.5% for international cards, so the choice is usually about conversion and checkout experience rather than the headline rate.
Platform fees stack on top
If you sell through a storefront, the platform's own cut is charged in addition to processing. Compare those with the Gumroad vs Payhip vs Ko-fi calculator, or per-marketplace: Etsy · Gumroad · Shopify.
Our ready-made spreadsheet logs every sale, calculates platform fees automatically, warns you when stock runs low and shows real profit by product and month. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
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