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Active 2026 Merchant Fee Schedules

Stripe & PayPal Fee Calculator (Europe, UK & US)

Accurately compute transaction deductions, cross-border card charges, and generate the exact reverse invoice figure to eliminate credit card processing losses.

$

Standard Rate: 2.9% + $0.30

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Total Fee Deducted
-$29.30
Percentage Cut: $29.00 (2.9%)
Fixed Transaction Fee: $0.30
Net Amount in Bank
$970.70
Effective Fee Rate: 2.93%
Payout Schedule: Rolling 2 Business Days
Calculation Engine: Sub-10ms Local
Exact Amount to Invoice Reverse Fee
$1,030.18

Invoice this exact total so that after Stripe cuts fees, you receive precisely $1,000.00 in your bank.

Formula: (Net + f) / (1 - r)

Direct Comparison: On a $1,000.00 transaction, Stripe saves you $6.09 compared to PayPal.

How to Use This Stripe & PayPal Fee Calculator

Follow these simple sequential steps to forecast deductions on domestic card payments, determine client invoice charges, or compare fee differentials between payment processors:

  1. Select your target jurisdiction and currency: Choose between US Dollars ($), British Pounds (£), or Euros (€) using the top region switch. Fee schedules automatically adjust to local interchange regulation standards.
  2. Enter your target transaction amount: Input the gross client charge or use the one-click preset buttons ($100, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000).
  3. Choose your gateway provider: Toggle between Stripe (standard card processing) and PayPal (commercial goods & services).
  4. Specify card origin: If your client is located outside your home country, select International (+1.5%) and toggle currency conversion if the settlement currency differs from your bank account.
  5. Review instant outputs: Examine your Net Received in Bank and copy the Exact Amount to Invoice directly into your accounting software (FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Xero, or Stripe Billing).
PAYMENT INTERCHANGE & FEE FLOW DIAGRAM CLS Guarded: 768 × 340
Customer / Client Pays: $1,030.18 → Stripe / PayPal Gateway Variable Cut: 2.9% ($29.88) Fixed Fee: $0.30 Total Gateway Cut: $30.18 → Merchant Payout Net: $1,000.00 KEY PLATFORM DISTINCTIONS (2026 BENCHMARK): Stripe US: 2.9% + $0.30 domestic standard. European consumer cards only 1.5% + €0.25 (capped interchange). PayPal US: 3.49% + $0.49 for standard commercial transactions. Premium rates applied to foreign cards. Wise Business: Zero percentage merchant gateway cuts on local bank transfers; flat exchange rate fee (~0.4%).
Figure 1: Programmatic structural flow of a reverse-invoiced transaction through credit card networks.

Formula & Financial Breakdown Explained

Most business owners make the mistake of calculating processing deductions in reverse using basic subtraction. For example, assuming a 2.9% fee on $1,000 means charging $1,029.00. However, when Stripe processes $1,029.00, it deducts 2.9% from the entire $1,029.00, yielding only $998.86—leaving you $1.14 short.

Standard Forward Fee Deduction Formula:
\text{Net Received} = T - \left( T \times r + f \right)
Where T is Total Amount, r is Percentage Rate (e.g. 0.029), and f is Fixed Fee (e.g. $0.30).
Exact Reverse Invoice Formula (To Receive Target Net):
\text{Invoice Amount} = \frac{\text{Desired Net} + f}{1 - r}
Proof for $1,000 target: (1000 + 0.30) / (1 - 0.029) = 1000.30 / 0.971 = $1,030.175 → $1,030.18.

When international cross-border interchange applies, the percentage rate increases by +1.5% (represented as r = 0.044). If an additional currency exchange conversion of 1% is incurred, the formula adjusts dynamically with r = 0.054.

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Industry Standard Rates Comparison Table (US, UK & EU 2026)

Compare base transaction costs across major payment channels for small business and agency operations.

Gateway & Tier Domestic Consumer Commercial / Corporate Cross-Border Foreign FX Conversion
Stripe United States 2.9% + $0.30 2.9% + $0.30 +1.50% +1.00%
Stripe United Kingdom 1.5% + £0.20 1.9% + £0.20 +1.50% +1.00%
Stripe European Union 1.5% + €0.25 1.9% + €0.25 +1.50% +1.00%
PayPal US Commercial 3.49% + $0.49 3.49% + $0.49 +1.50% 3.00% – 4.00%
PayPal UK Commercial 2.90% + £0.30 2.90% + £0.30 +1.50% 3.00% – 4.00%
Wise Business 0.0% (Bank ACH) 0.0% (Bank ACH) Mid-market rate 0.35% – 0.45%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fee difference between Stripe US and Stripe Europe? ▼

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic US transactions. In the European Economic Area (EEA), European interchange regulations cap consumer card interchange fees, allowing Stripe to charge only 1.5% + €0.25 for standard European consumer cards. For UK standard domestic cards, Stripe charges 1.5% + £0.20.

How does the 'Exact Amount to Invoice Client' reverse calculation work? ▼

When you want to receive an exact net amount (e.g. $1,000), invoicing $1,029 will result in an underpayment because Stripe deducts 2.9% from the total $1,029, leaving you with less than $1,000. The true algebraic formula is: Invoice Amount = (Desired Net + Fixed Fee) / (1 - Percentage Fee). For $1,000 at 2.9% + $0.30, the required invoice is $1,030.18.

What are cross-border and currency conversion fees on Stripe and PayPal? ▼

Stripe applies an additional +1.5% fee for international credit cards, plus an additional +1.0% if currency conversion is required. PayPal applies an international commercial surcharge of +1.50% and currency exchange markups ranging from 3.0% to 4.0% above the wholesale interbank rate.

Is PayPal or Stripe cheaper for small business invoices? ▼

For standard domestic credit and debit card transactions, Stripe is significantly cheaper than PayPal. On a $1,000 payment in the US, Stripe costs $29.30 (leaving you $970.70) while PayPal Commercial costs $35.39 (leaving you $964.61), saving you $6.09 per $1,000 billed.