Business
Invoicing, margin & GST calculators
Compare Stripe vs PayPal vs Square Fees
Most fee calculators are single-processor, so you cannot see who actually nets you the most on the same sale. This compare view runs one amount through Stripe, PayPal and Square side by side. On a $100 US online payment the current rates give Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 → net $96.80, Square 3.3% + $0.30 → net $96.40, and PayPal 3.49% + $0.49 → net $96.02 — so Stripe nets the most here, $0.78 more than PayPal. The ranking can flip at other amounts because a fixed fee weighs more on small charges and the percentage weighs more on large ones. Enter your sale amount to rank the processors for that exact figure. Free, no login.
Current US online rates: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 · Square 3.3% + $0.30 · PayPal 3.49% + $0.49
- Compare method: compute fee = amount × pct + fixed and net = amount − fee for each, then rank by net
- Worked example — $100 online: Stripe nets $96.80, Square $96.40, PayPal $96.02 → Stripe wins by $0.78
- Fixed-fee weight: on small charges the flat fee dominates, so the lowest fixed fee can win
- Percentage weight: on large charges the rate dominates, so the lowest percentage can win
- International adds roughly +1.5% cross-border to each processor — the ranking can shift
- Note Square's 13-Jan-2026 increase to 3.3% — a comparison using the old 2.9% would mis-rank it
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper — Stripe, PayPal or Square?
On a standard $100 US online card sale at current rates, Stripe is cheapest: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 nets $96.80, Square 3.3% + $0.30 nets $96.40, and PayPal 3.49% + $0.49 nets $96.02. So Stripe nets $0.78 more than PayPal on that sale. The answer can change with the amount — a lower fixed fee helps on small charges while a lower percentage helps on large ones — and with transaction type (in-person rates differ). Enter your actual amount to rank them for your case.
Does the cheapest processor depend on the amount?
Yes. A processor fee has two parts — a percentage and a fixed fee — and they weigh differently by size. On a small charge the fixed fee dominates, so the processor with the lowest flat fee tends to win; on a large charge the percentage dominates, so the lowest percentage tends to win. That is why a single "cheapest processor" answer is misleading. This compare view recomputes net = amount − (amount × pct + fixed) for each processor at your specific amount and ranks them.
Are these comparison rates current?
The rates reflect each processor's published US pricing as verified on 2026-07-04: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, PayPal Checkout 3.49% + $0.49, and Square 3.3% + $0.30 (Square raised its rate from 2.9% on 13 January 2026). Processor pricing changes without a fixed schedule, so always verify the current rate at each source before relying on the comparison — a stale rate (for example Square's old 2.9%) would mis-rank the processors.