• How the fees are structured
  • Stripe's US fees

Stripe and PayPal both let a small business take card payments online, and both charge a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee. What you pay depends on how your customer pays (a card, or a PayPal account), whether the payment is international, whether currency is converted, and whether there's a dispute. This page quotes each company's own US pricing page, opened on October 30, 2026, and doesn't rank them: which one suits you depends on how your customers pay.

Billed publishes this page. Billed works with both Stripe and PayPal, and this page doesn't rank them.

How the fees are structured

  • A percentage plus a fixed fee on each payment.
  • A different rate by payment type, such as a card payment or a payment from a PayPal account.
  • Extra percentages for international payments or currency conversion.
  • Fees for disputes and chargebacks, when a customer challenges a payment.

Rates change, so check each pricing page before you decide.

Stripe's US fees

From Stripe's pricing page (United States, opened October 30, 2026):

  • Cards and wallets: "2.9% + 30¢" "per successful transaction for domestic cards", plus "+ 1.5%" "for international cards" and "+ 1%" "if currency conversion is required".
  • Bank debits: "ACH Direct Debit" at "0.8%" with a "$5.00 cap".
  • Disputes: a "Dispute received fee" of "$15.00" "for each dispute you receive", and a "Dispute countered fee" of "$15.00" "for each dispute you respond to manually." Stripe adds: "You get this fee back for won disputes. You don't get this fee back for lost disputes."
  • Custom pricing: Stripe says you can "contact us to design a custom package specifically for your business."

PayPal's US fees

From PayPal's merchant fees page for the "United States (US)" ("Last Updated: October 1, 2026", opened October 30, 2026):

  • Paying with a PayPal account: "PayPal Checkout" at "3.49% + fixed fee".
  • Card payments: "Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments" at "2.99% + fixed fee".
  • The fixed fee for US dollar payments: "0.49 USD".
  • International: "The fee for receiving domestic transactions applies plus the additional percentage-based fee for international commercial transactions", which is "1.50%".
  • Disputes: "We may charge a Dispute Fee when a buyer files a dispute claim or chargeback for a transaction that was processed through the buyer’s PayPal account or a PayPal checkout solution." The standard dispute fee in US dollars is "15.00 USD". For card chargebacks not processed through a PayPal account or guest checkout, the chargeback fee in US dollars is "20.00 USD".

Invoicing fees

  • Stripe: its pricing page (United States, opened October 30, 2026) lists "Invoicing", "Global invoicing software.", with a "Starter" plan at "0.4%" "per paid invoice". That row shows no cap.
  • PayPal: its fees page says that "When you accept the User Agreement and send an invoice as a payment request for the sale of goods and services, and the customer sends you a payment via that invoice", PayPal calls it an invoicing transaction. The page lists separate invoicing transaction rates, so check them if you invoice through PayPal itself.

Which fits which situation

These points come only from the quoted pages. They describe fit, not a ranking:

  • Customers who pay with a PayPal account: PayPal's "PayPal Checkout" rate applies to those payments.
  • Customers who pay by card: Stripe lists its domestic card rate, and PayPal lists "Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments".
  • Customers abroad: both add a percentage for international payments, and Stripe adds another if currency conversion is required.
  • US bank debits: Stripe lists "ACH Direct Debit" with a "$5.00 cap".
  • Higher volumes: Stripe invites you to contact it about a custom package.

Some businesses offer both, so each customer can choose how to pay.

Sample: the fee on one $500.00 US payment

This sample uses the US rates quoted above, as published when opened on October 30, 2026. The $500.00 payment is invented. It covers one domestic payment in US dollars, with no international, currency conversion or dispute fees.

  • Stripe, domestic card: 2.9% × $500.00 = $14.50, + $0.30 = $14.80, leaving $485.20
  • PayPal, standard card payment: 2.99% × $500.00 = $14.95, + $0.49 = $15.44, leaving $484.56
  • PayPal, PayPal Checkout: 3.49% × $500.00 = $17.45, + $0.49 = $17.94, leaving $482.06

The fee depends on how the customer pays as well as on the processor, so your own total depends on your customers' mix of cards, PayPal accounts and international payments.

Where Billed fits

Billed's accept payments page says: "Billed integrates with Stripe to enable online payments on invoices. There is no hidden fee, Billed charges you nothing to accept online payments with Stripe. Only Stripe standard rates apply." It also says: "Add your Paypal account to Billed to start accepting payments via Paypal on your invoices." Its FAQ adds: "Your clients can pay invoices using any major credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through Stripe, or directly with their PayPal balance." and "No Billed does not charge any extra or hidden fee for accepting online payments. Only Stripe or Paypal standard rates apply."

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do Stripe and PayPal fees compare?

Both charge a percentage plus a fixed fee, and the rate depends on how the customer pays. Stripe's US page lists 2.9% plus 30 cents for domestic cards. PayPal's US page lists 2.99% plus a fixed fee for standard card payments and 3.49% plus a fixed fee for PayPal Checkout, with a fixed fee of 0.49 USD. In the sample on this page, the fee on a $500.00 payment is $14.80, $15.44 or $17.94.

Do Stripe and PayPal charge extra for international payments?

Both list an extra percentage on their US pricing pages: Stripe adds 1.5% for international cards, and 1% more if currency conversion is required, and PayPal adds 1.50% for international commercial transactions.

What do Stripe and PayPal charge for disputes?

Stripe's US page lists a $15.00 dispute received fee and a $15.00 dispute countered fee, refunded if you win. PayPal's US page lists a standard dispute fee of 15.00 USD and a chargeback fee of 20.00 USD for card payments not processed through a PayPal account or guest checkout.

Can I accept both Stripe and PayPal payments on my invoices?

Billed's accept payments page says Billed integrates with Stripe for online payments on invoices, and that you can add your PayPal account to accept PayPal payments on your invoices. It says Billed charges nothing extra and that "Only Stripe or Paypal standard rates apply."

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