# Paydude vs Stax: Fee Calculator

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/paydude-vs-stax-fee-calculator
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Compare Stax's published rate against Paydude tier pricing at your own volume and average transaction size.

Both sliders matter. Volume decides which Paydude tier applies; ticket size decides how much the fixed per-transaction fee costs you, which is where Stax and Paydude differ most.

## Summary

Stax publishes interchange at cost + 8¢ for domestic cards. Paydude starts at 2.6% + 25¢ and improves automatically with volume. Stax charges a monthly subscription and passes interchange through at cost with no percentage markup. Compare on effective rate at your own ticket size, not on headline percentages.

## Published rates

**Standard published rates for domestic cards, September 2026**

|  | Paydude | Stax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 2.6% (falling to 2.5%) | interchange at cost |
| Fixed fee | 25¢ (falling to 15¢) | 8¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $99.00 |
| Subscriptions | No extra percentage | Included |
| International cards | No surcharge | Surcharged |
| Amex and premium cards | +0.3% | Passed through |
| Chargeback fee | $12 | $15–$25 typical |

> **Verify before deciding:** These are published list prices as of September 2026. Rates change, and Stax may quote you something different. If you already process payments, your own statement is a better source than any published figure.

## Where Stax wins

Above roughly $30,000 a month with a favourable card mix, the subscription model can beat any percentage-based rate. The break-even is the whole decision.

## Where Paydude wins

No monthly fee at any volume, so there is no threshold to clear before the pricing makes sense.

Card mix changes this comparison more than the headline rate does. The [overpayment calculator](https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/how-much-are-you-overpaying-calculator) models Amex, premium and international share, and reports the point at which Paydude stops being cheaper.

**See the full rate card** Every tier and every situational fee, published up front. — [View pricing](https://www.paydude.io/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paydude cheaper than Stax?

On published base rates for domestic cards, Paydude starts at 2.6% + 25¢ against Stax's interchange at cost + 8¢. Whether that is cheaper for you depends on card mix: Paydude surcharges Amex and premium cards at +0.3% but does not surcharge international cards, where most providers add 1–1.5%.

### When should I choose Stax?

Above roughly $30,000 a month with a favourable card mix, the subscription model can beat any percentage-based rate. The break-even is the whole decision.

### Can I switch from Stax to Paydude?

Switching means migrating stored payment tokens, which are specific to the provider that issued them. Most major providers will run a PCI-compliant migration of the underlying card data. Confirm that path exists before committing — it is the main technical obstacle to any processor change.

### Where do these rates come from?

Both figures are publicly published standard rates for domestic card payments as of September 2026. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate, and Stax may quote you something different from its list price.