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Two of the most widely used payment providers, with rates that are not close.
Two of the most widely used payment providers, with rates that are not close. PayPal is more expensive on both components, and dramatically so on small transactions.
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 | PayPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 2.9% | 3.49% |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 49¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate |
PayPal charges more on both the percentage and the fixed fee, so there is no transaction size at which it wins on price. At a $10 ticket the gap is widest: PayPal works out at 8.39% against Stripe's 5.90%.
If your customers specifically want to pay with PayPal, the conversion lift may justify the cost. If they are indifferent, Stripe is cheaper on every transaction.
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 PayPal — for every provider side by side see the full processor fee table.
GOOD QUESTIONS
No. PayPal publishes 3.49% + 49¢ against Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ — higher on both components, so Stripe is cheaper at any ticket size. The gap is widest on small transactions, where PayPal's larger fixed fee compounds the difference.
It never changes on price. Because PayPal is higher on both the percentage and the fixed fee, there is no crossover point — Stripe wins at $5 and at $5,000.
Stripe is a developer-first payments platform; PayPal is primarily a consumer wallet with merchant services attached. The practical difference is that some buyers actively prefer paying with PayPal, which can lift conversion enough to offset its higher rate.
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.