Who Stripe suits
Businesses that take card payments on their own site or through invoices and payment links, especially inside their own region. Inside the EEA or the UK its base rate is one of the lowest you will find, and the developer tools are the reason most SaaS products start here.
On the calculator's two reference payments, Stripe takes 5.09% of $5,000.00 from a US client to a Spanish business, and 1.52% of €1,000.00 between Germany and Spain, where there is no currency to convert.
What to watch out for
- The advertised rate is for cards issued in your own region. A US card paying a European account adds a cross-border surcharge, and if the currency differs, a conversion markup on top of that.
- Automatic conversion at payout is where the money goes. If your account can hold or pay out in the charge currency, conversion does not have to happen at all.
- Disputes, instant payouts and add-ons such as tax calculation are billed separately and are not in the figures here.
How to pay less with Stripe
- Charge in your own currency when your customers are happy to pay in it: the conversion line disappears from your side.
- For large B2B invoices, offer a bank transfer alongside the card option.
- Above steady monthly volume, ask for custom pricing; Stripe negotiates, and this site only models the public rate.