Which payment processor has the lowest fees?

It depends on the country, your average order and where your customers' cards come from. In the euro area, Stripe's standard domestic card rate is 1.5% + €0.25. In the United States, Stripe, Shopify Payments Basic and PlatformDTC Payments all charge 2.9% + $0.30 for a standard domestic card. Work out the effective rate on your own month before switching.

What is the difference between domestic and international card fees?

A domestic card was issued in the same country (or region, such as the European Economic Area) as your business. Cards issued elsewhere cost more because the card networks charge more for cross-border payments. Processors either add a percentage on top or quote a separate, higher rate.

Do processors charge for currency conversion?

Usually, yes, when the shopper pays in a currency other than your payout currency. Stripe adds 1% in the United States and the UAE and 2% in most other countries. The exact add-on is on each country page.

Why does Shopify charge a fee when I use another processor?

Shopify charges its own transaction fee on every sale taken through a provider other than Shopify Payments: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. You pay it on top of that provider's own card fees.

Does PlatformDTC add a fee to my own Stripe or PayPal account?

No. PlatformDTC can take payments through your own Stripe account or PayPal business account, and those sales carry no PlatformDTC fee and no plan fee. You pay only that provider's rate for your country, as listed on these pages.

Payments library

Payment processing fees by country: Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments, Square

Card processors price by country. Stripe charges 1.5% plus a small fixed fee for standard domestic cards in the euro area and 2.9% + $0.30 in the United States; Shopify Payments rates depend on your Shopify plan; PayPal and Square publish their own country tables. Each page here lists one processor in one country, read from that processor's own pricing page with the date it was checked, and works one month through to the cent.

How a processing fee is built

Almost every card fee has the same parts. Read them in this order and you can compare any two processors.

A percentage of the sale, for example 1.5% or 2.9%. This is the headline rate and covers the cheapest card: a standard card issued in your own country.
A fixed amount per payment, for example 20p, €0.25 or $0.30. It weighs more on small orders.
An international add-on or a higher rate when the card was issued in another country or region.
A currency conversion add-on when the shopper pays in a currency other than the one you are paid out in.
A dispute fee for each chargeback, sometimes with a second fee to contest it.
Plan or platform fees: Shopify adds its own fee on every sale when a store uses a processor other than Shopify Payments.

Compare the effective rate, not the headline

The effective rate is your total fees for a month divided by your total card sales. Take your real month: how much you sold, in how many orders, and what share came from cards issued abroad. Each country page works the same month through on that processor so the numbers line up.

A headline that is 0.2 points lower can still cost more once the fixed fee, premium cards, international cards and plan prices are counted. On Shopify, a third-party processor also pays Shopify's extra fee of 2% to 0.2% depending on the plan.

Frequently asked questions

Which payment processor has the lowest fees?: It depends on the country, your average order and where your customers' cards come from. In the euro area, Stripe's standard domestic card rate is 1.5% + €0.25. In the United States, Stripe, Shopify Payments Basic and PlatformDTC Payments all charge 2.9% + $0.30 for a standard domestic card. Work out the effective rate on your own month before switching.
What is the difference between domestic and international card fees?: A domestic card was issued in the same country (or region, such as the European Economic Area) as your business. Cards issued elsewhere cost more because the card networks charge more for cross-border payments. Processors either add a percentage on top or quote a separate, higher rate.
Do processors charge for currency conversion?: Usually, yes, when the shopper pays in a currency other than your payout currency. Stripe adds 1% in the United States and the UAE and 2% in most other countries. The exact add-on is on each country page.
Why does Shopify charge a fee when I use another processor?: Shopify charges its own transaction fee on every sale taken through a provider other than Shopify Payments: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. You pay it on top of that provider's own card fees.
Does PlatformDTC add a fee to my own Stripe or PayPal account?: No. PlatformDTC can take payments through your own Stripe account or PayPal business account, and those sales carry no PlatformDTC fee and no plan fee. You pay only that provider's rate for your country, as listed on these pages.