Stripe vs Square fees
Square prices by channel and Stripe does not. Taking the same money in person costs materially less on Square, while online the ranking depends on which Square plan you are on.
On a $50.00 sale, Stripe leaves you $0.20 more — 0.4% of what the buyer paid. Over 100 sales like this one that is $20.00.
| Buyer pays | item + shipping | $50.00 |
Card processing | 2.9% of $50.00 | −$1.45 |
Per-transaction fee | $0.30 flat | −$0.30 |
| Total fees | −$1.75 | |
| Reaches your account | $48.25 | |
| Buyer pays | item + shipping | $50.00 |
Online / invoice rate | 3.3% of $50.00 | −$1.65 |
Per-transaction fee | $0.30 flat | −$0.30 |
| Total fees | −$1.95 | |
| Reaches your account | $48.05 | |
Which is actually cheaper?
At default settings, there is no crossover price. Stripe keeps you more at every price from $1 to $20,000, so unlike most comparisons this one is not a question of order size. Articles that answer it with a single worked example happen to be right here — but only for the setup they assumed, which is the part they do not say.
What does change the answer
One setting reverses it completely. On a $50.00 sale Stripe normally keeps more, but not in these cases:
- Stripe: ACH direct debitStripe+$1.55
- Square: In person (tap, dip, swipe)Flips itSquare+$0.30
- Square: Online via payments APIStripe+$0.00
- Square: PlusStripe+$0.00
- Square: PremiumStripe+$0.00
What this comparison deliberately will not answer
International buyer: Stripe publishes a surcharge for this and Square does not publish one that could be sourced. Comparing them here would make Square look cheaper on the strength of a gap in its own documentation, so no winner is declared. Check Square’s current terms directly if this applies to you.
Payout currency differs: Stripe publishes a surcharge for this and Square does not publish one that could be sourced. Comparing them here would make Square look cheaper on the strength of a gap in its own documentation, so no winner is declared. Check Square’s current terms directly if this applies to you.
Cheaper is not the same as better
This page prices a transaction. It cannot price the thing that usually matters more: the feature set, the payout timing, the dispute handling and the checkout your customers will actually complete. A platform that takes more and sells more of your stock is the better platform, and no arithmetic here can tell you whether that is the case for you.
So treat the figures as one input. Saufee states what each one charges; where to sell is your call.
What this calculator does not cover
- A disputed charge costs a further $15.00, whether or not you win it. Disputes are not part of a per-sale figure, so they are excluded here.
- Custom and volume pricing exists and is negotiated privately. These are the published standard rates.
What this calculator does not cover
- Square Plus and Premium carry their own subscription costs, which vary by the business type you sign up under, so they are not added here.
- Manually keyed and card-on-file rates differ from the channels above.
Other comparisons
These calculators are free, and they stay free
There is no account, no email wall and nothing for sale here, which is deliberate — it is what lets the site publish what platforms actually charge and link to where each rate came from. Re-reading ten fee schedules every week is the unglamorous part, and it is what keeps the numbers worth trusting. If that saved you a bad listing decision, you are welcome to put a little toward the domain and the hosting. If it did not, please do not.
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