Free tool
Stripe Fee Calculator
Work out exactly how much Stripe takes from a payment, and what actually lands in your account.
Stripe's UK pricing
Stripe charges a percentage of each transaction plus a small fixed fee. The percentage depends on where the customer's card was issued, not where your business is based.
| Card type | Fee |
|---|---|
| UK card (standard) | 1.5% + £0.20 |
| UK card (premium/rewards) | 2.8% + £0.20 |
| European card | 2.5% + £0.20 |
| International card | 3.15% + £0.20 |
Rates shown are Stripe's standard published UK pricing and are for guidance only. European and international cards incur a further 2% if currency conversion is required, and this isn't included above. Stripe Tax, Radar, and other add-ons carry separate fees too, and larger businesses can often negotiate custom rates directly with Stripe.
How Stripe fees actually work
Every card payment Stripe processes costs a percentage of the amount charged, plus a small fixed fee. For example, a UK card charged at 1.5% + 20p means a £100 payment costs £1.70 in fees (£1.50 for the percentage, plus 20p fixed), leaving you with a net payout of £98.30.
The percentage varies by where the customer's card was issued. UK cards are cheapest, cards issued elsewhere in Europe cost more, and cards issued outside Europe cost the most. This is because Stripe itself pays more to the card networks and issuing banks for cross-border transactions, and passes that cost on. Even a UK-issued card can cost more if it's on a premium or rewards scheme, since those cards carry higher interchange fees too.
The fixed fee matters most on small transactions. A 20p fixed fee is negligible on a £500 invoice, but on a £1 payment it's a fifth of the total amount. That's why per-transaction fees on low-value products can add up faster than they first appear.
Fees are deducted before the money reaches your bank account. Stripe doesn't invoice you separately: instead, your payout is the sum of your charges minus the fees on each one, plus or minus any refunds and adjustments. That's why a payout rarely matches the total of the invoices you'd expect it to cover, and why reconciling Stripe payouts against your accounts by hand is so fiddly.
FAQs
Does Stripe charge fees on refunds?
Stripe doesn't return the original processing fee when you refund a payment, so a refunded transaction still costs you the fee it originally charged. Some Stripe accounts do get the fixed fee returned on a refund, depending on your country and account settings.
Why does my card type affect the fee?
Card networks and issuing banks charge Stripe more to process cards issued outside the UK, particularly for cross-border and currency conversion costs. Stripe passes that difference on as a higher percentage fee.
Are these the fees I'll actually be charged?
This calculator uses Stripe's standard published UK pricing. Your actual rate may differ if you've negotiated custom pricing with Stripe, use Stripe Connect, or process cards that require currency conversion. Always check your Stripe dashboard for your account's actual pricing.
How do I reconcile Stripe fees in my accounts?
You can record each fee manually against every payout, or use a tool that does it automatically. ClearingHouse syncs every Stripe charge, refund, and fee into FreeAgent as it happens, so your books stay accurate without splitting payouts by hand.
Tired of reconciling Stripe fees by hand?
ClearingHouse syncs every Stripe charge, refund, and fee into FreeAgent automatically, so your books stay accurate without the manual work.