Stripe Fee Calculator

How the Stripe fee calculator works

Stripe — like nearly every payment processor — charges a percentage of the transaction plus a small fixed fee. For a standard US domestic card payment that works out to 2.9% + $0.30. The calculator above applies that exact formula in your browser, instantly, so you know precisely how much money will land in your bank account before you ever send an invoice.

The forward calculation is straightforward: enter the amount you plan to charge a customer, pick the transaction type (domestic card, international card, or ACH bank transfer), and the tool returns three numbers — the fee, the net you'll receive, and the effective percentage rate you actually paid. The effective rate matters because on small transactions the fixed $0.30 dominates, so a $5 charge doesn't cost 2.9%, it costs closer to 8.9%.

Current Stripe processing rates (US)

Stripe occasionally adjusts its published pricing, but the standard rates for US merchants have been stable for years. This tool uses the following schedule:

The international rate stacks the cross-border surcharge of +1.5% on top of the base domestic rate, which is why it lands at 4.4% + $0.30. If you sell to a global customer base, this is the number that quietly erodes margins — which is exactly why so many businesses switch international clients to wire or ACH.

Step-by-step calculation examples

Example 1 — $100 domestic card payment

• Percentage fee: $100 × 2.9% = $2.90
• Fixed fee: $0.30
• Total fee: $3.20
• You receive: $100 − $3.20 = $96.80
• Effective rate: $3.20 ÷ $100 = 3.20%

Example 2 — $1,000 international card payment

• Percentage fee: $1,000 × 4.4% = $44.00
• Fixed fee: $0.30
• Total fee: $44.30
• You receive: $955.70

Example 3 — $5,000 ACH transfer (capped)

• Uncapped fee would be: $5,000 × 0.8% = $40.00
• But ACH is capped at $5.00
• You receive: $5,000 − $5.00 = $4,995.00
• Effective rate: 0.10% — over 30× cheaper than a card

That last example is the single most important number on this page for any business that processes large invoices. On a $5,000 payment, choosing ACH over a domestic card saves you $140. On $20,000, it saves you $575.

Reverse calculator: “What should I charge to net X?”

The forward calculator tells you what you'll receive for a given charge. The reverse calculator answers the question every freelancer and consultant actually asks: “I want to keep exactly $2,000 — what do I bill?”

For percentage-plus-fixed types (domestic and international cards), the reverse formula is:

charge = (target_net + $0.30) / (1 − 0.029)

Switch to “Reverse” mode above, enter your desired net, and the tool solves for the invoice total. For ACH it handles both the capped and uncapped regimes automatically, so your reverse invoice always nets out to the penny.

How to reduce Stripe fees

1. Use ACH for invoices over $625. The $5 cap makes ACH dramatically cheaper than cards on any meaningful amount. Stripe's own checkout, invoicing, and payment links all let you enable ACH as an option.
2. Bake the fee into your pricing. If your effective processing cost is ~3.3%, raise list prices by 3.5% and stop subsidizing the card networks. The reverse calculator above shows the exact invoice total to charge.
3. Offer a card-vs-ACH discount. Quote a standard card price and offer 1% off for ACH/wire. You keep more, and the client feels like they got a deal.
4. Avoid international cards when possible. The +1.5% cross-border surcharge is the single most expensive line item. For recurring overseas clients, push them toward wire transfer (incoming domestic wires are often free at business banks) or a local Stripe alternative in their region.
5. Batch small transactions. The $0.30 fixed fee is brutal on micro-charges. A $3 sale loses 12.3% to fees; a $300 sale loses 3.0%. Where possible, group small orders into a single larger invoice.

Stripe fee comparison table

Here's what a $1,000 payment looks like under each method: