Payment decision guide

Should you switch from Stripe? Audit the fee driver first.

If Stripe feels expensive, the answer is not always "move processors." Your best fix may be ACH, annual billing, local payment methods, refund cleanup, or a merchant-of-record platform for tax operations.

Audit my actual Stripe CSVRead alternatives guide

The rule of thumb

Switch only after you know why the rate is high.

A 4%+ all-in Stripe cost can mean several different things. The right next step depends on whether the driver is payment method, geography, refunds, disputes, add-ons, or checkout strategy.

Decision guide: symptom to first move

If you see this
Inspect
First move
Compare
Your rate is high because many cards are international
International card share, country mix, currency conversion, local payment method fit
Test local payment methods or local-currency pricing before changing processors
GoCardless, local bank debit, PayPal wallet, Stripe local methods
Small subscriptions make your rate look extreme
Average charge size, number of sub-$20 charges, fixed-fee drag
Bundle usage, move tiny monthly plans to annual, or set a minimum charge
A processor switch rarely fixes fixed-fee economics by itself
Large B2B invoices are paid by card
Card-funded invoices above $500, annual-plan charges, buyer type
Offer ACH or bank debit for large invoices while keeping card fallback
Stripe ACH, GoCardless, bank transfer workflows
Refunds are leaking margin
Refund count, retained processing fees, refund reasons, plan renewals
Fix trial gates, billing copy, cancellation UX, and annual-plan expectations
Do not switch until refund causes are understood
Tax and compliance are the real pain
VAT/GST/sales tax ops, invoices, country coverage, support burden
Compare merchant-of-record value, not only processing rate
Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, MoR platforms
In-person payments matter
POS workflow, card reader needs, staff workflow, local-service operations
Compare operational fit, not only online card fees
Square, Stripe Terminal, POS-first tools

Pre-switch checklist

A processor switch is the last step, not the first.

You can often get most of the benefit with a smaller change: payment method, plan structure, refund flow, or local checkout option.

  1. 1Export 3-6 months of itemized Stripe Balance data.
  2. 2Separate processing rate from all-in Stripe cost.
  3. 3Identify the top driver: international cards, fixed fees, refunds, disputes, add-ons, or large invoices.
  4. 4Try the cheapest operational fix first: ACH, local payment methods, annual billing, better refund flow, or pricing changes.
  5. 5Only compare providers against the specific driver you found.

Compare the right alternative for the problem

Stripe vs GoCardless

Cards vs bank debit for recurring and B2B payments.

Read comparison ->

Stripe vs Square

Online SaaS checkout vs POS and local-business workflows.

Read comparison ->

Stripe vs Paddle

Payment processor vs merchant-of-record operations.

Read comparison ->

Stripe vs PayPal vs Wise

Checkout, wallet preference, and money movement use cases.

Read comparison ->

Measure before moving

Your Stripe CSV tells you which alternative is worth testing.

Fee Auditor turns the Balance CSV into processing rate, all-in rate, high-fee charges, refund impact, and savings opportunities. Start there before rebuilding checkout.

Analyze my Stripe CSV