Online Card Processing Fees Compared: What a $100 Sale Costs at US Providers
By Stanislav Stepanenko · US edition · September 14, 2026
On the published US pricing checked September 14, 2026, a $100 domestic online card sale leaves $96.80 after fees at Stripe, Shopify Payments Basic and Square's Online API, $96.40 at Square's own online checkout, $96.82 at PayPal Braintree, $96.02 at PayPal Checkout and $94.50 at Paddle and Lemon Squeezy, whose merchant-of-record fee includes sales tax handling. The fixed fee matters more on small tickets: on a $10 sale the same rate cards take between 5.50% (Shopify Payments Advanced) and 10.00% (Paddle, Lemon Squeezy).
Payney transcribed thirteen published price paths at eight providers, plus the interchange-plus rate cards of Helcim and Adyen, and calculated the outcomes below. This is a dated fee comparison of standard published pricing, not a test of real transactions, a merchant survey or a ranking of overall payment services.
Published rates · The $100 sale · Ticket size · Refunds and disputes · Method and data
Published US online card rates
| Provider | Online card rate | International cards | Currency conversion | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1.5% | +1% | $0 |
| PayPal Checkout (PayPal, Venmo, guest) | 3.49% + $0.49 | +1.5% | +3% | $0 |
| PayPal Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments | 2.99% + $0.49 | +1.5% | +3% | $0 |
| PayPal Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments | 2.89% + $0.29 | +1.5% | +3% | $0 |
| PayPal Braintree | 2.89% + $0.29 | +1% | +1% | not stated |
| Square Free — online checkout or invoice | 3.3% + $0.30 | +1.5% | not published | $0 |
| Square Free — Online API | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1.5% | not published | $0 |
| Shopify Payments — Basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1% | +1.5% | $39.00 ($29.00 billed annually) |
| Shopify Payments — Grow | 2.7% + $0.30 | +1% | +1.5% | $105.00 ($79.00 billed annually) |
| Shopify Payments — Advanced | 2.5% + $0.30 | +1% | +1.5% | $399.00 ($299.00 billed annually) |
| Authorize.net All-in-One | 2.9% + $0.30 | not published | not published | $25.00 |
| Paddle | 5% + $0.50 | not published | not published | $0 |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 | +1.5% | +0% | $0 |
| Helcim | interchange + 0.50% + $0.25 | not published | not published | $0 |
| Adyen | $0.13 + interchange + 0.60% | not published | not published | $0 |
Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards on standard pricing, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% when currency conversion is required. Refunds are free for card payments, but the original processing and conversion fees are not returned. Managed Payments, Stripe's merchant-of-record product, adds 3.5% and is outside this comparison. See Stripe pricing.
PayPal: the September 1, 2026 fee schedule lists 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal, Venmo and guest checkout, 2.99% + $0.49 for standard card fields and 2.89% + $0.29 for Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments. International commercial transactions add 1.50%; converting received funds carries a 3.00% spread. Fees paid to receive a payment are not returned on refund. See PayPal merchant fees.
PayPal Braintree: 2.89% + $0.29 for cards and digital wallets, with an additional 1% for cards issued outside the US and 1% for non-USD transactions; $15 per chargeback; transaction fees are not returned for refunded transactions. The page was last updated May 7, 2026. See Braintree fees.
Shopify Payments: 2.9%, 2.7% and 2.5% + $0.30 for standard cards on the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans, which cost $39, $105 and $399 per month on monthly billing ($29, $79 and $299 on yearly billing). Premium cards cost 3.5%, 3.3% and 3.1% + $0.30. US stores pay a 1% cross-border fee on cards issued abroad and 1.5% for currency conversion. The original card fee is not refunded, no extra fee applies to the refund itself, and the $15 chargeback fee is returned on a win. A store using another processor pays Shopify's 2%, 1% or 0.6% third-party fee instead; the Payney guide to Shopify transaction fees works through that case.
Square: on the Square Free plan, card payments through Square's online checkout or an invoice cost 3.3% + 30¢, while payments taken inside your own app through the Online API cost 2.9% + 30¢; Square Plus and Premium list 2.9% + 30¢ online with a subscription. Cards issued outside the United States add 1.5% on every plan. Square charges nothing for chargebacks and dispute management, and processing fees are not refunded when you refund a payment. See Square pricing and Square fees.
Authorize.net: the All-in-One option bundles a merchant account and gateway for $25 per month and 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction; the gateway-only option is $25 per month plus 10¢ per transaction and a 10¢ daily batch fee. The published gateway chargeback fee for cards is $0.00 (eCheck.Net chargebacks are $25). The page does not quantify an international surcharge or state whether fees are returned on refunds, so those cells stay empty. See Authorize.net pricing.
Paddle and Lemon Squeezy: both act as merchant of record for 5% + $0.50 per transaction, so the fee also covers tax registration, filing and remittance that the other services leave to the seller. Paddle charges $20 per chargeback and does not refund it after a win; Lemon Squeezy adds 1.5% for transactions outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal and 0.5% for subscription payments, processes everything in USD without a conversion fee, keeps its platform fee on refunds and charges a $15 dispute fee on chargebacks. Paddle quotes custom pricing for products under $10.
Helcim and Adyen: both price on interchange plus a margin. Helcim adds 0.50% + 25¢ to interchange for keyed and online payments below $50,000 of monthly card volume, with no monthly fee, a $0 chargeback fee when the case is resolved in your favor and $15 when it is lost. Adyen charges $0.13 per transaction plus interchange and scheme fees at cost and a 0.60% markup for Visa and Mastercard in North America, with a minimum monthly invoice. Because interchange varies by card, both appear in the rate table but not in the dollar calculations. See Helcim pricing and Adyen pricing.
What does a $100 online card sale cost?
| Provider | Domestic card fee | Left after fee | Effective rate | International card | International card + conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.20% | $4.70 | $5.70 |
| PayPal Checkout (PayPal, Venmo, guest) | $3.98 | $96.02 | 3.98% | $5.48 | $8.48 |
| PayPal Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments | $3.48 | $96.52 | 3.48% | $4.98 | $7.98 |
| PayPal Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments | $3.18 | $96.82 | 3.18% | $4.68 | $7.68 |
| PayPal Braintree | $3.18 | $96.82 | 3.18% | $4.18 | $5.18 |
| Square Free — online checkout or invoice | $3.60 | $96.40 | 3.60% | $5.10 | not published |
| Square Free — Online API | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.20% | $4.70 | not published |
| Shopify Payments — Basic | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.20% | $4.20 | $5.70 |
| Shopify Payments — Grow | $3.00 | $97.00 | 3.00% | $4.00 | $5.50 |
| Shopify Payments — Advanced | $2.80 | $97.20 | 2.80% | $3.80 | $5.30 |
| Authorize.net All-in-One | $3.20 | $96.80 | 3.20% | not published | not published |
| Paddle | $5.50 | $94.50 | 5.50% | not published | not published |
| Lemon Squeezy | $5.50 | $94.50 | 5.50% | $7.00 | $7.00 |
The domestic fee is $100 × rate + fixed fee. The international column adds the published surcharge for a card issued outside the US; the last column also adds the currency-conversion percentage, which applies only when the payment is settled in a different currency. PayPal's 3.00% is a conversion spread on received funds rather than a line-item fee, and Lemon Squeezy's 0% reflects its stated policy of processing in USD without a conversion charge. The table excludes goods, delivery, tax, monthly subscriptions, premium-card pass-through fees and any chargeback or refund. It therefore does not show profit or a guaranteed bank payout.
How ticket size changes the effective rate
| Provider | $10 sale | $25 sale | $100 sale | $500 sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 5.90% | 4.10% | 3.20% | 2.96% |
| PayPal Checkout (PayPal, Venmo, guest) | 8.39% | 5.45% | 3.98% | 3.59% |
| PayPal Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments | 7.89% | 4.95% | 3.48% | 3.09% |
| PayPal Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments | 5.79% | 4.05% | 3.18% | 2.95% |
| PayPal Braintree | 5.79% | 4.05% | 3.18% | 2.95% |
| Square Free — online checkout or invoice | 6.30% | 4.50% | 3.60% | 3.36% |
| Square Free — Online API | 5.90% | 4.10% | 3.20% | 2.96% |
| Shopify Payments — Basic | 5.90% | 4.10% | 3.20% | 2.96% |
| Shopify Payments — Grow | 5.70% | 3.90% | 3.00% | 2.76% |
| Shopify Payments — Advanced | 5.50% | 3.70% | 2.80% | 2.56% |
| Authorize.net All-in-One | 5.90% | 4.10% | 3.20% | 2.96% |
| Paddle | 10.00% | 7.00% | 5.50% | 5.10% |
| Lemon Squeezy | 10.00% | 7.00% | 5.50% | 5.10% |
Every listed price path combines a percentage with a fixed fee, so the effective rate falls as the ticket grows. At $10 the fixed component dominates: $0.49 alone is 4.9% of the sale. At $500 the fixed fee is under 0.1 percentage points and the percentage rate decides the ranking. A merchant with many small orders should compare fixed fees first; a merchant with large orders should compare percentages and monthly fees.
Refund and dispute terms
| Provider | Processing fee on a full $100 refund | Dispute or chargeback fee | Fee returned on a win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | $3.20 kept | $15 received + $15 countered | countered fee only |
| PayPal Checkout (PayPal, Venmo, guest) | $3.98 kept | $15 dispute fee ($30 high volume) | standard fee, on appeal win |
| PayPal Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments | $3.48 kept | $20 chargeback fee | not stated |
| PayPal Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments | $3.18 kept | $20 chargeback fee | not stated |
| PayPal Braintree | $3.18 kept | $15 chargeback fee | not stated |
| Square Free — online checkout or invoice | $3.60 kept | no dispute-management fee | not applicable |
| Square Free — Online API | $3.20 kept | no dispute-management fee | not applicable |
| Shopify Payments — Basic | $3.20 kept | $15 chargeback fee | yes |
| Shopify Payments — Grow | $3.00 kept | $15 chargeback fee | yes |
| Shopify Payments — Advanced | $2.80 kept | $15 chargeback fee | yes |
| Authorize.net All-in-One | not stated | $0 gateway chargeback fee (cards) | not applicable |
| Paddle | not stated | $20 chargeback fee | no |
| Lemon Squeezy | $5.50 kept | $15 dispute fee | not stated |
| Helcim | kept; amount depends on interchange | $0 if resolved in your favor, $15 if lost | not charged on a win |
| Adyen | not stated | not published on the pricing page | not stated |
Every provider that states a refund policy keeps the original processing fee; none of the listed services charges an additional fee for a card refund. Dispute fees differ more: Square and Helcim charge nothing on a won case; Stripe's $15 received fee is never returned and its $15 countered fee comes back only after a win; PayPal reimburses its $15 standard dispute fee when a seller appeals and wins but not the $30 high-volume fee; Shopify Payments returns its $15 chargeback fee on a win; Paddle does not return its $20 fee. Where a page did not state the outcome, the cell says so. For accepted, lost and won dispute outcomes at Stripe, Shopify Payments and Square, read the chargeback fee comparison.
Method, scope and downloadable data
Edition: September 14, 2026. Geography: US merchant pricing; currency: USD. We transcribed each rate, surcharge and refund or dispute condition from the primary sources below on September 14, 2026 (UTC). Percentages are stored as decimal strings and evaluated as exact fractions; cents are rounded half up for display. Custom, volume and enterprise contracts, in-person and keyed rates, bank debits, buy-now-pay-later, platform pricing and network or premium-card pass-through fees are excluded. No live customer records or transaction tests are used.
Pages were retrieved from a US network location because several providers show region-specific prices elsewhere. Updating the page layout does not change the observation dates; verify current account terms before applying this dated edition.
Download provider inputs, source URLs and calculated examples (JSON) or the flat CSV table. Both files contain the same assumptions and values as these tables. A versioned copy is available on GitHub. Payney's original calculations and commentary may be reused under CC BY 4.0; third-party material remains subject to its owners' terms. Suggested citation: Payney, “Online Card Processing Fees Compared: What a $100 Sale Costs at US Providers,” US edition, September 14, 2026.
Primary sources
- Stripe US pricing — 2.9% + $0.30 per successful domestic card transaction; +1.5% international cards; +1% currency conversion; $15 dispute received fee and $15 dispute countered fee; refunds free for cards; processing and conversion fees not returned on refunds; no setup or monthly fees; Managed Payments adds 3.5%.
- Stripe — How disputes work — The dispute received fee is non-refundable outside Mexico; the dispute countered fee is returned on a win.
- Stripe — Refund and cancel payments — Stripe's processing fees from the original transaction aren't returned on a refund.
- PayPal US merchant fees (last updated September 1, 2026) — PayPal Checkout, Venmo and guest checkout 3.49% + $0.49; Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments 2.99% + $0.49; Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments 2.89% + $0.29; +1.50% on international commercial transactions; 3.00% currency conversion spread on received funds; $20 chargeback fee for card chargebacks outside a PayPal account; $15 standard and $30 high-volume dispute fee; fees paid to receive a payment are not returned on refund.
- PayPal — When is the dispute fee applied and how is it calculated? — If a seller appeals and wins, the disputed amount and the Standard Dispute Fee are reimbursed; the High Volume Dispute Fee is not.
- PayPal Braintree fees (last updated May 7, 2026) — 2.89% + $0.29 for cards and digital wallets; additional 1% for cards issued outside the US and 1% for non-USD transactions; $15 chargeback fee; transaction fees are not returned for refunded transactions.
- Shopify US pricing — US view: Basic $39/month ($29 on yearly billing), Grow $105 ($79), Advanced $399 ($299); Shopify Payments online standard card rates 2.9%, 2.7% and 2.5% + 30¢, online premium card rates 3.5%, 3.3% and 3.1% + 30¢, online international rates +1%; third-party transaction fees 2%, 1% and 0.6%. The page serves local-currency views by visitor location.
- Shopify — Domestic, international and EEA credit cards — US stores using Shopify Payments pay a 1% cross-border fee on sales with cards issued in another country.
- Shopify — Fees and costs for international selling — 1.5% currency conversion fee for US stores (2% elsewhere); conversion and card fees are not returned on refunds; no extra conversion fee on refunds or chargebacks.
- Shopify Payments — Refunds — The original credit card transaction fee is not refunded; no additional fee is charged for processing a refund.
- Shopify Payments — Chargeback process and country fees — US chargeback fee $15, returned on a win.
- Authorize.net pricing — All-in-One option $25 per month and 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction; gateway-only option $25 per month and 10¢ per transaction plus a 10¢ daily batch fee; $0.00 gateway chargeback fee for cards and $25 for eCheck.Net chargebacks. No international surcharge or refund-fee policy is quantified on the page.
- Paddle pricing — 5% + 50¢ per Checkout transaction as merchant of record, no monthly fees; custom pricing for products under $10 or invoicing.
- Paddle — Understanding chargebacks — Chargeback fee 20 USD/GBP/EUR or 40 CAD/AUD; not refunded when Paddle wins the dispute.
- Lemon Squeezy — Fees — 5% + 50¢ per transaction; +1.5% for transactions outside the US; +1.5% for PayPal; +0.5% for subscription payments; payouts via Stripe are free to US bank accounts.
- Lemon Squeezy — Refunds and chargebacks — Refunded amount minus the platform fee is deducted from the next payout; chargebacks deduct the refunded amount minus the platform fee plus a $15 dispute fee.
- Lemon Squeezy — Currencies — Transactions are processed in USD at mid-market rates with no additional conversion fee.
- Adyen pricing — $0.13 fixed processing fee per transaction plus Interchange++ and a 0.60% markup for Visa and Mastercard in North America; no monthly or setup fees, but a minimum invoice depending on industry.
- Square pricing (US) — Square Free: online or invoice card payments 3.3% + 30¢, Online API 2.9% + 30¢, tap/dip/swipe 2.6% + 15¢, manually entered or card on file 3.5% + 15¢; Square Plus and Premium: online 2.9% + 30¢; international card transaction fee 1.5% on every plan.
- Square — Learn about Square fees — Same rate table by plan; 1.5% international transaction fee for cards issued in a different country than the Square account, on all tiers; no fees for chargebacks and dispute management.
- Square — Manage customer refunds — When you refund a payment, the processing fees for the payment aren't refunded back to you.
- Square — Payment disputes walkthrough — No dispute-management fees for chargebacks; the disputed amount is held and returned on a win.
- Helcim pricing — Interchange+ 0.50% + 25¢ for keyed and online payments and 0.40% + 8¢ in person at $0–50K monthly card volume, falling with volume; $0 chargeback fee for cases resolved in your favor and $15 if lost; no added fee for refunds but processing fees remain payable; no monthly, signup or PCI fees; recurring payments add 0.4%.
Related reading: chargeback vs refund and Shopify transaction fees. Explore more Payney data reports, or subscribe to the weekly Payney Brief.