Payment fee comparison
Stripe vs PayPal vs Wise fees: compare the use case first.
A single $100-fee calculator is not enough. The real winner depends on card mix, average charge size, international customers, refunds, conversion lift, and whether you are solving checkout or money movement.
Find the driver in your existing Stripe data.
If your issue is small charges, international cards, refunds, or card-funded B2B invoices, the fix may be payment mix rather than a full processor migration.
Which payment option fits which problem?
Stripe
Best for: SaaS checkout, subscriptions, marketplaces, custom payment flows
Watch: International cards, fixed per-charge fees, refunds, disputes, Billing/Radar/add-on fee lines
Is your actual all-in Stripe cost higher than the published card rate?
PayPal
Best for: Wallet checkout, buyers who prefer PayPal, markets where PayPal trust can lift conversion
Watch: Cross-border rules, currency conversion, product-specific fees, checkout mix
Will PayPal lift conversion enough to justify any fee difference?
Wise
Best for: International bank transfers, supplier payments, multi-currency business operations
Watch: Transfer fees, conversion fees, payout workflow, not a direct card-checkout replacement
Are you solving payment processing, or international money movement?
Compare by real payment scenario
| Use case | Stripe | PayPal | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS card subscriptions | Usually the default because subscriptions, invoices, and developer control are strong. | Useful as an extra wallet option if customers ask for it. | Not usually a card-subscription checkout replacement. |
| Low-ticket products | Fixed per-charge fees can dominate $5-20 transactions. | Fixed fees can also dominate low-ticket transactions. | May fit invoices or transfers, not impulse card checkout. |
| International customers | Card country and FX mix can push the effective rate above the headline rate. | Can help where buyers trust PayPal, but cross-border pricing still matters. | Strong fit for international transfers and currency conversion workflows. |
| B2B invoices | Cards can be expensive for large invoices; ACH/bank methods may help. | Can work, but measure buyer preference against fees. | Often relevant for bank transfers and international vendor/customer payments. |
Do this before moving payment volume.
- Export 3-6 months of Stripe Balance data.
- Separate card processing rate from all-in Stripe cost.
- Check whether international cards, refunds, disputes, and small charges are the real driver.
- Estimate whether a payment-method change fixes the driver before migrating platforms.
- Compare official pricing pages for your country and product before changing checkout.
Common questions
Is PayPal cheaper than Stripe?
Sometimes, but not universally. The right comparison depends on payment method, country, checkout product, cross-border mix, currency conversion, refunds, and conversion lift.
Is Wise a Stripe alternative?
Wise can be useful for international transfers and currency conversion workflows, but it is not a direct replacement for every Stripe card checkout or subscription use case.
What should I check before switching payment processors?
Audit your actual Stripe Balance CSV first. Find whether the real driver is international cards, small transactions, refunds, disputes, add-ons, or checkout conversion before changing providers.
Know your real Stripe baseline before comparing providers.
Upload the itemized Stripe Balance CSV and see your actual processing rate, all-in cost, monthly drift, high-fee charges, and savings ideas.