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Not really a rate comparison — one is a processor and the other is a merchant of record.
This is not really a rate comparison. One is a payment processor and the other is a merchant of record, and the 2.1 point gap is the price of a compliance service.
Published standard rates for domestic cards. Neither figure is a negotiated rate, and both providers may quote you something different.
Stripe is cheaper at every realistic ticket size — the two rate cards do not cross over.
Cheaper of the two, by average transaction
Paydude is shown for reference, not as the answer to the question in the title. Excludes international, premium-card and dispute fees, which differ between all three.
| Stripe | Lemon Squeezy | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 2.9% | 5% |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 50¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Payment processor | Merchant of record |
Stripe is cheaper at every ticket size — 2.9% + 30¢ against 5% + 50¢, with no crossover. But Lemon Squeezy becomes the legal seller and handles global sales tax and VAT registration and remittance, which Stripe does not.
Where your customers are. Domestic-only sellers are paying a compliance premium for compliance they do not need. Sellers across many tax jurisdictions often come out ahead with a merchant of record.
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 Lemon Squeezy — for every provider side by side see the full processor fee table.
GOOD QUESTIONS
On rate, yes — substantially, and at every ticket size. But Lemon Squeezy's rate includes acting as merchant of record and handling global sales tax and VAT, which Stripe charges separately for through Stripe Tax and which still leaves registration and filing with you.
It does not change on rate — Stripe is cheaper at every ticket size. It changes on how many tax jurisdictions you sell into, which is not a ticket-size question at all.
Stripe processes payments while you remain the legal seller and owe the tax. Lemon Squeezy becomes the seller of record and takes on the tax liability with it. That is the whole difference, and it is what the extra 2.1 points buys.
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.