# Stripe vs Adyen: Which Is Actually Cheaper?

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/stripe-vs-adyen-fees
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢; Adyen publishes interchange + markup + 13¢. Which costs less depends on your average transaction — see where the answer flips.

A flat rate against interchange-plus, which is less a price comparison than a choice between predictability and transparency.

## Summary

Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢. Adyen publishes interchange + markup + 13¢. Adyen usually wins at scale; Stripe wins on simplicity below it. Compare at your own average transaction — the headline rate alone does not decide it.

## Published rates

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

|  | Stripe | Adyen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 2.9% | interchange + markup |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 13¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Interchange-plus |

## Which one is cheaper

Stripe charges one blended rate for every card. Adyen passes actual interchange through with a disclosed markup, so the cost varies with your card mix — cheaper on debit-heavy volume, dearer on premium rewards cards.

> **The comparison depends on cards you do not control:** With interchange-plus you keep the saving when a customer pays with a cheap debit card and absorb the cost when they use a premium one. Flat-rate pricing averages that risk for you, which is worth real money at low volume and costs real money at high volume.

## What actually decides it

Volume and card mix. Adyen is not aimed at smaller merchants and generally expects meaningful scale. Below roughly $1M a year, published flat pricing is usually both cheaper in practice and far less work to reconcile.

## For reference

The calculator above also shows Paydude, which publishes 2.6% + 25¢ improving with volume. It is there as a third data point rather than as the answer to a question about Stripe and Adyen — for every provider side by side see the [full processor fee table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison).

**Compare every provider at once** Published rates for 18 processors, with the effective rate at three ticket sizes. — [See the table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stripe cheaper than Adyen?

At scale and on debit-heavy volume, Adyen usually costs less because interchange-plus passes the saving through. At lower volume Stripe is typically cheaper once you account for Adyen's minimums and the reconciliation overhead.

### At what transaction size does the answer change?

It is not a ticket-size question here. The deciding variables are monthly volume and card mix, because interchange-plus pricing varies per transaction in a way flat pricing does not.

### What is the difference between Stripe and Adyen?

Stripe bundles interchange, network fees and its own margin into one number. Adyen itemises them. Adyen also holds its own acquiring licences in many markets, which can improve authorisation rates for international volume.

### Where do these rates come from?

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