Stripe vs Square vs PayPal: Fees Compared

Run the same transaction through all three processors at once. See the fee, the net take-home, and who wins — instantly, with current 2026 rates.

Rates verified April 2026. We keep the numbers current.

Enter a transaction and scenario
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Online domestic: cards entered online via checkout, processed as standard US card-not-present.

When each processor wins

Headline rates don't tell the full story. Each processor has scenarios where it's meaningfully cheaper or more convenient:

Scenario Winner Why
In-person retail / restaurant Square 2.6% + $0.10 is the cheapest in-person rate. No monthly fee on the base plan. Hardware ecosystem is mature.
Online B2C e-commerce, domestic only Stripe or Square (tie) Both at 2.9% + $0.30. Stripe for developer flexibility; Square for zero-effort storefront (Square Online).
International / cross-border e-commerce Stripe Stripe supports 135+ currencies, transparent international pricing. Square and PayPal have weaker international handling.
B2B invoicing with large amounts Square (ACH) Square ACH at 1% with $1 min beats both Stripe ACH ($5 cap) and PayPal for invoices $500+. For card-paid invoices, Square 3.3% wins.
Microtransactions (< $10) PayPal Micropayments 4.99% + $0.09 is the only tier with a sub-$0.30 fixed fee. Beats the other two for small sums.
High dispute / chargeback risk Square No per-dispute fee. Seller Protection absorbs up to $250/month. Stripe charges $15/dispute, PayPal $20.
Developer platform, marketplace, SaaS Stripe Stripe Connect is the only serious platform-ready product. Square and PayPal don't compete here.
Trust-sensitive international buyers PayPal Despite higher fees, PayPal's brand trust lifts checkout conversion in certain buyer segments (international, older demographics, certain categories).

Side-by-side rate reference (2026)

Scenario Stripe Square PayPal
Online domestic card 2.9% + $0.30 2.9% + $0.30 3.49% + $0.49
In-person (card-present) 2.7% + $0.05 (Terminal) 2.6% + $0.10 2.29% + $0.09 (Zettle)
Keyed (manually typed) 2.9% + $0.30 3.5% + $0.15 3.49% + $0.49
International card +1.5% (4.4% + $0.30) Limited support +1.5% (4.99% + $0.49)
Currency conversion +1% n/a (no multi-currency) ~4%
ACH / bank transfer 0.8% cap $5 1% min $1 3.49% + $0.49
Invoice (card) 2.9% + $0.30 + 0.4% 3.3% + $0.30 3.49% + $0.49
Dispute / chargeback fee $15 $0 $20
Refund fee behavior Refunds all fees (most accounts) Refunds all fees Keeps fixed fee
Micropayments tier — — 4.99% + $0.09

The meta-question: which one should you pick?

If you run an online-first US business with ~2,000+ transactions/month: Stripe. Developer ergonomics, international flexibility, and Connect platform tooling dominate at scale.

If you're a small retailer, restaurant, or service business doing in-person sales: Square. The 2.6% + $0.10 in-person rate, free base plan, and no-chargeback-fees policy compound to real savings.

If you sell primarily to buyers who prefer PayPal's Checkout experience (older demographics, international hobbyist markets, niche categories): PayPal, despite higher rates. Buyer trust lifts conversion; lift > fee delta in those segments.

If you run a B2B invoicing business with large tickets: Square ACH at 1% (min $1) on invoice-paid-via-bank is often the single cheapest option available.

Most real businesses end up using two processors: one primary, one backup. Stripe + Square is a common pairing. Stripe + PayPal is another. Decide based on the math — that's what this site exists for.

Pick your processor and go

Once you've decided which fee structure fits, these are the fastest ways to open a merchant account. Compare the rates above against your actual transaction mix before committing.

Start with Shopify Start with Square Start with PayPal Stripe pricing (direct)

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Stripe's in-person rate Terminal-only?
Stripe doesn't offer a standalone Reader like Square. In-person Stripe requires Stripe Terminal (hardware SDK for point-of-sale apps) or a partner integration. For a small business that just wants a tap-to-pay device, Square is dramatically easier to set up.
How do I actually run the numbers for my business?
Take your last month's transactions. Bucket them by type (online domestic, in-person, international, invoice). Multiply each bucket by each processor's rate. The one with the lowest total wins. Our Stripe, Square, and PayPal calculators make the per-bucket math easy.
Does PayPal's brand trust really outweigh its higher fees?
Sometimes. Studies on PayPal conversion lift vs. card-only checkout generally show 10–30% conversion improvements in certain audiences. At 3.49% + $0.49 vs 2.9% + $0.30, PayPal costs about 0.6% more per transaction. If PayPal lifts your conversion by more than 0.6%, it pays for itself. Test it with your own audience.
What about Shopify Payments, Braintree, Adyen?
Shopify Payments (Stripe under the hood, priced at 2.9% + $0.30 online for Basic plan, lower for Plus) is compelling if you're already on Shopify. Braintree (owned by PayPal, priced like Stripe) is the enterprise option. Adyen is strong for international at scale. We'll add calculators for these — fastest-follow is Shopify.
Is this comparison affiliated with anyone?
netfee.io is independent. We participate in affiliate programs with Shopify, Square (via Impact), and PayPal (via Impact). Stripe doesn't have a classic affiliate program and we link to their pricing page without tracking. Affiliate relationships don't affect the numbers we publish.