These two publish exactly the same online rate, which makes this one of the few comparisons where price genuinely is not the answer.
Comparisons
Every major processor's published rate in one table, with the effective rate at three ticket sizes.
Stripe vs Square: Which Is Actually Cheaper?
Identical published online rates, which makes this one of the few comparisons where price genuinely is not the answer.
Published standard rates for domestic cards. Neither figure is a negotiated rate, and both providers may quote you something different.
Published rates are identicalNo differenceStripe and Square publish the same rate
- Stripe
- $3,5003.50%
- Square
- $3,5003.50%
- Paydude (Growing)
- $2,9502.95%
On published rates these two cost exactly the same, so price is not the deciding factor — product, payouts and support are.
Cheaper of the two, by average transaction
$5Tied
$10Tied
$25Tied
$50Tied
$100Tied
$250Tied
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.
Published rates
| Stripe | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 30¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate, varies by channel |
Which one is cheaper
Both publish 2.9% + 30¢ for online card payments with no monthly platform fee. At any volume and any ticket size the card cost is the same, so the comparison has to be made on something else.
What actually decides it
Channel mix. If you take payments in person, Square. If your payments are entirely online and you need Connect, Issuing or a deep API surface, Stripe. On price alone there is nothing to choose between them.
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 Square — for every provider side by side see the full processor fee table.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Is Stripe cheaper than Square?+
Not for online payments — both publish 2.9% + 30¢ with no monthly fee, so the cost is identical. Square is generally cheaper for card-present transactions, which Stripe prices differently through Terminal.
At what transaction size does the answer change?+
It does not change on published online rates, because they are the same. It changes on channel: Square's card-present rate is lower than its online rate, so a business taking payments in person pays less with Square.
What is the difference between Stripe and Square?+
Square is a point-of-sale platform with payments built in; Stripe is a payments API with a large developer product surface. Square gives you hardware and a register; Stripe gives you Connect, Issuing and a deeper API. Neither is cheaper online.
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.