What is the Stripe Fee Calculator?
The Stripe Fee Calculator is a financial projection tool for e-commerce stores, freelancers, and SaaS startups. Stripe is one of the world's largest payment gateways, and this tool calculates exactly how much profit you will retain from a customer's credit card payment after all mandatory processing fees are deducted.
How to Calculate Stripe Processing Fees (Formulas)
Stripe's standard pricing model in the United States uses a blended rate that charges both a percentage of the total transaction and a flat gateway fee.
- Standard US Domestic Rate: 2.9% of the transaction total + $0.30 flat fee.
- Fee Formula: (Charge Amount * 0.029) + 0.30.
- Net Payout Formula: Charge Amount - Fee.
- Example: If a customer buys a $100 item, Stripe takes $2.90 + $0.30. The fee is $3.20. You receive a net payout of $96.80 to your bank account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stripe charge extra for international credit cards?
Yes. If your US-based business accepts a payment from a credit card issued in another country (like a customer in the UK or Japan), Stripe adds an additional 1.5% fee to the transaction. If currency conversion is also required, they add another 1% on top of that, severely eating into international profit margins.
Why do small transactions lose so much money?
The $0.30 flat fee is brutal for micro-transactions. If you sell a digital sticker for $1.00, Stripe takes 2.9% ($0.03) plus the $0.30 flat fee. Your total fee is $0.33, meaning you instantly lost 33% of your gross revenue to processing fees. This is why many small businesses have a "$5 minimum for credit cards" rule.
Are Stripe fees refunded if I refund the customer?
No. In the past, payment processors returned the fee, but policy changes across the industry ended this. If a customer buys a $100 item, Stripe keeps their $3.20 fee. If the customer demands a refund the next day, you must return the full $100 to the customer, meaning your business actively lost $3.20 on the canceled transaction.