Credit card processing fees compared · fees checked 2026-10-29
Every online card processor charges between about 2.5% and 3.5% plus a few cents. The spread on a $1,000 payment is about ten dollars; the spread between a card and a bank transfer is the whole fee. Here are the published rates side by side.
| Payment | Stripe, card | Square Free, card or invoice | PayPal Checkout | PayPal, card | Helcim, card | Melio, card | Shopify Payments, Basic plan ($39/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | $3.20 (3.2%) | $3.60 (3.6%) | $3.98 (3.98%) | $3.48 (3.48%) | $2.85* (2.85%) | $2.90 (2.9%) | $3.20 (3.2%) |
| $500.00 | $14.80 (2.96%) | $16.80 (3.36%) | $17.94 (3.59%) | $15.44 (3.09%) | $12.85* (2.57%) | $14.50 (2.9%) | $14.80 (2.96%) |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 (2.93%) | $33.30 (3.33%) | $35.39 (3.54%) | $30.39 (3.04%) | $25.35* (2.54%) | $29.00 (2.9%) | $29.30 (2.93%) |
| $5,000.00 | $145.30 (2.91%) | $165.30 (3.31%) | $174.99 (3.5%) | $149.99 (3%) | $125.35* (2.51%) | $145.00 (2.9%) | $145.30 (2.91%) |
Helcim, card is cheapest on a $1,000 payment, $10.04 less than PayPal Checkout. * estimate: interchange-plus depends on the card. All of them charge more than a bank transfer.
Published online card rates run from Helcim's interchange-plus (about $25.35 on $1,000, estimated) to PayPal Checkout's 3.49% + 49¢ ($35.39). Stripe, Square and Melio are 2.9% + 30¢ or 2.9% ($29.30 and $29.00).
The card networks' wholesale cost (interchange, which varies by card) plus the processor's fixed markup. Helcim's markup is 0.50% + 25¢ online. Cheaper on average than flat rates for most businesses, but the exact fee depends on which card the customer uses, so PaidRouter shows it as an estimate.
Offer a bank transfer. A Melio, Zelle or Wise request costs $0 to receive and Stripe ACH costs 0.8% capped at $5. For a $1,000 payment that is the whole $29.30 saved.
| Platform | Method | Fee | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| stripe | card online | 2.9% + $0.30 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| stripe | card in person | 2.7% + $0.05 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| stripe | ach debit | 0.8%, cap $5 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| stripe | stablecoin | 1.5% | source, 2026-10-29 |
| square | card online or invoice | 3.3% + $0.30 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| square | card in person | 2.6% + $0.15 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| square | ach invoice | 1%, min $1 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| paypal | paypal checkout | 3.49% + $0.49 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| paypal | card online | 2.99% + $0.49 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| paypal | goods and services | 2.99% | source, 2026-10-29 |
| paypal | ach pay by bank | 1%, cap $10 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| helcim | card online or keyed | interchange + 0.5% + 25¢ | source, 2026-10-29 |
| helcim | ach | 0.5% + $0.25, cap $6 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| melio | ach received | 0% | source, 2026-10-29 |
| melio | card received | 2.9% | source, 2026-10-29 |
| shopify payments | online card basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| shopify payments | online card grow | 2.7% + $0.30 | source, 2026-10-29 |
| shopify payments | online card advanced | 2.5% + $0.30 | source, 2026-10-29 |
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