Stripe vs Square Fees

In the US, Stripe costs less online: 2.9% + $0.30 against 3.3% + $0.30 on Square Free, so $3.20 against $3.60 on $100. In the UK it depends on the amount: Stripe’s 1.5% + £0.20 and Square’s 1.4% + £0.25 cost the same at £50. Below that Stripe is cheaper; above it, Square.

Fees checked 7 October 2026 on Stripe’s and Square’s own pages. See the sources.

Stripe leaves you $0.40 more

on this sale, after fees: Stripe $96.80, Square $96.40.

Stripe

You receive $96.80

Fees: $3.20
Profit: $96.80
Margin: 96.8%

Card payment (2.9% + $0.30)	$3.20
Total fees	$3.20

Nothing added to your buyer’s price.

Square

You receive $96.40

Fees: $3.60
Profit: $96.40
Margin: 96.4%

Card payment (3.3% + $0.30)	$3.60
Total fees	$3.60

Nothing added to your buyer’s price.

Not in these totals

Stripe: Dispute fees, if a buyer disputes a payment
Stripe: Instant Payouts, if you use them

Remember my choices on this device (where you sell, seller type, tax rate and how you are paid; never a price; untick to delete)

Stripe and Square fees at common prices

United States: Online card payment, card from your country
Item price	You keep on Stripe	You keep on Square	Keeps more
$10.00	$9.41 fees $0.59	$9.37 fees $0.63	Stripe, +$0.04
$25.00	$23.97 fees $1.03	$23.87 fees $1.13	Stripe, +$0.10
$50.00	$48.25 fees $1.75	$48.05 fees $1.95	Stripe, +$0.20
$100.00	$96.80 fees $3.20	$96.40 fees $3.60	Stripe, +$0.40
$250.00	$242.45 fees $7.55	$241.45 fees $8.55	Stripe, +$1.00
$500.00	$485.20 fees $14.80	$483.20 fees $16.80	Stripe, +$2.00
$1,000.00	$970.70 fees $29.30	$966.70 fees $33.30	Stripe, +$4.00

United States: Online card payment, card from abroad
Item price	You keep on Stripe	You keep on Square	Keeps more
$10.00	$9.26 fees $0.74	$9.22 fees $0.78	Stripe, +$0.04
$25.00	$23.59 fees $1.41	$23.49 fees $1.51	Stripe, +$0.10
$50.00	$47.50 fees $2.50	$47.30 fees $2.70	Stripe, +$0.20
$100.00	$95.30 fees $4.70	$94.90 fees $5.10	Stripe, +$0.40
$250.00	$238.70 fees $11.30	$237.70 fees $12.30	Stripe, +$1.00
$500.00	$477.70 fees $22.30	$475.70 fees $24.30	Stripe, +$2.00
$1,000.00	$955.70 fees $44.30	$951.70 fees $48.30	Stripe, +$4.00

United Kingdom: Online card payment, card from your country
Item price	You keep on Stripe	You keep on Square	Keeps more
£10.00	£9.65 fees £0.35	£9.61 fees £0.39	Stripe, +£0.04
£25.00	£24.42 fees £0.58	£24.40 fees £0.60	Stripe, +£0.02
£50.00	£49.05 fees £0.95	£49.05 fees £0.95	The same
£100.00	£98.30 fees £1.70	£98.35 fees £1.65	Square, +£0.05
£250.00	£246.05 fees £3.95	£246.25 fees £3.75	Square, +£0.20
£500.00	£492.30 fees £7.70	£492.75 fees £7.25	Square, +£0.45
£1,000.00	£984.80 fees £15.20	£985.75 fees £14.25	Square, +£0.95

United Kingdom: Online card payment, card from abroad
Item price	You keep on Stripe	You keep on Square	Keeps more
£10.00	£9.48 fees £0.52	£9.50 fees £0.50	Square, +£0.02
£25.00	£24.01 fees £0.99	£24.12 fees £0.88	Square, +£0.11
£50.00	£48.22 fees £1.78	£48.50 fees £1.50	Square, +£0.28
£100.00	£96.65 fees £3.35	£97.25 fees £2.75	Square, +£0.60
£250.00	£241.92 fees £8.08	£243.50 fees £6.50	Square, +£1.58
£500.00	£484.05 fees £15.95	£487.25 fees £12.75	Square, +£3.20
£1,000.00	£968.30 fees £31.70	£974.75 fees £25.25	Square, +£6.45

The item price only: no postage, no sales tax, a private seller, worked out with the fees checked on 7 October 2026. Postage and tax change the fees on some platforms: put yours in the calculator above.

What differs between Stripe and Square

United States
Fee	Stripe	Square
Main fees	2.9% + $0.30 per card payment; 1.5% more for a card from abroad, 0.5% more for a card typed in	On Square Free: 3.3% + $0.30 online, 2.6% + $0.15 in person, 3.5% + $0.15 typed in; Plus ($49 a month) and Premium ($149) charge less
Charged on	The whole payment	The whole payment
Payment processing	This fee is the processing	This fee is the processing
Listing an item	Not a marketplace: nothing to list	Not a marketplace: nothing to list
Added to the buyer’s price	No Stripe fee added	No Square fee added
Getting paid	Standard payouts: no fee in our records. Instant Payouts 1.5%, at least $0.50	No fee in our records
Sources	Stripe US: Pricing, checked 8 Oct 2026 ; Stripe US: Invoicing pricing, checked 8 Oct 2026	Square US: Our fees, checked 7 Oct 2026

United Kingdom
Fee	Stripe	Square
Main fees	1.5% + £0.20 for a standard UK card; 2.8% for a premium UK card, 2.5% for an EEA card, 3.15% for any other	1.4% + £0.25 online with a UK card (2.5% + £0.25 with any other), 1.75% in person, 2.5% typed in
Charged on	The whole payment	The whole payment
Payment processing	This fee is the processing	This fee is the processing
Listing an item	Not a marketplace: nothing to list	Not a marketplace: nothing to list
Added to the buyer’s price	No Stripe fee added	No Square fee added
Getting paid	No fee in our records	No fee in our records
Sources	Stripe UK: Pricing, checked 7 Oct 2026 ; Stripe UK: Invoicing pricing, checked 7 Oct 2026	Square UK: Our fees, checked 7 Oct 2026

Each platform’s full fee list, with every source, is on its own calculator page below. Every change we record is on the fee changes page.

US: online card payments

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for a US card. Square Free charges 3.3% + $0.30 online. The fixed parts match, so Stripe is cheaper by 0.4 cents in every dollar: $1.03 against $1.13 on $25, $7.55 against $8.55 on $250. Square Plus and Premium charge 2.9% + $0.30 online, the same as Stripe ($3.20 on $100), but cost $49 or $149 a month.

UK: the £50 line

In the UK, Square’s online rate is lower and its fixed part higher: 1.4% + £0.25 against Stripe’s 1.5% + £0.20. The two meet at £50. On £20, Stripe £0.50 and Square £0.53. On £500, Stripe £7.70 and Square £7.25. So small online payments cost less on Stripe, and bigger ones on Square. Near £50 the two differ by a penny or less either way, because each fee is rounded to the penny.

Cards from abroad

In the US both add 1.5% for a card from another country, so Stripe stays cheaper. In the UK, Stripe charges 3.15% + £0.20 for a card from outside the EEA, and Square 2.5% + £0.25 for any card from outside the UK, so Square is cheaper from about £8: £2.75 against £3.35 on £100.

Cards typed in, and paying in person

A card typed in by hand costs 2.9% + 0.5% + $0.30 on Stripe and 3.5% + $0.15 on Square. Square is cheaper below $150 and Stripe above: on $50, $1.90 against $2.00; on $500, $17.30 against $17.65. Square in person is 2.6% + $0.15 on the Free plan (1.75% in the UK). Our records do not hold Stripe’s in-person card reader rates, so this page compares online and typed-in payments only.

Stripe vs Square Fees: questions

Is Stripe or Square cheaper online?

In the US, Stripe: $3.20 against $3.60 on Square Free for $100. In the UK, Stripe on small payments and Square on bigger ones: £0.50 against £0.53 on £20, but £3.20 against £3.05 on £200.

Does Square charge a monthly fee?

Square Free has none. Square Plus costs $49 and Premium $149 a month per location in the US, with lower in-person rates.

Which is cheaper for cards from abroad?

In the US both add 1.5%, so Stripe stays cheaper. In the UK, Square’s 2.5% + £0.25 for a non-UK card beats Stripe’s 3.15% + £0.20 on all but the smallest payments.

Which is cheaper for a card typed in by hand?

Square on smaller amounts, Stripe on bigger ones. Stripe adds 0.5% to its card rate; Square charges 3.5% + $0.15.

Who pays the Stripe or Square fee?

The business that receives the money. Each service takes its fee before paying you. To pass it on, raise your price: the “what to charge” mode above works out by how much.