Direct answer: for US domestic cards, a $50 average ticket and transaction fees only, 2026 monthly costs at $10k GMV are roughly: Stripe 350, Square Online API 350, Square Free 390, PayPal card 397, Square Plus 399, PayPal Checkout 447; at $50k: Stripe 1,750, Square API 1,750, Square Plus 1,799, Square Free 1,950, PayPal card 1,985, PayPal Checkout 2,235; at $100k: Stripe 3,500, Square API 3,500, Square Plus 3,549, Square Free 3,900, PayPal card 3,970, PayPal Checkout 4,470. Stripe and Square Online API are both 2.9%+30¢, essentially tied for online card payments; PayPal Checkout at 3.49%+49¢ is about 20%–28% higher; Square Plus’s 2.9% adds 49/month/location, so it only pays off if you use its POS/features.
This guide is for operations, finance and procurement teams running DTC sites, SaaS, subscriptions or digital goods. Data cut-off: 5 November 2026; prices are the US official pricing pages of Stripe, PayPal, Square and Adyen, in USD, excluding tax; the TCO is an editorial calculation, not a vendor quote. All four charge “percentage + fixed fee + add-ons”, but the fixed fee matters most at low tickets; this article uses a $50 average ticket and shows $10/$50/$200 sensitivity.
Stripe 2.9%+30¢; Square Online Free 3.3%+30¢, Plus/Premium 2.9%+30¢+49/149 monthly, Online API 2.9%+30¢; PayPal Checkout 3.49%+49¢, card 2.99%+49¢; Adyen US card 0.13+Interchange+++0.60%. At a $50 ticket, Stripe/Square API are about 3.50%; PayPal Checkout 4.47%; PayPal card 3.97%; Square Free 3.90%. Fixed fees hit $10 tickets hardest.
Four models: percentage + fixed fee, subscription + lower rate, IC++
Stripe: 2.9%+30¢ per domestic card transaction, no monthly fee; international +1.5%, currency conversion +1%, manually entered +0.5%; ACH 0.8% capped at 5; disputes $15 received/$15 countered. PayPal: Checkout 3.49%+49¢, standard card 2.99%+49¢, Pay Later 4.99%+49¢; international +1.5%; ACH 1% cap 10 (invoicing)/0.8% cap 5 (Online Payment Services); Invoicing subscription 14.99/month. Square: Online Free 3.3%+30¢, Plus/Premium 2.9%+30¢ with 0/49/149 monthly per location; Online API 2.9%+30¢ on all plans; manual 3.5%+15¢; ACH 1% (1 minimum, 10/5 cap); Afterpay 6%+30¢. Adyen: US card 0.13+Interchange+++0.60%, Amex 0.13+0.80%+3.95%, no monthly fee; interchange varies, so it does not fit a fixed TCO.
| Platform | Online card rate | Fixed fee | Monthly | Main boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% (domestic) | 0.30/transaction | 0 | International +1.5%, FX +1%, manual +0.5% |
| PayPal Checkout | 3.49% | 0.49/transaction | 0 | Standard card 2.99%; international +1.5% |
| Square Free | 3.3% (online) | 0.30/transaction | 0 | Plus/Premium 2.9% + 49/149 per location |
| Square Online API | 2.9% | 0.30/transaction | 0 | API/SDK, not hosted Checkout |
| Adyen | Interchange++ + 0.60% | 0.13/transaction | 0 | Interchange varies; Amex 3.95%+0.80%+0.13 |
Sources: Stripe Pricing, PayPal Merchant Fees, Square Pricing and Adyen Pricing (US). Accessed 5 November 2026; USD, excluding tax; PayPal Checkout and standard card are separate; Square Plus/Premium fees are per location; Adyen’s Interchange++ is variable and is not forced into a fixed TCO.
$10k / $50k / $100k / $250k: monthly TCO
At a $50 average ticket and transaction fees only: $10k GMV (200 transactions), Stripe/Square API 350, Square Free 390, PayPal card 397, Square Plus 399, PayPal Checkout 447; $50k (1,000), Stripe/Square API 1,750, Square Plus 1,799, Square Free 1,950, PayPal card 1,985, PayPal Checkout 2,235; $100k (2,000), Stripe/Square API 3,500, Square Plus 3,549, Square Free 3,900, PayPal card 3,970, PayPal Checkout 4,470; $250k (5,000), Stripe/Square API 8,750, Square Plus 8,799, Square Free 9,750, PayPal card 9,925, PayPal Checkout 11,175.
| Monthly GMV ($50 ticket) | Stripe | PayPal Checkout | PayPal card | Square Free | Square Plus | Square API |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10k / 200 | 350.00 | 447.00 | 397.00 | 390.00 | 399.00 | 350.00 |
| $50k / 1,000 | 1,750.00 | 2,235.00 | 1,985.00 | 1,950.00 | 1,799.00 | 1,750.00 |
| $100k / 2,000 | 3,500.00 | 4,470.00 | 3,970.00 | 3,900.00 | 3,549.00 | 3,500.00 |
| $250k / 5,000 | 8,750.00 | 11,175.00 | 9,925.00 | 9,750.00 | 8,799.00 | 8,750.00 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Formulas: Stripe = 2.9%×GMV + 0.30×transactions; PayPal Checkout = 3.49%×GMV + 0.49×transactions; PayPal card = 2.99%×GMV + 0.49×transactions; Square Free = 3.3%×GMV + 0.30×transactions; Square Plus = 2.9%×GMV + 0.30×transactions + 49; Square API = 2.9%×GMV + 0.30×transactions. Excludes tax, international/FX, manual entry, ACH/BNPL, disputes, refunds, subscriptions/invoicing, hardware and migration.
Ticket-size sensitivity: fixed fees are the small-ticket killer
At the same 2.9%+30¢, a $10 ticket makes the fixed fee 3.0%, for an effective 5.9%; a $50 ticket makes it 0.6%, for 3.5%; a $200 ticket makes it 0.15%, for 3.05%. PayPal Checkout 3.49%+49¢: 8.39% at $10, 4.47% at $50, 3.735% at $200. Square Free 3.3%+30¢: 6.3% at $10, 3.9% at $50, 3.45% at $200. The lower the ticket, the more you should watch fixed fees and alternatives such as ACH/bank transfer, not just the percentage.
| Ticket | Stripe 2.9%+30¢ | PayPal Checkout 3.49%+49¢ | Square Free 3.3%+30¢ | PayPal card 2.99%+49¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | 5.90% | 8.39% | 6.30% | 7.89% |
| $50 | 3.50% | 4.47% | 3.90% | 3.97% |
| $200 | 3.05% | 3.735% | 3.45% | 3.235% |
| $1,000 | 2.93% | 3.539% | 3.33% | 3.039% |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Effective rate = percentage + fixed fee/ticket; excludes Square Plus monthly fees, international/FX, manual entry, ACH/BNPL, tax and disputes; PayPal card is standard credit card 2.99%+0.49.
Hidden costs: international, FX, ACH, BNPL, disputes, invoicing
International cards: Stripe +1.5%, PayPal +1.5%, Square +1.5%; Stripe adds +1% for currency conversion. Manual entry: Stripe +0.5%, Square 3.5%+15¢, PayPal Virtual Terminal 3.39%+fixed. ACH: Stripe 0.8% cap 5, PayPal 1% cap 10 (invoicing)/0.8% cap 5 (Online Payment Services), Square 1% (1 minimum, 10/5 cap). BNPL: Stripe Klarna 5.99%+30¢, PayPal Pay Later 4.99%+49¢, Square Afterpay 6%+30¢. Disputes: Stripe 15/charge received and 15/charge countered; PayPal/Square separate. Invoicing: Stripe 0.4%/invoice (cap 2), PayPal Invoicing 14.99/month, Square invoices included. Square Plus/Premium monthly is 49/149 per location.
| Item | Stripe | PayPal | Square |
|---|---|---|---|
| International cards | +1.5%; FX +1% | +1.5% | +1.5% |
| Manual entry/virtual terminal | +0.5% | Virtual Terminal 3.39%+fixed | 3.5%+15¢ |
| ACH | 0.8%, cap 5 | 1% cap 10 (invoicing)/0.8% cap 5 | 1%, 1 minimum, 10/5 cap |
| BNPL | Klarna 5.99%+30¢ | Pay Later 4.99%+49¢ | Afterpay 6%+30¢ |
| Disputes/invoicing | Dispute 15/15; invoice 0.4% cap 2 | Disputes separate; Invoicing 14.99/month | Disputes separate; invoices included |
| Monthly fee | 0 | 0 | Plus 49/location; Premium 149/location |
Sources: Stripe Pricing, PayPal Merchant Fees, Square Pricing and Adyen Pricing (US). Accessed 5 November 2026; USD, excluding tax; “separate” means confirm on the product/contract page and is not guessed here; Adyen’s Interchange++ is variable and not in the fixed table.
Which option fits which scenario?
Pure online cards with the lowest fixed cost: Stripe or Square Online API (2.9%+30¢, no monthly); if you need Square POS/in-store/invoicing: Square Plus (2.9%+30¢+49/location); if you need PayPal wallet/buyer habit: PayPal Checkout (3.49%+49¢, about 20%+ more); large tickets/low tickets/international: compare ACH, bank transfer and Adyen IC++; small tickets: fixed fees dominate, favor ACH/wallets/low fixed-fee options. Adyen fits enterprises with negotiated volume/IC++ transparency, not a flat-rate comparison.
| Scenario | First choice | Why | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure online cards/low fixed cost | Stripe / Square API | 2.9%+30¢, no monthly | Square API needs development; Stripe ecosystem broader |
| Square POS/in-store | Square Plus | 2.9%+30¢+49/location; in-person 2.5%+15¢ | Monthly per location |
| PayPal wallet/buyer habit | PayPal Checkout | Conversion/wallet coverage | 3.49%+49¢, 20%+ more |
| Large/low tickets | ACH/bank transfer | 0.8%–1%, capped | Settlement/refund/compliance |
| Enterprise/IC++ | Adyen | 0.13+Interchange+++0.60% | Interchange varies/contract |
| Small tickets/micro | Compare fixed fees | 0.30/0.49 matters most | Wallets/ACH/subscription |
Sources: Stripe/PayPal/Square/Adyen official pricing pages (accessed 5 November 2026). This is an editorial decision matrix, not vendor advice; actual authorization rate, chargeback rate, settlement cycle, risk controls and support response were not tested.
What should procurement and acceptance specify?
At least eight things: monthly GMV/transactions/ticket, card mix/domestic/international, payment methods (card/wallet/ACH/BNPL), monthly/fixed fees, disputes/refunds, settlement cycle/reserve, invoicing/subscriptions and tax/compliance. Use a 2–4 week POC with real transactions and record authorization rate, chargeback rate, settlement, disputes, refunds and the bill; do not compare only 2.9%.
- GMV/ticket: monthly GMV, transactions, average ticket; fixed fees matter most at low tickets.
- Card mix: domestic/international, debit/credit, Amex; international +1.5%.
- Payment methods: card/wallet/ACH/BNPL; rates/caps differ.
- Fixed/monthly fees: 0.30/0.49 per transaction; Square Plus 49/location.
- Disputes/refunds: dispute fee, whether processing fees are returned, reserves.
- Settlement: payout timing, currency, FX, withdrawal fees.
- Invoicing/subscriptions: Stripe 0.4%/invoice, PayPal 14.99/month, Square included.
- POC: 2–4 weeks of real transactions; record authorization, chargebacks, settlement, disputes, refunds and the bill.
FAQ
$10k GMV: what is cheapest?
At a $50 ticket/200 transactions: Stripe 350, Square API 350, Square Free 390, PayPal card 397, Square Plus 399, PayPal Checkout 447. For pure online cards, choose Stripe or Square API.
$100k GMV: what is cheapest?
Stripe 3,500, Square API 3,500, Square Plus 3,549, Square Free 3,900, PayPal card 3,970, PayPal Checkout 4,470. Stripe/Square API remain lowest; Square Plus adds only 49/month.
Why is PayPal more expensive?
Checkout is 3.49%+49¢ versus Stripe 2.9%+30¢, 0.59 percentage points + 0.19/transaction more; at a $50 ticket the effective rate is 4.47% vs 3.50%. Standard card 2.99%+49¢ is lower but still above Stripe.
Is Square Plus worth it?
For pure online cards: 2.9%+30¢+49/location, same rate as Stripe plus 49/month; only worth it if you use Square POS/in-store/invoicing/team features. Square Online API 2.9%+30¢ has no monthly but needs development.
What about low tickets?
Fixed fees amplify the effective rate: at a $10 ticket, Stripe 5.9%, PayPal Checkout 8.39%, Square Free 6.3%. Consider ACH/bank transfer (0.8%–1%, capped), wallets, or subscriptions/batch billing.
How are international cards charged?
All three add +1.5%; Stripe also adds +1% for currency conversion. Recalculate with real destination/currency, not just domestic 2.9%.
Is ACH cheaper?
Yes: Stripe 0.8% cap 5, PayPal 1% cap 10 (invoicing)/0.8% cap 5, Square 1% (1 minimum, 10/5 cap). But settlement/refund/compliance/coverage differ; it fits large tickets/low tickets.
How does Adyen compare?
Adyen US card is 0.13+Interchange+++0.60%, Amex 0.13+0.80%+3.95%; interchange varies by card/industry, so it cannot be compared to a flat 2.9%. It fits enterprises with volume/IC++ transparency.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official facts” from “editorial modelling”: Stripe/PayPal/Square/Adyen rates, fixed fees, monthly fees and add-ons come from the four official US pricing pages; the $10k/$50k/$100k/$250k TCO is arithmetic at a $50 average ticket and transaction fees only, not a vendor quote. It does not compare actual authorization rate, chargeback rate, settlement cycle, risk controls or support response.
Eight limitations: (1) only US public list prices are used, excluding tax, discounts, private pricing and industry rates; (2) only a $50 ticket is modelled, while real ticket/transaction count changes the fixed-fee share; (3) only transaction fees are counted, excluding international/FX, manual entry, ACH/BNPL, disputes, refunds, subscriptions/invoicing, hardware and migration; (4) PayPal is split into Checkout/standard card, Square into Free/Plus/Premium/API; (5) Adyen’s Interchange++ is variable and not in the fixed TCO; (6) authorization rate, chargeback rate, settlement/reserve and risk controls were not tested; (7) Braintree/other PSPs were not compared; (8) rates can change by contract/industry/volume. Treat this as a unit-alignment template and replace assumptions with a 2–4 week real-transaction POC.
Sources and basis
- Stripe, Pricing: stripe.com/pricing. 2.9%+30¢ domestic cards; international +1.5%, FX +1%, manual +0.5%; ACH 0.8% cap 5; disputes 15/15; invoices 0.4% cap 2; Terminal 2.7%+5¢. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- PayPal, Merchant Fees: paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees. Checkout 3.49%+0.49; standard card 2.99%+0.49; Pay Later 4.99%+0.49; international +1.5%; ACH 1% cap 10/0.8% cap 5; Invoicing 14.99/month. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Square, Pricing: squareup.com/us/en/pricing. Online Free 3.3%+30¢; Plus/Premium 2.9%+30¢ (49/149 per location); Online API 2.9%+30¢; in-person 2.6/2.5/2.4%+15¢; manual 3.5%+15¢; ACH 1% (10/5 cap); Afterpay 6%+30¢. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Adyen, Pricing: adyen.com/pricing. US card 0.13+Interchange+++0.60%; Amex 0.13+0.80%+3.95%; no monthly/setup. Accessed 5 November 2026.
Data cut-off 5 November 2026; prices are public list prices excluding tax; all models are editorial calculations. This is not procurement advice.