Stripe vs PayPal Fees
On a standard US payment, Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 is cheaper than PayPal's 3.49% + $0.49 goods and services rate, at every price point. The gap is modest in dollars, but it's consistent, and it compounds at volume.
| Amount | Stripe fee | PayPal fee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $2.24 | $0.49 more on PayPal |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $3.98 | $0.78 more on PayPal |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $17.94 | $3.14 more on PayPal |
Both rates verified 2026-09-12. See exact numbers on Stripe or PayPal.
The fee gap isn't the whole story
PayPal's higher rate buys something Stripe's lower one doesn't include out of the box: a checkout button millions of buyers already trust and have a saved payment method for, plus Purchase Protection and Seller Protection built into every goods and services payment. Stripe is a payments API, it's cheaper per transaction, but accepting a card through it means building or buying your own checkout, and any dispute-resolution policy is yours to define.
Where Stripe pulls further ahead
For a US business taking payment from a US bank account rather than a card, Stripe's ACH direct debit option runs 0.8% capped at $5 per transaction, a cost PayPal has no equivalent to. On a $500 payment, that's $4 on ACH against PayPal's $17.94 goods and services fee. See Stripe fees explained for the full rate table, including international cards and currency conversion, neither of which this comparison covers.
Which one to pick
If you're already selling on a platform (a store, an invoicing tool, a marketplace) that has PayPal built in and buyers expect it, the extra cost is often worth the frictionless checkout. If you're building your own storefront from scratch and comfortable with the integration work, Stripe's lower rate adds up over enough transactions to matter. Run your own numbers on the Stripe fee calculator and PayPal fee calculator.