Stripe Fees Explained: Complete Guide for 2026

If you accept online payments through Stripe, understanding the fee structure is essential for pricing your products correctly. This guide breaks down Stripe's fees, how to calculate them, and how to use reverse fee calculation to ensure you get paid what you expect.

Stripe Fee Structure

Stripe's pricing is straightforward: a percentage fee plus a fixed fee per transaction. The exact rates depend on the card type and region:

For non-USD currencies, the fixed fee changes. For example, EUR transactions have a €0.30 fixed fee, GBP charges £0.30, and JPY charges ¥30. Our Stripe Fee Calculator supports 10 currencies with the correct fixed fees for each.

Forward vs Reverse Fee Calculation

There are two ways to think about Stripe fees:

• Forward (Standard): You know how much you want to charge the customer. The tool shows how much Stripe takes and what you'll receive.
• Reverse: You know how much you want to receive in your bank account. The tool tells you how much to charge the customer so that after fees, you get exactly that amount.

Example: Forward Calculation

You charge a US customer $100.00. Stripe's fee: 2.9% ($2.90) + $0.30 = $3.20. You receive: $96.80.

Example: Reverse Calculation

You want to receive exactly $100.00. You need to charge: ($100.00 + $0.30) ÷ (1 - 0.029) = $103.30. Stripe's fee: $3.00 + $0.30 = $3.30. You receive: $100.00.

International Card Fees

If your customer's card was issued outside the US, Stripe charges a higher rate of 3.9% + $0.30. This covers the additional costs of cross-border payment processing and currency conversion.

Manually Entered Card Fees

When you manually enter card details (keyed-in, no card present), the fee is 3.4% + $0.30. This is higher because manually entered transactions carry more fraud risk. This applies to:

• Phone orders where you type the card number
• Mail-order payments
• Virtual terminal transactions

Currency-Specific Fixed Fees

Stripe's fixed fee varies by currency. Here are the most common ones:

Note that JPY has a higher fixed fee (¥30) and HKD has a significantly higher fixed fee (HK$2.00). This matters when calculating fees for small transactions in these currencies.

How to Minimize Stripe Fees

• Use US-issued cards when possible — Domestic rates are lower than international
• Optimize your pricing — Use reverse calculation to ensure you net the right amount
• Encourage card-present transactions — Lower fraud risk often means better rates
• Monitor your monthly volume — High-volume businesses can negotiate custom rates with Stripe