Stripe vs. PayPal: Which Payment Processor Fits a Small Business?
Stripe lists 2.9% + 30¢ for online cards and no monthly fee. PayPal lists 2.99% + 49¢ for card checkout and 3.49% + 49¢ for PayPal and Venmo.
Both let you take card payments online, send invoices and cash out to your bank. The big difference on the price pages is the per-sale fee: Stripe's fixed part is 30¢ and PayPal's is 49¢, which adds up on small sales. All figures below are US rates from each company's fee page today.
| At a glance | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Online card fee | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.99% + 49¢ (card checkout) |
| Wallet fee | Not listed on the page | 3.49% + 49¢ for PayPal Checkout and Venmo |
| In-person card fee | 2.7% + 5¢ (Terminal) | 2.29% + 9¢ (Zettle, card present) |
| Manually keyed card | Online rate plus 0.5% | 3.39% + 29¢ (virtual terminal) |
| Monthly fee | None on standard pricing | None for standard card checkout; Invoicing subscription listed at $14.99 a month |
| Instant payout | 1.5%, minimum 50¢ | 1.5%, minimum 50¢ |
| Dispute or chargeback | $15 per dispute received | $20 chargeback fee |
Stripe
- No setup or monthly fees on standard pricing
- Lower fixed fee on online card payments (30¢)
- Card readers sold directly, starting at $59
- Free standard payouts on the normal schedule
- Extra 0.5% for manually entered cards and 1.5% for international cards
- Instant Payouts cost 1.5% (minimum 50¢)
- $15 fee per dispute received
PayPal
- Customers can pay with PayPal or Venmo
- QR code payments listed at 2.29% + 9¢
- In-person card-present rate listed at 2.29% + 9¢
- Invoicing available
- Higher fixed fee per sale (49¢)
- PayPal Checkout and Venmo cost 3.49% + 49¢
- Instant transfer costs 1.5% (minimum 50¢); chargeback fee is $20
Pick Stripe if you want the lowest listed online card fee and a platform for subscriptions, invoices and card readers. Pick PayPal if many of your customers want to pay with PayPal or Venmo, or you sell in person with Zettle at its lower card-present rate. Many shops offer both. Fees vary by volume, country and account, so run your own average sale through both before you commit.
Prices and features checked November 9, 2026 from each company's own site. They change often, so confirm before you buy. We are not paid by either company.
- Stripe pricing (Stripe)
- PayPal business fees (PayPal)
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