Stripe vs PayPal Fees: What You Keep From a $2,000 Invoice

On a $2,000 invoice paid by a US client, Stripe takes $58.30 for a card payment (2.9% + 30¢) and PayPal takes $70.29 when the client pays through PayPal Checkout (3.49% + 49¢). You keep $1,941.70 with Stripe and $1,929.71 with PayPal. For an international client, add 1.5% on either, which is another $30. Bank transfer costs you nothing in processor fees but is slower for the client to send.

Last checked: October 2026, against Stripe's pricing page and PayPal's US merchant fees page (last updated October 1, 2026). Fees change, so check both pages before you set your prices. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by state and country.

What do Stripe and PayPal charge on a $2,000 invoice?

Here is what lands in your account for each common way a client pays. All figures use the US standard rates in USD.

The gap between the two on a domestic card payment is $11.99 on this invoice. It grows with the amount, because the percentage does most of the work:

On small invoices the fixed fee matters more. Stripe's 30¢ is 0.15% of a $200 invoice, and PayPal's 49¢ is about 0.25%.

Where do these Stripe fees come from?

Stripe's pricing page lists one standard rate for cards and wallets, with add-ons:

• 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards
• +1.5% for international cards
• +1% if currency conversion is required
• +0.5% for manually entered cards

Stripe also lists ACH Direct Debit at 0.8%, capped at $5.00. On a $2,000 invoice that is $5, the cheapest electronic option on either platform, but your client has to pay through a Stripe flow that offers ACH.

Where do these PayPal fees come from?

PayPal's US merchant fees page lists these domestic rates, each plus a fixed fee of $0.49 for payments received in US dollars:

• PayPal Checkout: 3.49%
• PayPal Guest Checkout: 3.49%. This is a client paying by card through PayPal without logging in.
• Pay with Venmo: 3.49%
• PayPal Pay Later options: 4.99%

International commercial transactions add 1.50%. If you convert a payment received in another currency, PayPal lists a 3.00% conversion fee for most conversions, "or such other amount as may be disclosed to you during the transaction."

A client who picks Pay Later on a $2,000 invoice costs you $100.29 instead of $70.29, and you usually do not choose which option they use at checkout.

Do Stripe or PayPal charge extra for invoices?

Both charge extra for invoices you create in their own invoicing tools.

• Stripe Invoicing adds 0.4% per paid invoice on the Starter plan and 0.5% on Plus, on top of the card fee, according to Stripe's invoicing pricing page. On $2,000 that is another $8 or $10.
• PayPal Invoicing uses its own rate table: 3.49% + $0.49 when the client pays with PayPal or Venmo, 2.99% + $0.49 when they pay by card, and Pay by Bank (ACH) at 1%, capped at $10.00. On $2,000, a card payment through a PayPal invoice costs $60.29.

Taking payments through a hosted checkout page is priced differently. Stripe lists Stripe Checkout as "included at no additional charge for businesses on standard payments pricing." An invoicing app that sends clients to Stripe Checkout pays the card rate without the 0.4% invoicing fee. SolidInvoice's Stripe pay link works this way.

Which is cheaper for international clients?

Stripe is cheaper on a card payment from abroad: $88.30 against PayPal's $100.29 on a $2,000 invoice. Both add 1.5% for international payments, so the difference comes from the base rate.

Currency conversion is where the bigger costs hide. If you invoice a client in euros and your account pays out in US dollars, Stripe adds 1% (another $20 on $2,000). PayPal lists 3.00% for converting most foreign-currency payments. Two ways to keep this down:

1. Invoice in your own currency when the client accepts it. The client's bank or card handles the conversion on their side.
2. Hold the foreign currency if you have costs in that currency, instead of converting every payment.

How much do disputes and refunds cost?

On a full refund of a $2,000 Stripe card payment, you are out the $58.30 you paid to receive it. Refunding through PayPal costs you the original $70.29 the same way.

How fast do you get the money?

Stripe pays out to your bank account on a schedule you choose: rolling, weekly or monthly, according to its pricing page. Instant Payouts cost 1.5% of the amount, with a 50¢ minimum. See Stripe's payout documentation for the timing in your country.

PayPal puts the payment in your PayPal balance, and you transfer it to your bank from there. Check the transfer options and any instant transfer fee on PayPal's fees page before you rely on the money for a bill.

Bank transfers skip the processor entirely, but you wait for the client to send the money and for it to clear.

Can you charge a credit card fee on an invoice?

In most US states you can add a surcharge to credit card payments, within card network rules and state law. In the UK and the EU you generally cannot surcharge consumer cards. Visa's own rules for US merchants, from its surcharging FAQ, say you must:

• Notify your payment processor at least 30 days before you start surcharging
• Surcharge credit cards only. Debit and prepaid cards cannot be surcharged.
• Charge no more than your processing cost for that card or 3%, whichever is lower
• Disclose the surcharge before payment and show it as a separate line on the receipt

Visa's FAQ also says that, as of February 2024, it understood Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Puerto Rico to prohibit surcharging, and Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York to set their own requirements. Visa says that list may contain errors and is not legal advice, so check your own state's law. Mastercard and other networks have their own rules, and your processor can tell you which apply to your account.

UK. Regulation 6A of the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 says a payee "must not charge a payer any fee" for paying with consumer credit and debit cards. It is written in terms of payer and payee, so it covers business clients paying with a consumer card too. Commercial cards are outside the ban, but a fee there cannot exceed your cost.

EU. The EU's Your Europe guidance says traders cannot charge extra for consumer credit or debit card payments. Business cards and three-party schemes such as American Express are the exceptions, and the fee still cannot be more than your cost.

How do you word a card fee on an invoice?

Where surcharging is allowed, state the fee before the client pays and keep it to credit cards. For a US invoice:

Payment by bank transfer: no fee. Credit card payments include a 2.9% surcharge, which does not exceed our cost of card processing. Debit and prepaid card payments are not surcharged.

There is a practical problem with an invoice. You send it before you know whether the client will use a credit card, a debit card or a bank transfer, and Visa's rules require the surcharge to apply only to credit. Two simpler options avoid that problem:

• Build the fee into your rates. A 3% increase on your hourly or project rate covers card fees on every invoice, with nothing to explain.
• Offer a discount for bank transfer. Visa's rules allow a discount for paying by another method, as long as you show the prices correctly. In the UK, regulation 66 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017 stops your payment provider from preventing you offering a reduction for a particular payment method.

Who should pay the processing fee?

You do, by default. Stripe and PayPal take their fee from the payment before it reaches you, so a client who pays a $2,000 invoice by card has paid $2,000, and you receive the net amount. The only ways to move the cost to the client are a surcharge, where it is allowed, or higher prices.

For most freelancers and small trades businesses, the cleanest setup is:

1. Price your work with card fees already included
2. Offer both card and bank transfer on every invoice
3. Ask for bank transfer on large jobs, where the percentage fee adds up

On a $10,000 job, a bank transfer saves you about $290 against a Stripe card payment. For a deposit on a big job, see our guide to invoicing a deposit and the balance.

Which should you choose, Stripe or PayPal?

Use Stripe as your main card processor if you want the lower rate on domestic and international card payments. Add PayPal if your clients already have PayPal accounts and prefer to pay that way, which is common with overseas clients and individual consumers. Both charge per payment received, so a second option costs you nothing until a client uses it.

A pay link also removes a step for the client. They can pay from the invoice email instead of finding a checkbook or logging in to their bank. If an invoice still goes unpaid, our overdue invoice escalation ladder sets out what to do from day 1 to day 60.

How do you connect Stripe or PayPal in SolidInvoice?

SolidInvoice connects to both. Add your Stripe API keys or your PayPal API credentials in the payment settings, and every invoice gets a pay link. Clients pay by card on a Stripe-hosted checkout page, or with their PayPal account or a card through PayPal. You can turn on both and let the client choose. SolidInvoice adds no fee of its own to card or PayPal payments, so you pay only the processor's rate.

Bank transfers and checks can be recorded against the invoice as manual payments, and a partial payment leaves the pay link charging only the remaining balance. Invoices can be sent in your client's currency, and on Pro and Business plans, payment reminders go out automatically.

The setup is the same for a solo practice and a crew. See how it works for freelancers, contractors and photographers. See pricing for what each plan includes.

Stripe vs PayPal fees FAQ

Is Stripe or PayPal cheaper for invoices?

Stripe is cheaper for card payments. On a $2,000 invoice from a US client, Stripe charges $58.30 (2.9% + 30¢) and PayPal Checkout charges $70.29 (3.49% + 49¢). For an international card, Stripe charges $88.30 and PayPal charges $100.29. Rates last checked October 2026.

How much does PayPal charge on a $2,000 invoice?

PayPal charges $70.29 when a US client pays $2,000 through PayPal Checkout, at 3.49% + $0.49, so you keep $1,929.71. On a PayPal invoice paid by card the rate is 2.99% + $0.49, or $60.29. Pay Later raises the rate to 4.99% + $0.49.

Does Stripe charge a fee for invoices?

Stripe Invoicing charges 0.4% per paid invoice on Starter and 0.5% on Plus, on top of the card fee. That applies to invoices created with Stripe Invoicing. Payments through Stripe Checkout, which many invoicing apps use for their pay links, are charged the standard card rate only.

Can I charge my client a credit card fee?

In most US states you can surcharge credit cards, up to your processing cost or 3%, whichever is lower, with notice to your processor and disclosure to the client. Debit cards cannot be surcharged. Some states prohibit surcharging. The UK and EU ban surcharges on consumer cards.

What is the cheapest way to get paid for an invoice?

A bank transfer or check has no processor fee. ACH is the cheapest electronic option: Stripe charges 0.8% capped at $5, and PayPal Invoicing's Pay by Bank charges 1% capped at $10. Card payments cost about 3% but are the fastest and easiest for clients.

Do Stripe and PayPal refund their fees when I refund a client?

No. Both Stripe and PayPal charge nothing to issue a refund, but neither returns the fee you paid on the original payment. A full refund of a $2,000 card payment costs you $58.30 on Stripe or $70.29 on PayPal Checkout.

Put a Stripe or PayPal pay link on every invoice and let the client choose how to pay. Start a free 14-day trial of SolidInvoice.