Free payment processing fee calculator

Payment processing fee calculator

Estimate what Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Paddle, Polar, and Dodo Payments would charge on your monthly volume.

Payment processing fees

Compare monthly payment processing fees

Default rates are each provider's published standard pricing as of October 2026. Open "Edit provider rates" to match your own plan or negotiated pricing.

How the payment processing fee calculator works

This payment processing fee calculator converts your monthly volume and average transaction size into a transaction count, then applies each provider's percentage, fixed fee, and published surcharges for international cards and subscriptions:

Transactions = monthly volume ÷ average transaction
Blended % = base % + (international share × international surcharge) + (subscription share × subscription surcharge)
Monthly fees = volume × blended % + transactions × fixed fee

The result is an approximation for comparing providers, not a quote. Rates are editable because plans, regions, and negotiated pricing differ.

Default rates used (as of October 2026)

Stripe: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction, +1.5% for international cards, per Stripe's US pricing. Stripe Billing pay-as-you-go is listed at 0.7% of Billing volume, used here as the subscription surcharge. Currency conversion (+1%) and Stripe Tax are not included.
Lemon Squeezy: 5% + 50¢ per transaction per its pricing page; its fees documentation adds +1.5% for transactions outside the US, +1.5% for PayPal, and +0.5% for subscription payments.
Paddle: 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction on pay-as-you-go pricing per its pricing page, which says there are no extra charges for additional payment methods. Paddle offers custom pricing for products under $10.
Polar: 5% + 50¢ on the Starter plan, which organizations created on or after May 27, 2026 start on, with +1.5% for non-US cards, per its pricing page. Polar's paid plans lower the transaction fee in exchange for a monthly plan fee; enter those rates manually if you use one.
Dodo Payments: 4% + 40¢ per domestic US transaction, +1.5% for international payments, and +0.5% for subscriptions, per its pricing page.

Merchant of record vs payment processor

The comparison is not like-for-like. Lemon Squeezy, Paddle, Polar, and Dodo Payments each describe themselves as a merchant of record on their pricing pages: they act as the seller, calculate and collect sales tax and VAT, and file the returns. Stripe is a payment processor; you remain the seller and handle tax registration and filing yourself, optionally with Stripe Tax at extra cost.

A higher merchant-of-record fee can still be the cheaper option if you sell to many countries and would otherwise pay for tax registrations, filings, and accounting time. Read the merchant of record guide for the trade-offs, or the head-to-head comparisons for Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy, Stripe vs Paddle, and Polar vs Stripe.

What this comparison leaves out

Payout fees, which vary by provider, country, and payout method.
Currency conversion, disputes, chargebacks, and refunds.
Monthly plan fees for discounted tiers and add-ons such as abandoned-cart recovery or affiliates.
Alternative payment methods such as PayPal, which can carry their own surcharge.

For a single-provider breakdown with a gross-up formula, use the Stripe fee calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Which payment processor is cheapest?

On published standard rates, a plain processor such as Stripe usually shows the lowest fee, because merchant-of-record providers bundle sales tax and VAT handling into their price. Whether that is cheaper overall depends on what tax registration, filing, and compliance work would cost you without a merchant of record.

What is the difference between a merchant of record and a payment processor?

A merchant of record is the legal seller to your customer, so it collects and remits sales tax and VAT and handles related compliance. A payment processor moves the money while you remain the seller and are responsible for tax. Lemon Squeezy, Paddle, Polar, and Dodo Payments describe themselves as merchants of record on their pricing pages; Stripe is a processor with optional paid tax tools.

Why does average transaction size matter so much?

Most providers charge a fixed fee per transaction on top of a percentage. The smaller the average transaction, the more transactions you need for the same volume, and the higher your effective rate.

Are these rates exact?

No. They are the standard published rates as of October 2026, applied with a simplified model. Plans, negotiated pricing, payment methods, payouts, currency conversion, disputes, and refunds change the real number. Edit the rates to match your account.

How is the subscription surcharge handled for Stripe?

Stripe's card pricing does not list a subscription surcharge, but recurring billing usually runs through Stripe Billing, which Stripe lists at 0.7% of Billing volume on its pay-as-you-go plan. The calculator applies that to your subscription share.